Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-07-20

Of the ehurch's own sons called TO Its lead
ership.
THE church having been moved down town,
IL proyed an unnecessary Inconvenience 10
have Il separated from the chapel, ana IN
IsIJ a committee reported that the Elho'
street chapel could be sold and one couid be
built In the basement under the front OF
his room, for $500; but this solution did
mai appear satisfactory aud the matter was
damned until 1854, when the Elliot street
chanel was sold, that the proceeds, and $3.50
EXTRA might be used TO build a chapel In the
rear OF the church. the present ladies par
lars. Until this time row OF horse sheds
had extended across the rear Of the church
nroperty the whole distance covered by the
nresent parlors and chapel. Now that half
The space was occupied by the chapel In the
rear OF the church, the men whose sheds were
displaced, used the basement OF that chapei
for horse sheds. The chapel was entered by
high walk, which began At the porch be-
hind the great columns on the church front,
and was Joined to the base board on the
souih side Of the church, where the mortice
hoI.s NAV he seen, The two obstacles to q
satisfactory solution OF the chapel question
were the horse sheds TO which the owners
held tenaciously and the Vermont Savings
hank building, which stood between the
church and the house now owned by Mr.,
Clapp. AT,
Il was not until the pastorate of Mr. Mig
| hill who served the church from 1857 10
1878. that the bank was bought. the horse
sheds all cleared away, and the present
chapel or main Sunday school room was
buiit. Then the barn door still seen on the
north basement wall of the ladies' parlor
was opened, and the basement of parlors and
sunday school room was used for horse sheds,
as long as DIR. Dearborn owned the property
north of the church, and permitted use OF
I His driveway The changes involved in all
this cost $4,000.
| The most marked change that has ever
been made in the outward appearance of the
church came in 1854. when the steeple was
blown on by tornado. This steeple rested
on the church roof, and ringing of new and
heavier bell made vibration in the building
| that had brought discussion as TO taking down
the steeple, when the tornado took 1t on,
/ inst above the clock Then the west end OF
| The church was extended forward the dis
lance between the present vestibule doors
and the nearest window. | am not certain
wbe,ber the roof was extended. or simply
the porch back OF the Corinthian columns
,,ken into the church. The clapboards show
whore the new part was joined on TO the
ola Al this time the old columns were re
moved and the steeple built up from the
stone foundation in front Of the church, leav
i ing the front as we now have It. some iei'
/ that the front was not beautihed by IN,
change. Il gave solidly built sieeple, topped
bv the same weathervane and letters tha'
surmounted the spre OF the church on th'
common we are told.
A significant step in Mr.. Mighlls pas
tora,e was the first districting Of the parish
in 1860 II was resolved that while th'
| church did not wish TO diminish indiydua
| responsibility, certain persons should be ap
poin,ed in different sections of the town. Z
watch out for new corners who were Congre
pationalists, or attendants upon no church
and make them feel "at the earliest prac
tieable time and in the most thorough pos
sible way, that they are among brethren ah'
sisters" / take this to be the beginning
az that districting of the parish that hal
since continued, and brings greater effeienc!
in parish work.
Mr. Michill was called by some ''th'
,nostle John" Some strenuous doctrines
that had been heard from Parson Tyler wer'
missed from his sermons and one of the goo'
women leaving the church a Sunday morn
linz said: 80, dear, | have sat for si'
Years under that man. He breaches love
Hove. nothing but love, ] have heard noth
ing Of the Justice and vengeance of God ant
the everlasting punishment Of the wicked
and my soul is perishing for lack OF spirltua
food.
nit for two years after the departure of MI
Nirhill and was probably the ablest preach
or who has ever served the church. ! mus
NOT dwell upon later pastorates, which fal
within the memory OF most OF you, that OF III
Martin. during whose ministry the new OF
gan was bought, and the choir loft changed
from the rear to the front of the chnrch
or that of Dr. Day, who served the churc
nearly IA years. During his pastorate IN
church interior was decorated, the presen
news substituted for the old ones the pres
emit windows put in place OF plain glass an
other improvements, footing up TO Sio,oo
in all. made in 1883 Mr.. Day brought abou
the consolidation Of our ladies societies mt
one simple and effective association, ste
for which we must ever be thankful
These 90 years have seen marked change
and erowth The ecclesiastical society ma
lhad three successive organizations. FIRST, !
llsl4. il was the Brattleboro Village Meetn
House society, which subscribed funds an
built the church This built, its pews wer
sold like any other real estate, as was IN
custom Of the day, and the owners becam
the proprietors of the meeting house. Thes
proprietors organized Aug. ~, 1918, as IN
Brattleboro East society, for the purpose Q
settling and supporting minister. Afte
The moving of the church this society foun
itself in the possession Of building IN
different mart of the town, of chapel o
Elliot street and q parsonage; properties no
co, temslated in the original organization o
the society. whose rights and powers mgh
have been exceeded. il was thought Henc
the Brattleboro East society was reorganize
Ian. 10. 1913, on a basis providing for NOR
varied activities. Possibly it will need I
be reorganized once more for one OF the al
ticles of 1913 states, 1--WE further speclt
and declare that the religious instructio
taught in said house forever heneeforth' sna
be the Calvinistic doctrine as now under
stood and taught in said Brattleboro Eas
society," 1t is good many years sine
Calyinism, as taught so years ago, wa
preached in this pulpit, or taught in tn
SUNDAY school. We have said to the ga
whistle doctrine as Deacon Holbrook did
. the minister, 'Get out Of my house
will not entertain you.
, There has been an interesting developme1
,, in the way Of raising funds for parish e'
penses The original church became the prof.
, erty Of its pew owners, who held deeds
the news. which they transferred like an
, other possession. John Hobrook owned seve
floor and one gallery pews in the church o
the common. Francis Goodhue owned nv
aoor and four gallery pews. The Brattlebor
East society retained IL floor pews, froi
which it realized yearly rental OF abot
$50. Pew holders were assessed for repair
on the church. but parish expenses wei
met by voluntary subscription IL pc
holder did not pay his assessment within .
days from the time when 1t was levied, p
new was put up for sale at auction, on
c davs' notice. as mortgage is foreclose
today.
When the church was moved from the con
mon the cost of rebuilding was assessed upo
S pew owners, and the society sold its pews
!. make up the deficiency.
One of the large things in the life OF u
church was the sale of IS 2'3 pews by
Q | IL. a;4at. Tor 81 pacl