The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-07-12
THE"WORSTED CHURCH y
NEW HAMPSHIRE'S UNIQUE EDI.
FlCE DECORATED 5Y WO-
MAN PASTOR.


The Rev. Mrs. Monmouth Found the
Church Bare Of All Ornament and
Without an Orean-Use She Made
Of Worsted and Paper-Mecca for
! sishtseers.
Probably the most unique church to
be found anywhere in New Hampshire
and probably in the New England
states is the little union house of wor-
ship in Fact Canterbury, some six
miles from Canterbury Centre and 10
miles from the nearest railroad. writes
! the Canterbury correspondent of the
Boston Herald. The little church,
which is known throughout New
Hampshire as the "Worsted' church
has been the home of the Congrega-
tional and Methodist societies since
1889, the year in which the building
was erected.
The unique feature of this meeting
house is it's interior, which is deco
rated wholly with worsted and paper,
but considerably more worsted than
paper, and it was on this account that
the edifice received its name, the
"Worsted' church. While this place
of worship is in a secluded part OF the
town, to which access Is gained only
by walking or driving over 10 miles OF
country roads from the Canterbury sta
ton Of the Boston & Maine railroad,
the church register shows that hun
dreds Of visitors are shown through
the church every year and especially
during the summer season by Frank
Brown of East Canterbury, who is Gus
todian of the little ediflce. The resi-
dents Of the town frequently visit the
place, and are regular attendants at
every Sunday service which is held
during the summer season, when it is
possible to secure a clergyman to fill
! the pulpit. To the natives and more
especially to those who are members
of the church, Methodists or Congre-
gationalists, the place is the pride OF
the town. The people Of Canterbury
swore by the decorator, who was also
the preacher, and she was Mrs. Sarah
Elizabeth Monmouth.
| To all Canterbury and the surround
ing country Mrs. Monmouth was are
! deemer. She was always sought in
! case of trouble and her advice was
final. When any of the good Christian
people were i'll and feared they were
going to die they had to see Mrs. Mon
mouth and a few comforting words
from her had a better effect than much
of the medicine prescribed by the vii
lage doctor or by his wife in his ab-
sence. The preacher held the esteem
of every man, woman and child in the
village and she respected thm.
Mrs. Monmouth, who was pastor OF
the church, died nearly 20 years ago,
after administering to the spiritual
wants of the people. of Canterbury for
more than 10 years. Her death was
due to overwork in striving to do
what was almost impossible In the 1T
tie church, where she preached, lived,
slept, cooked and ate. While she had
a comfortable little home in Canter-
bury Centre, sine six miles away, sne
was too anxious to be near her people,
and on that account she made her
home as near to them as possible, and
found that the church was the best
place she could be found day or night.
Her principal services were on the
Sabbath, when she held one in the
morning and another in the evening,
with Sunday school at'the noon hour.
During the week, too, she had prayer
services, and although many OF her
congregation lived miles away, they
never found 1t inconyenient to attend
and listen to her advice to men and
women.
Mrs. Monmouth was not an ordained
preacher, nor did she have a license;
but she took the place Of the regular
pastor one Sunday during his ab-
sence and made such an impression
upon the congregation that a commit
tee of the churchmen waited upon her
and asked her to fill the pulpit regu-
larly. She consented to do so, and
in less than month she was the
regular preacher. When Mrs. Mon
mouth assumed charge the interior
of the church was without decorations
of any kind. There was not picture
on the walls. and, in fact there was
nothing but the pulpit and pews. The
Sunday services consisted Of a ser
man by the pastor, and occasionally
the members would attempt to sing a
psalm without the aid Of an organ or
piano. While the preacher was good
pastor, he had a small congregation
and saw no prospects for enlarging
it.
When the new preacher assumed
charge she purchased an organ and
installed it in the choir gallery, and
in the choir loft she placed little mot
to, "Give thanks and sing" which she
worked out in worsted in bracken-
burg. This was the first Of a series
hot