The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-05
Church
in Rutland.
OFFICERS ELECTED.
The Annual Meeting Was
Held There Yesterday.


meeting was held in the church and at
noon a dinner was served in the vestry
by the ladies. After listening to the
annual reports, the following officers
were elected: Clerk, treasurer and col
lector, William C. Temple; prudential
committee, Walter A. Hunter, Ira B.
Maynard, Walter A. Wheeler Ella NJ.
Skinner and Mrs. Charles A. Spencer;
pastoral committee, Charles H. Upham;
Mrs. NJ. A. Wheeler, Mrs. Maria
A. Miles, auditor, C. 1. Bartlett;
deacon for four years, C. I. Bartlett
superintendent of Sunday school, E. W.
Ward. When the meeting opened the
society was $67 in debt, but during the
day this amount was subscribed.
The society is little over Ill years
old.
The church has quite an interesting
history. The first meeting was held
May IL, 1927, at which meeting Mr..
Frink was unanimously chosen to the
gospel ministry among them" On the
ninth of October of the same year a
number of inhabitants met at the house
Of Captain Samuel Wright. Rev. Thorn
as Frink met with them. A church COW
those present, namely: Thomas Frink,
Samuel Wright, Moses Howe, Joseph
stevens, Jonathan Davis, Simon Davis.
Edward Rice, Malkem Hendery and
Samuel Brown.
After signing the covenant, letters
were written to the churches of Mari
boro. Lancaster. Sudbury, Leicester and
Brookheld, ITO afford their presence
and assistance by their pastors and
delegates on November 1, following, to
emoooy them into church state and
TOR the solemn separation and ordina-
ton OF the said Thomas Frink to the
gospel ministry and pastoral office
among them"
This was probably the beginning of
the congregational society in this town,
put a Westinghouse had been erected
several years before this, in fact, the
very nrst thing done after the town had
been surveyed, for a six miles square
settling part was to locate the meeting
house
Dec. IA, 1715, the proprietors of the
township of Rutland met at the Green
dragon tavern in Boston and voted to
establish inhabitants in Rutland. After
the committee had proceeded to survey
the six miles directed by said vote saw
eral people met at Rutland on fine fifth
DAY OF October, 1716 who desired lots
out would not pitch them, for they had
not yet located their meetfng-house.
Inc committee not having had a. full
view OF the land, neither did they know
Where the center was, they appointed
June o. 1IG as the day to meet with
surveyors and determine the center of
tne emile square, and this was found
70 pe IN a swamp or meadow. SO the
committee carried the line to the ton of
NIL a few rods southeastern and
there drove a stake and Located tbe
meeting house, ZIG
rms spot is in front of the new hose
mouse in the center. After settling fbe
location. ten-rod road was lad o1lt
oIle-ha1t mile east and one-half roiTa
west Oh the Westinghouse place. Lots
were laid out on either side and ~, iTgsS
ways between them. -i'ei II
1he people were all satisfied with tho
location and Immediately chose and
pitched their lots. anu
An agreement signed by a committee
Oh TOUR, with Deacon Dallen of Concord
Tor making frame for a meeting ho ,,ss
h ttSue some time previous, was laid
before the proprietors. Us 4S'iu
1t was voted: The nronrio+ou. -,
make good the said bargain ana mt w
Van, vance and pay G45 for the Franc
1nose concerned in the settled naTt os
Ieullaild 70 take care with all oon,,e
nlent speed we'll and sufficiently ~ ,,,3
uefpln the said frame, cover and ino1nno
tne same with boards, shingles on Az
~ podros ana clapboards on the sides
hn,Is Jay nd, d moor IN the said meeting
nouse' mat then the proprietors VII,
nave further consideration ~ W tha
charge OF said meeting house
captain Thomas Smith received -
40 IN ORDER to pay the deacon fcr ~
frame. The timber had aIreadv has etlS
IIaNh on the site, and some work bed
go on forthwith. 0iueFea 10
lIZl' and on the 2Sth of the mon+S 0iie
meeting was held there. a town 49, d
ing, called to choose some ahIa 49,
ed orthodox minister to SETTLE an1nn.,
Inen IN gospel order" Rev Toso,lS
WIZARD was chosen on a vose Of 81 ~ ~
.; he was TO receive a salary Of cse
'its iIrst three years, after that eco
We 1c[iii ~ wright and Joseph Stevens
We're 10 receive the answer fro,1, D Gll9
Mr. Willard. The COMMITTEES n w,1l f' t,N
ceiVed an answer from him but the
IolloWlng letter was sent to the se1ect
men; Gentlemen: Some time in H.
year l12l the inhabitants of fhis tow
az town meeting, were pleased III
make cholce Of me for their minister
ana Tor my encouragement voted me a
pa salary Of $50 per annum for
$3.50 StetiD, anu Ilen E0O
annum, and also e100 in money ar
work towards building, to be paid as n
snail nave occasion for it, to carr,, ON
my work, which proposals, after ser
lous considerations and humble ad-
dresses TO heaven for direction. | did
accept, and accordingly began INV
pulldlng, but have not been able to 70
On win IL, by reason of the peoples
odCkWardness and neglect of helpingl
1t forward by their work as thev rnieb9
nave done, the which as also the
removal OF nigh or about two-thirds of
the lnnabltants out of the town has dis
Outraged me from any further attennt
toward building, and with the concur
tallce OF several other things, have al
ueIeu my thoughts of settling among
you. l nave therefore (eyins the di1,jne
providence therein) thought If INV ant ne
70 acquaint you with my purpose, and
design speedily to remove from ,To,t
ana desire you to communicate this Al
the inhabitants, that they NAV timely
seek out some other person to labor in
me work of the ministry among them
am your servant.
Joseph Willard"
Rutland, Oct. 10, 1922
Deacon Reed, in his history Of Rut-
iand, saws Rev. Mr.. Willard was toI
nave been ordained in the fall of 17o9
IT this was so, he must have changed
ms mind. August IA of the year he wa
10 nave been ordained Rev. Joseph VIII |
lard was killed by Indians.
In the year 1924, Mr. Andrew Gardner
preached. but no one was settled until
Rev, Thomas Frink assumed the pas
torate. PAS
Up to 1929 the meeting house was hut
partially finished. During that year.
more timbers were put in and pailerv
erected, and q few years later the in
terror was ceied from sill to Mate ;,
A second meeting house was erected in
front of the first one in 1859, somewhat