Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-09-28
BRATTLEBOROs FIRST MINISTER.

Interesting Facts Of History about Rev
Abner Reeve and the Land Grants
which He Held by Virtue Of His Of
fice.
The location of the first meeting house
in this town suggests inquiry into the loca-
ton of the first minister. He was the
Rev. Abner Reeve, learned and able man,
good sketch of whom is given in the
first of Mr.. CIRCUITS published discourses on
the first church. In the New Hampshire
charter of the town there was granted
lone whole share for the incorporated So
ciety for the Propagation of the Gospel
in foreign parts; one whole share for the
first settled Minister of the Gospel in said
town; one whole share for Glebe for the
Ministry Of the Church of England as by
law Established" The shares of all were
allotted under this charter and a plan of
the lots was made, which was long ago
consumed by fire. One lot was called the
school lot, the southwest corner of which
was at the old burying place in the mead
ow at West Brattleboro. 1t extended east
ward from there across the meadow and
up the side hill 100 rods, and northward
from there across the meadow and up the
side hill east of the road 100 rods to the
fence as it now runs. In the New York
charter, which came wholly uto the hands
of Judge Wells, who decided the lands UNI
der it. there were no grants of any such,
or other, public rights. Two lots were
surveyed out for Malachi Church, cover
ing the south end of the school lot
up to where the fence now goes and
extending southwark to near where the old
academy ground is and eastward to the
eiJ 6 4 I,,t h,.;.l
A permanent arrangement for the Offices
of Mr.. Reeve as pastor of the church was
completed July 3, 1910, but he was for
awhile, however, to ofiiciate part of the
time in Guilford. The next day Judge
Wells decided to him the lot of fifty-seven
and two-fifths acres next east of then Eben-
ezer Fishers, now Mr.. Browns, east of
the meeting house, and lot of $50 acres,
covering the rest of the school lot and eX-
tending up over the hill eastward to the
now moving on Westinghouse hill. He
was described in the deed as "Abner
Reeve of Cornwall Precinct in the County
of Orange and Province of New York,
Clerk The addition of clerk to a mans
name then meant clergyman. That part
of Cornwall in which he lived lies among
the mountains west of West Point and
became Blooming Grove in 1900. Mr.
Reeve came Immediately to the place east
of Mr.. Fishers and lived there till his
youngest son Silas, then about year old,
grew up and was married at 20. His son
Thomas, then about 33, came and settled
on the other lot where the slaughter-house
now stands, northeast OF West Brattleboro
among the alders. a large and ancient
appe-tree stands near, the spring is just be-
low, and other old apple-trees stand among
the alderS about the place. Some one prob
ably had buildings on this lot at the place
in the woods west of the meeting house
where some have said the first meeting
house was, which may have given rise to
the tradition about the Westinghouse hav-
ing been there. After Sias Reeve was
married, his father, Jan. 20, 1871, decided
the farm east of the Fisher place to him,
and perhaps went to live at the other place
nearer to the Westinghouse then at West
Bratteboro. And Jan. IL, 1874, his ia
ther decided the other place to him. Abb
ner Reeve died May &, 119S. The next
year, April 10, Silas snapped with Jonathan
Patterson the farm ga II the Fisher pl4pp