Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-11-29
7ATH ANNIVERSARY.
Sunday Noteworthy Day in
History of st. Paul's Church.
Church Binding COrsccratcd on Sun.
day, November ~. 1S3:-Vistory
Of the Parish Prepared by G. Il.
Allen.

sunday was the exact anniversary, IN
both day of the week and day of the
month, of the conservation of st. paul's
Church building, which occurred "a years
ago, on Sunday, November -, 1882. Tho
following history Of the parish. propar-
cd not long since for THE Parish Rec
ord by Charles f.. Allen, contains many
facts and statistics Of interest:
ST. PAULS CHURCH.
Previous to 1880, when tho population Of
burlington was SOC, there is no record
Of any stated church service, although it
is probable that some devoted evangelist
rs the Rev. Bethuel Chittenden, brother
of Governor Thomas Chttcnden, who re-
sided In Shcburne from 1870 until his
death, Nov. g. 1899, and his successor,
Rev. Joel Clap held an occasional church
service in the town. 1t appears that the
church membership In the town was rep
resented in the following conventions.
viz: at Shelburnc, Sept. %, 1S0S, Ivy Am
brose Atwater: at Middlebury, June "a,
1917 by Bella Chittenden: at st. AL
bans, June %. 1926, by Prof. John j. Rob
crtson of the University, and on June
1920 It contributed $500 toward the eX-
penscs of the suit brought to recover land
of the Socity for the Propagation of the
Gospel in Foreign Parts, In his address
at the convention Of the Eastern Diocese,
held at Portsmouth, n. H., in 1872, Bishop
Gfiswold reports that he preached in Bur
linRton the previous summer, and in 1871
Phineas Atwater Of Burlington was APP
pointed one of the agents Of the Church
Missionary society.
Tho Protestant Episcopal society Of
Burlington was organized Dec. 6, 1880.
Articles of association were at once pre-
pared by a committee and signed. At an
adjourned meeting, held Dec. 10, 1890 five
vestrymen and other officers were elected
and the clerk was directed to notify n.
Rev A. V. Griswold. the bishop of the
Eastern diocese. on Jan. 10 1881, "A
committee of five We're appointed
to secure subscriptions for the
purchase of site. and the cree
ton of a church building. The sum
of $1,000 was soon raised, a building CON-
mttee consisting Of John S. Potwin,
Timothy Follett. A. Thompson, j. Bur-
ulck and G. Goodrich were appointed, and
on Aug. /. 1881, the Rev. Or. Geo L.
Chapman. who had been officiating for
the society in the new court house, since
June u, was called to the rectorship and
accepted on Sept. 9, 1881, two quarter
acre lots fronting on st. Paul street, be-
ween Bank and Cherry streets, were
conveyed to Andrew Thompson, one Of
the vestrymen. as trustee of the society,
for $500 and building As by so feet, in
Guiding the tower, of blue lime stone aui
of gothic architecture. designed by Amrn
Young. was begun and completed the year
following at the cost Of $500. BY vote
Of the society Aug. %. 1882, it was named
S. Paul's Church.
At the annual convention OF the Epis'
copal churches in the State Of Vernon.
held at Middlebury, May 30, 1882. wher
the said churches were formed into al
independent and distinct Episcopal jur
isdlction under tho name of the do
ccge Of Vermont" the organization OF
the parish at Burlington was approved
and Messrs. Timothy Folett, Andre "
Thompson and Justus Burdick were ad
mitted lay delegates from St. PauIs
Pcv DIR. Chapman, the rector, being The
clerical member. At this convention
Rev John Fl. Hopkins was elected bish
on. He was consecratcd on 3lst of Oc
tober following. and his first Episcopa
act was the conservation OF the new s.
Paul's Church on Nov. Is, 1892 In tbs
following year a 5000 organ was pur
chased, and In 1886 a bell was hung II
the church tower.
In 1850 il became necessary to repa"
and enlarge tho church to accommodate
the increasing congregation. and on Jul!
H. ls5l the society appointed q committee
consisting Of Bishop Hopkins and Messrs
W. +. Strong, Thomas II. Garfield an'
w. II. wilkins, Jr., to expend the sun
of 5000 raised for the purpose, The orig
tnal plan, however, was considerably en-
larged, go that the entire cost OF tn
work when completed was $500 Tn
nave Of the church was heightened 4
the west, sufficient for chancel. 20 fee
square, with robing rooms on either side
an open ceiling was constructed, support
Ell by clustered columns, after design
made by Bishop Hopkins, who largely su
perlntended the improvements. Side gal
leries were added, and the windows re
placed with stained glass. The enlarge
ments provided 200 additional sittngs, n
well as a room in the basement for ].
Sunday school scholars. The church wa
re-opened on Christmas day, 1851. At tn
same time that portion of the block, nov
occupied by the rectory and sexton
house, on which was substantial brio
house. came into the market, and SIEVE
members of the parish purchased con
trolling interest in the property, SO tina
when the promises were finally sold o
Aug. o. 1862. the society was enable
70 purchase the same for the sum of 81
90, which had been raised by suDscrlI
tinn. BY so doing a comfortable rector
was secured for the parish.
In 1860, the ladies of the society, eve