The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-02-07

BRATTLEBORO's TOWN HOUSE HIS
TORICALLY.


with Other Facts Of the TOWNS Earl!
Days ana Former Fights
This town was organized on the frs
Tuesday, which was the first day, o
March, 17GS, probably at tho house o
, John Arms, which stood about wher,
the Retreat farm.h house stands. Their,
were about GO voters, seven of whom
lived about old Fort Drummer, ant
from there to William Kings, wher,
Lorenzo Thayer's farm is; 10 lived
north of West river; aud the rest north
west of Arms's. There was grist
mill and saw mill on Milestone brook
at the bridge, at which no one lived,
and no one lived between Cemeter,
hill and Mr.. Arms's. John Arms was
the moderator, DIR. Henry Wells was
made clerk, Samuel Wells supervisor.
They had no selectmen. Other officers
required by the laws of the province
of New York were chosen, and thus
the organization was accomplished.
\ church had been begun. of which
most of the voters had become mem
bers and in that same season they
built Il house for town and religious
MEETINGS. When the township was
surveyed six acres were reserved out
of the lot ON top of the hill north OF
Centreville for public purposes and
the house was set on that reservation.
No road led to the place, all was
forest about it, but little Elijah eth
Wells had been buried there three
years before.
The house was built Just south of
the west part of the cemetery in what
is now the open field 1t was framed :
was longest east and west. and fronted
south. y road was built to it from
the north at that time coming up on
the west side of the cemetery; one was
built from the east coming to it across
the common; one was built from the
south, coming to it on the west side of
the common; and one from the west
coming directly to it from the north
west corner of the common, benjamin
Butterfield, Jr a carpenter, built him
self house in the corner between the
north and west roads. and took a
license as retailer; Abner Scovel, a
| farmer, built house between the
south and west roads; DIR. Henry
Wells, the only physician then. lived
where Mr.. Capen does; and the min
lister. Abner Reeve, just east of where
Mr.. Brown now lives, on the road
coming from the cast. William Nc
Cune, a farmer. lived where the build
ings have lately been burnt, and Oliver
Cook the blacksmith, beyond him on
the road coming from the north.
Here in this house town and religious
meetings were held. and this was the
middle of the town till l7sG.
In the year that the meeting house
was built William Harris came and
settled where now is the southwest
corner opposite Mrs. Bigelow's; in
1872 William Elias where the seminary
is, and Lieut. Root where Mr.. Thurber
lives; in 1916 Malachi Church built
mills on the brook, and Capt. John
Houghton came and lived in front of
where Clark block is, aud in l71S
Rutherford HAYES came and settled
where Mrs. Bigelow lives and others
came and lived in that part of the
valley. In 17S5 the road, now the old
road from Marlboro, was built down
through TO here. Through West Brat
tleboro it did not come where it now
does, but went straight out TO where
the seminary buildings are and then
straight down to the brook. The
support of the gospel then, by law,
rested upon the towns. and the meet |
ing houses for both religious and town
meetings were TO be provided for by
the towns. This town voted to build "a
new meeting house. and TO set on this
road east of Capt. Houghton s. 1t was
built there, 60 by As, two stories high, |
and the north side was just about in
the horse path of the present travelled
track opposite the present meeting |
house. The front door was on the
south side with another entrance at
each end. and belfry with a steeple |
was finally built at the west end. |
Pews were sold To raise money to finish |
it.
Here the town and religious meetings |
we're held till 1877. when the house was
moved to where the present one is. The
town had then been relieved by law |
from supporting the gospel, but 1t
still owned the meeting house subject /
to the rights of the pew holders. Town
IN the same place with re-
ligious meetings were not agreeable. !!
An agreement was made between the
town, the pew holders and the acad
envy, with consent of John Noyes, +
who gave the land for the academy,
that the pew-holders should have the
meeting house. and town meetings
should be held in the hall of the acad-
amy. which stood on the corner west
Of the present seminary buildings.
The annual meeting in 1918 was holden
in the meeting house and freeman's
meeting in academy hall; and here
hey were held till 1851. F.:
While these things had been going
~ Matthew Martin had come from ,
rownshend and rebuilt the mill at
MILESTONE bridge: Gardner Chandler
lad come and lived at the Brooks 4
House corner: John W. Blake had '
'omo: Samuel Dickinson had come
md built IA trip hammer shop; John
iobrook had come from Newfane hill 10
francis Goodhuc had come; Chester !
had come from Newfane hill, :
ringing the Park house with him 1
Jalyin Townsley had come from Tenn Ii
'leton: Jacob Estey from Hinsdale /;
nd many others of all classes, minist-
rs. doctors, lawyers, merchants and =
rtisanS.
In 1919 the railroad came. While
his part of the town had so much in
reased in population, the farming
art westward had fallen off. No
rolley ears ran to West Brattleboro as ,
ow for voters to ride up there on and
he highway was not as good. The
oters here began to move to have the 1
MEETINGS here, but this could not be