The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-10-01
"reminiscences.
WEST FAIRLEE, VT. OC

WEST FAIRLEE, Vt, Oct 1, 1897.
| EDITOR OPINION:
A recent entertainment at the West
Fairlee Center church brought out some
historical facts of interest to the people
of that neighbOrhOod. The present church
building was erected by David Eastman
in 1S54-5, by contract the price being
$500. Mr.. Eastman taught school in the
brick school house in the winter of 1854,
and was at that time or soon after a resi-
dent of Bradford village 1t is related of
him that while lecturing the boys in
ing IN the snow because they would get
an all killing cold.' Some families re-
garded this phrase as bordering on pro-
fame swearing.
The old meeting house was built or
commenced just before the 1912 war and
1t is said the excitement of those days re-
tarded its completion for time. The in
side finish as many will remember was
quite ornate, and | remember well Capt.
w. l.. Churchlll's box pew where | sat as
small boy the pew was about seven
feet square with hinged seats on four sides
which were turned up when the congre-
cation stood during the long prayer. The
pulpit was reached by two flights of wind
ing stairs, and a wide gallery extended
around three sides of the building. In
1859 or thereabOutS the late Benjamin p.
Churchill took a contract to turn this
gallery into a hall by flooring over the
open space that looked down into the main
audience room, and | remember well the
the famous donation visits to the min
ister that were afterwards held in this
upper hall when the good people brought
in all sorts of good things from the farm
to help support the minister The old
meeting house is gone, it was a land
mark for about 70 years and fortunately
a photograph of it is in existence and the
sight of it brings back many pleasant
memories to those who have gone ''out
into the world from this section. After
the upper hall was finished the town used
the lower room as a town house and the
inquiry used to be made by what right,
and give below copy of paper recent
ly found among the papers of the late
Sands Niles, ESD, who died in 1870 aged
50 years, and was the first male child born
in West Fairlee. 1t reads as follows:
WEST FAIRLEE, January S, 1921.
Received OF Darius Child, treasurer of the town
OF West Fairee, the sum of one hundred and fifty
dollars i'll full payment of the sum voteG by sd
town for the use of tn, meeting house to do pub
lick business in. ASA SOUTHWORTH,
Commit to superist the
building sd house.
So in the absence of any other record it
would seem the church society sold the
privilege of using the church for S15O
The original subscription paper for
funds to build the present church is in
tAlSlcuCt anu nave QulIe RECENTLY seen
1t. There are twenty names in the list
and only one survives Niles,
Esq, who was the chairman of he build
ing committee, the other members being
Calvin NJ. Holbrook, Samuel n. South
worth and Elisha Badger. The first dea-
cons to Otficiate in the present church
were Asa SOuthworth, son of Dea. South
worth who was also deacon in his time,
and Randall Hunt Wild. The first pastor
in the new church was Rev. SolOn Martin.
The first preacher in the town was Judge
Nathaniel Niles, but he was never the
pastor though in the early days of the
towns history he was veritable priest
and king" Benjamin Niles above refer
ed to is the only survivor on the male side
Of the influential Niles family now living
in the town. FRANK L. CHURCHILL.
The Ladies Aid Society have issued
about five hundred invitations to the
members and attendants of Grace
church for a Birthday Party at the
Methodist parsonage on Friday even-
ing, Oct. Sth. The invitation is in
tended to be general and include the
entire congregation. Any omissions
are unintentionai and will be correct
ed if made known.
TO heal the broken and diseased tissues,
% sOothe the irritated surfaces, to in
,tantly relieve and permanently cure is
he mission of DeWitts Witch Hazel
Salve. \. T. Clarke; q. l.. Andrews,
\pWburV