Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-07-20
7ERNONT PHOENIX BRATTLEBORO, FRIDAY, JULY 1906

four gallery pews. The Brattleboro East |
society retained 70 floor pews, from which
II realized a yearly rental of about $50
Pew holders were assessed for repairs
on the church; but parish expenses were
met by voluntary subscription. II n
pew holder did not pay his assessment
within 30 days from the time when II was
levied. his pew was put up for sale at
auction. on 80 days notice, as a mortgage
is foreclosed today.
When the church was moved from the
common the cost of rebuilding was as
sessed upon pew owners, and the society
sold its pews to make up the deficiency.
One of the large things In the life Of the
church was the sale of 1S 2-S pews by in
dividual owners to the society. for 81 90
each. in 1868. That is, the pews were
donated to the society. Many pews
in one of the largest Congregational
churches in Vermont are still owned
by individuals. who rent and sell
them like any other. private property.
Those who rent these pews pay to the
owners the money that i'm most churches
goes for current expenses. Being obliged
to pay individuals for their sittings they
feel unable to give the church what 1t
needs for expenses We have reason to
be thankful that this church has been
spared any such embarrassment
our annual budget has grown with the
| decades. In 1913 So was the sum paid
a minister for supplying the pulpit. The
| minister's salary was about SO a week.
| There was gradual increase in budget
! and salary, but the marked change came
! just after the war. when the salary was
more than doubled, and the present
/ schedule of expenditure began.
There was at first no heating Of the
! church on the common, save from the
| bodies of the people. and their footstoves
| l do not know when stoves were intro
/ duced. Gov. Holbrook says that the first
ones stood I'm the vestihule. with stove
| pipes entering this room and extending
! its whole length, under the galleries till
they suddenly turned and went out at
! the front windows. They smoked badly.
I find no entry of expense for fuel I'M
| I'll 1916. when there was an item for
| wood. oil and repairs of S26 %. As oil
/ cost about $40 "a year. there would not be
/ much left for wood. after paying the re-
| pair bill. Doubtless wood was given the
church. \ furnace was put i'm in 1916,
| and few years laJcr il was voted to re-
model it so as. If possible to get warmth
without the Inconvenience Of a smoky at
| mosphere."
Parson Wells owned his own home one
Of the best in the town. After he retired
/ the parish faced the question of providing
, a parsonage. The ladies started a par
souage fund I'm 1919. and by 1923 had $500
At that time Mrs. John Holbrook offered
the society n gift Of the present parson-
age lot Il they would raise by subscrip-
ton money enough to, with the $500 from
the ladies' build the house: $3.50 was con-
trihuted. The lot. with aqueduct. was
valued at $50 and the place complete at
Si5l9 This building was used until the
present parsonage was built on It's site,
seven years ago. at cost Of about $4,000.
At the time OF raising money for the
first parsonage. Deacon Holbrook came
forward with an offer Of $500 toward a
permanent endowment for the Brattleboro
East society. provided others would con-
tribute an equal amount the whole to
| accumulate for three years. at the end OF
which time the interest should be avail
| able for parish expenses This was the
origin of the first fund of the church.
Others have added to II. So that we now
have $4,000 for the poor OF the church.
$4,000 for the Sunday school library. and
about $4,000 for the Brattleboro Ease
society. All these funds are to a degree
perpetuating the gifts which the donors
made while living 60 carry on the work
of the church. Remember the church en-
dowment i'm your wills. Large sums are
not needed from any one; but some OF
= you can leave a sum, the interest of which
: will equal your pew rent and thus con-
tinue your help i'm the work you love
after we are all gone. You may be as
sured that the money will be needed and
: well used.
must not fail to mention the benevo-
lent offerings Of the church. II have
: not done so aggressive and many sided
2 a work at home as some churches do
2 few have given so generously in proportion
I to ability, to benevolent appeals outside
{ We have been constant In the support o
2 home and foreign missions. The secretary
=. OF the Vermont Domestic Missionary So
y ciety has said recently that We have a rec
| ord Of home missionary giving second t.
e that of no other church in the state. Ou
part in foreign missions also has beer
large. / am not sure that anything tn,
e church has done has counted more thar
y benevolent offerings. II has done an i'm
perishable work for others. and taken Vi
$ out OF ourselves in a way to be Of largI
help to us.
/ have traced something Of the outward
! history of our church, the manifestation
! of the spirit and life that have prevailed
I here. That spirit itself one cannot de
scribe. for il lives in secret with God
| and we see only its fruits
One cannot review this history withou
y admiration for the noble Christian mel
and women who have been before us ant
{ wrought for us. We have a precious
heritage. We have also a large oppor
tunity, and face a need that should ap
{ peal to us as forcefully as the need o
a the former day appealed to the fathers
e We build the house that our father
{ builded these many years ago God lay
! upon us the work they have passed down
u May we take II up with a spirit worth
Z OF them, and Of the Lord Christ, who's
~ servants they were and are.