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

/
moved in 1912 to its present site. The
church's history as related by Mr..
Miles contains much Of interest to PEG.
pie outside as well as in the society. II
is published below.
A Long and Honored History.
A church is both building and the body
of men and women whose organization and
meetings for worship and work are housed
in the building. We associate the invisible
things of the spirit with things that we see
associate a personality with the face through
which IL shines forth and the life Of church
with the church building that life has hal
lowed.
This church has long and honored his
tory 1t is happy in having, remodelled TO
present needs, the building in which that his
tory began, with every piece of wood and
every nail of which sacred associations are
interviewer. The history OF large part of
the life Of the church is recorded in the
structure of this building. He who could go
over 1t, note where changes have been made
and tell how and when these alterations came,
would find written in the building much
that the books OF the clerk do not tell, and
the memory Of the oldest members does not
recall.
| shall seek to follow this morning some
thing of the history of the building of the
ecclesiastical society or business organika-
ton and Of the church. II would be pos.
sible to call any one of these the Oldest OF
the three. The building was completed be-
fore the church was organized and the &C.
clesia stical society followed the church by
two years yet a body OF men in 1914 formed
the voluntary association that furnished the
money to erect the building, and two weeks
before that a stated Sunday service was be-
gun in the school house on the northwest
corner of the common.
The first religious worship in Bratteboro
was at Fort Drummer, where Ebenezer Inns
dell was chaplain for Ia years, beginning
with 1T2s. four years after the fort was
built The first minister OF the town was
Abner Reeve, who began preaching on Meet
ing House hill in 1869, in a church tha'
had been built year or two before on
ground which is now a part OF the cemetery
on Orchard street, in West Brattleboro. by
1875 new and commodious meeting house
had been built by the original parish church
in West Brattleboro near the present 0oh
erecational church, and Abner Reeve preaeh
ed there until 1884 In that year he with
drew and William Wells, who had recently
come from England and bought large farm
the house of which was Just north OF hihuei
Lodge succeeded him. The earliest descrip
ton of Dr. Wells which we have is ie'tei
10 lane Hancox from family friend whom
she consulted when Mr.. Wells asked her tC
marry him. The following is an eAi''
from it: 1910,
.Justice obliges me to say that never
knew man better formed by nature ant
grace for being happy and making olhers 81
who are most nearly connected WIN MN
His natural temper is excellent sedate an'
even. always easy and cheerful, inclined Y
think well Of and be well pleased win ever!
body and everything that is tolerapie' opns
ing. tender and affectionate yet ac.i'e
, mer,v and prudent remarkably free iron
nanr;cs and affectation and every turbulen
: nass;on And to these human attributes
ralnable as they are, divine grace has ADDED
what Won still more highly prize, ratioha
and warm piety. This, you viii think
! saving n great deal: but really Miss Jane
| 7 cannot in conscience say less rms is I'M
1;obt in which his character appears TO me
This il the character his tutor and MS mos
| intimate friends universally give NM !,
William Wells was the minister OF I'M
whole town for 20 years, hvihg on ~
farm and during the last portion OF 'he YIN =.
| holding services once OF t"ioe d 49, =
the red schoolhouse, then on the corner =, y
/ onr common. now moved to Chase street. n
| NOS the highest taxpayer in the town. ohi.
! one horse is listed higher than. MS ne ma
! the only gold watch, and mad money AZ -
terest. He was the first citizen .,o. =,
In 1874 parson Wells, who was then /"
l a.s ala and had been A years in the MN
, strv felt the pastoral care OF the 49,
town too taxing upon his streng'h, ant :, ~.
cIined to serve longer. by 'nis t'i,o ~
considerable settlement here upon III
j was ~ What was called the East village
river, VIE lived nearest this village an
- a,asas, friends were here They had al
-, asted the parish to build seeoh
aa,;r, bouse here, for their Accommodate
- having found no encouragement, We
sa,L;rg Of withdrawing from the mo u,
.a.'nah and forming a second parish Inc
a,co engaged Mr.. Wells, and ne oesa
narular services in the schoolhouse on vi
,on,mon the first Sunday in april ioi4
This was in one sense the pes.nn' ront
|. our church. On the 2oth OF the san nie.r NO
the Brattleboro Meeting fiouse ot;,r hons
tormed to provide funds for mee',ns h,,;,S
n hn;id the same This was the puiio
II anu which we are met, which STOOD on u,
u ,ns rod or two west OF the so'ui.i
honu nonnc;l of neighborng ministers wa
ia INV ( 1915. and our church was "
q oan;zed The date is given IN our oi p.attI,
is and in Durham history OF Dr''. w
, horo as July IS. ! do not kno" oord !;
:, mistake was made Tor the i.atlo and
% Dr. Wells's hand is unmstaka ,he charte
l vi. %' record appears where the cnar't
m eeU are enrolled. In both INSTANCES
: is July 5. ~. church the beautifr
.ranaut which we use today as our D' ~
~ fellowship. He was nne t.p' mn.
satberly. learned Christian mihiss aai,na mor
,a'ne sar the afternoon service speakins N ~,
iea,e ~, 20 him Suffice it to say mere VI;
we u'' today probably stand as near " things
we .S' and in ways of looking at .h' ah,,rc1
4 De" INV minister who has served .ne ~ h
m VI means that he lived far a"e'u
times. -, 81 ha settled over tn
d Dr; Wis His beloved wife died the year a a
tar its organization, and IN io,o . year |
ter r Tvs for visit of at least ye' 4o
- 10 dangbter, Mrs. Freme. Deacon oo4 4bon 81
hrool expostuated with him AZ wa 'n reple
brook Ok long an absence Dr. Wells rs rep tal
81 wN,, mind is made up. You inv cbure
oore of yourselves. He t',u ster who
care - ~ thew met with young minister d ms ms
tina. u thongbt likely to be agreeable , anu ar
u they ,,pa desired to settle not TO a,ioW @
IS fui ANU aar,t;on respecting him to preVeNM
cons ,;nr that they had settled MI r,u cbee
learn rnte from Liverpool, Il nG ;.,t Tny ammo,