The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-12

rom Lnelf numDer to TX upon LHe
 place for the society to build meeting house.
 1 The same year Matthias Hitchcock
 Ephrahm Cook, Benjamin Moss an(
 John Hull, were appointed committe'
 to measure the bounds of said society in order to know where the center there
 of would be, upon the road on which
 the meeting-house then stood. In 173f
 the society agreed to build an edifice
 sxty-four feet in length, forty-fve feet
 in breadth and twenty-four feet be-
 tween joints: and Sergeant Edward
 Parker, Caleb Matthews, Jr., Benjamin
 Dutton, John Hull and Joshua Hotch-
 kiss were appointed the building com
 mittee. In the year 1738 this building
 was finished and ready for occupancy. | By vote of the society, what timber or parts of the old church, that could be
 used in finishing the new was so ap- propriated.
 Elnathan Beach, who died in the year 1742, bequeathed by will to the society
 of New Cheshire suitable bell for their
 new meeting-house, and it is generally
 believed that in accordance with this
 will, a small bell was procured and
 placed in position is the turret of this
 church soon after the death of MT.
 Beach. This was evidently the first bell
 to call worshippers to this sanctuary.
 but the records of the society show
 that no vote was taken in reference to placing bell in position in this church
 ediflce until the year 1773.
 In the year 1773 the society voted ito | ir ho .,fio ioio to hold a
 bell of four hundred and fifty pounds Iweight," which was secured and placed 1 in position. This church building was
 without @ steeple until the year 1790, at
 which time the society voted ito take
 down the turret and to build steeple."
 Also ito purchase bell of not less than
 seven hundred pounds weight" At the same time it was also voted ito ring the bell at twelve o'clock in the day, and
 also at 9 o'clock at night" This was occupied as place of divine worship until the year 1927, nearly ninety years
 (90). In this conseerated pulpit the Rev. Samuel Hall off1ciated twenty-nine years, Rev. John Foot forty-six years Rev. H. M. Perrine three years and Rev. Roger Hitchcock three years, as or dained pastors, and the Rev. Luke Wood as a stated supply for two years previous to it's removal The land on which this church building stood inclu- ding the green in front of the present church edifce, as well as the old DOT ton of our town cemetery, was given to the First Ecclesiastical society by the Rev. Samuel Hall, its first pastor.
 The present or third church edifice was built in the years 1926 and 1927. The contracting parties for doing the joiner and carpenter work were Messrs. Hall & Winton, who also built several other churches in this locality. They were paid for their services the sum of $2, 110-the entire cost of the structure being $6,S7259. The following persons were the building committee, viz.-An- drew Hull, Ezra Doolittle, Dr. Thomas T. Carswall, Elias Gaylord, Benjamin Hull, Charles c. Hall Jerre Brooks, Jesse Thompson, William Law, Reuben w. Roys, Leverett Bradley, Thomas Foster, Warren Benham, Benajah Ives, Asa Peck and Charles A. Stanley. The land where the church now stands was purchased by an association of persons, and the same presented to the society by deed in the year 1925, with the un- that the new church edfice should be built on this property. Tha persons who made this gift to the 'c- ciety were the following, viz.-Rufus Hitchcock Andrew Hull, Governor S A. Foot, E. A. Cornwall William Law Benajah Ives. Dr. Thomas T. Cornwall, Stephen Ives, William R. Hitchcock Elias Gaylord, General Andrew Hull, Cyrus Baldwin, Richard Beach, Samuel | Hull, 3d, and others.
 The present Cor 3d) church building | was dedicated August 1st, 1927. {, The Rev. David l.. Ogden, then pas | tor of the Congregational church in (whose church edifiee was designed from ours in 1828), preached f the dedication sermon, from words | found in Psalms 89.7, God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of His saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him." When first erected the choir gallery was at the west end and the pulpit at the east end of the audience room: this was raised ID on posts about seven feet from the 1oor.
 In the latter part of August, 1857, dur nS severe tHulueT SlOTIn, pIle CHurCn 'dif1ce was struck by lightning. The electric current entered the church at he northeast corner and passed entirely trough the building tearing up the loor in the north aisle, and passed out 1t window in the rear of the church. 50 great was the damage done by the lightning that extensive repairs were necessary. At this time the floor was hanged in it's angle and a new one aid, and the pulpit removed from the ront to the rear of the audience room, nd placed in position as it now ap- ears. The large choir gallery at the vest end of the church was then taken way and a gallery at the east end fit- ed up for those who led in the service f song.
 In the year 1867 the interior of the hurch was frescoed, at a cost of $S67, ot including incidentals. While these improvements were in progress services ere held at what was then known as hall.
 The Rev. Joseph Whiting was the rst minister that officiated in this nurch edifice as pastor. The present lapel addition on the west end of the 1urch was erected in the year 1876, at cost of $1,500. The bell placed in the elfry of this church at it's erection,