Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-09-28
HISTORICAL ADDRESS.

Inc lOliOWluk uioeoAiSai oNoicoo
was delivered by Hon. j. B. Holton at
the rededication of the Free Baptist
church at West Charleston, Vt, Sept.
10, 1908.
The fathers who built this building
must not only have been believers in
the Bible, but they also must have
been wise men, for they gave heed to
the advice given in Holy Writ, and
built their house upon a rock. They
had no doubt something of the spirit
OF the writer of the song that we
sometimes sing:
"suld ye on the rock fou ds, ion, and your
house shall surely stand"
This house has stood the storms and
blasts of more than sixty years, and
for aught I know may stand as a
monument to the toll and sacrifice of
its builders as long as time shall last.
Truly they must have been men of
heroic faith and courage to have
undertaken in their poverty (for they
were few and poor to rear such a
structure as this. hardly think that
we of to-day with our large increase
Of population and means, would en-
terrain the thought for a single
moment. But they, like the builders
of Solomon's temple, had a mind to
work, and to give willingly that the
house of God might be built. But
these fathers, where are they? They
have ceased from their labors and
their works do follow them. Blessed
be their memory. Do you know that
/ almost entertained the wish that
these fathers who toiled so faithfully
to build this house and to maintain
the worship of God here could be
present with us to night and see the
change that has been wrought in the
old stone church. 1 think they would
all exclaim that the glory of the latter
temple is greater than the glory of
the former temple, and would depart
praising God for what they had seen
and heard.
The land on which this church
stands was free gift from one of the
early settlers of this town, Stephen
Cole, ard was to be used only for
church purposes. The building of
this church was commenced in 1912,
and was completed in 1913. Ozro
Bracke tt took the contract, and was
assisted in the work by his father,
| Samuel Bracket. Ira H. Bracket
dressed the stone. Denis Sabin of
Bloomington framed the woodwork,
and Samuel Willard and his father
/ finished the interior. Andrew j.
Bean, who is now living in this town,
and to whom am greatly indebted
for the facts that / am giving you,
sawed the lumber. Most of the
granite, am told, came from single
boulder on the farm where Geo. w.
Hamilton now lives. The money
with which to build was raised by
public subs cription, and the farmers
and those interested gave their own
services and the use of their teams,
which were mostly oxen in those
days, in hauling granite and lumber.
After the church was finished the
pews were sold ct public auction.
Soon after its completion dedicatory
services we're held. Rev. Proctor
Moulton preached the sermon. The
church was built a union house and
for several years was occupied by the
Congregationalists, Methodists, Free
Baptists, ard Universallsts. The
Rev. j. T. Howard preached for tie
Congregationalists; the Methodists
had no regular preaching; Elders
Tabor and Goodenough preached for
the Universalists; and Rev. Hilton
Brackett, son of our present post
master, preached for the Free Bap-
fists. Father Brackett, as he was
called, came to this town from Lyn-
don about the year 1880, and lived for
several years on the farm now owned
by Everett Driver near Plunkett
Pond, then called Brackets Pond.
He preached for the Free Baptis5s
most of the time from 1s43 (the time
the church was completely until 1856.
Then Elder Waterman, father of our
Rev. 8. G. Waterman, whom many of
you know, supplied for a year or
more. He was followed by Rev.
Proctor Moulton, who remained a
year and boarded at Father Brack-
ett's. One morning in haying time,
Bracket, Moulton, and one BENZ. I.
Campbell, father of our Henry Camp
bell, took their scythes and went into
the field to NOV. They struck in and
put in some pretty lively clips, until
they reached the further end of the
field, and were resting little before
starting back, the sweat pouring
| dnup fhair e.