Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-10-12
THE FIRST MEETING-HOUsE.
IL oadbeds. Rocks, and other Things as
Clues to Its Site.

Editor Of The PhO'niJ.-I was much interest
ed in the historical article which appeared in
The Phoenix of AUG. 81, giving facts from early
records respecting the site Of the first Brattle
boro meeting house showing how these records
seem to leave no doubt that the place fixed upon
in this lmy second discourse, and shown upon
the chart. is correct or, a. the writer says IN
conclusion, that the meeting house must have
stood about three rods south of the southwest
part of the cemetery as It now is SO Probably no
one who knows the able and painstaking writer
Of the article and the means which he has al his
command in records made and preserved IN
black and white els tn need ~ more light on
the point of which he speaks. And yet II can
but be interesting to notice what concurrent tes
tnony may be had on the subject. or how much
NAV be- found in a careful study OF that now his
torlc hill. and IN the customs of men IN those
early days 10 agree with and support the above
conclusion "
Standing in the southwest corner Of the GENE
terry and lO king nOrthward. CLOSE along the east
side of tine present west boundary wall. ve See
what was evidently the bed of the road that anne
IN from the north DO llu> as given on the chart ot
my SECOND discourse. After this road was
| given up. II would seem that the above named
/ west boundary wall was built on The west border
/ of the roadbrd of which We speak, which road
bed comes IN al Tie northwest corner q the CEN
etery and runs north. parallel with the wall till
/ il comes To large DOWlder. parity in the wall.
| near the southwest corner and then turns south
! of eastward. aud makes. evidently. for what was
/ the site of TIE meetug-hduse Here, too. stand
! ing again at the southwest corner of the Gene
terry. We evidently stand at the forE Of the above
road from the north and the road that struck of
west. lust south OF the above named bow lder. in
/ I114. the bed of which seems. even now. plainly
/ visible for little way. IN tue pastur- along the
| centre line OF the town. winch runs mere, west
! ward. two rods soIth Of the old cellar place
| marked '5 on the chart Vow the fact that this
! ABOVE road. that came IN from the north IN 1865
| the same year the meeting house was built. and
| III It's general course and curyIng. made directly
towards the spot named IN The Phoenix Of Aug
! 81 the site of the house instead of going down
! 10 a spot some ~ or 30 rods west Of tins. is in
! plain and happy accord with the aforesaid con
| clusion that The meeting house must have
/ stood about three rods south of the southwest
! part of the cemetery As i now is "
/ Another thing which shows that the site Of the
] house could not have been some 80 or 81 ROD,
west OF the cemetery Is the fact that there seems
o. have been NO road west Of the summit. OF
/ which were the graveyard and common. till ia
/ some five or SIX years after the church W 5 built
I NHr should w IAN u notice the TACT that the PEG
pie 81 that early day were accustOmei To builC
I their meeting houses on hills. often on tn,
/ common and near If not quite ad Joining IT.,
uuryIu- grOund-anOtuer fact which would uou
o. the site ut which We speak, and not &c one OIL
lower land. at distance. and that. too. in a kinl
%. basin where Little travel could not fail t,
make % muddy. Closely related to this though
is the TACT that our ancestral fathers and mother
l were alike Bible readers and men and women O
rne aesthetic taste. While the ir minds were mould
rd. doubtless more than they knew. by Bibh
teaching and Imagery. We have reason to believ
they were alsl highly susceptible Of t4Sthetl
pleasures ana impressions, having ever an ey,
open 10 tur supllInr ana beautiful, the pure an.
] Inspiring. Natural scenery, whether delicate an
diversified. as near at hand or sweeping and sui
lime 300 grand Outiuok AT distance, was. d
tl-u,a del gut which could always be- had in la rl
measure al the pa OF which speak. 4 tray
ri-d college claS~ma'e OF mine. the Rev Or Clam
. al one time pastor ~ tine church hett IN B-attle
upr'. never tired of praislug the natural sceneri
. tt this region, often putting 10 iu happy contras
WIFI tAAt o' NWItl-riand' and FEW arr the place
/ easy NJ access where one eau take in more @
fr4. la