Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-10-01

| held. The people responded more
| Sympathctically than had been the
| case in any of the former attempts TO
| plant Mcthodism here, and a t,Oodly
congregation Was gathered. \ Sun
! day school was moreover organized
with considerable membership win
| good prospects Of amounting to some
thing in the time to be. Matters con-
tinued to improve slowly until the
| Year 1874. At that time the Rev
| stephen Allen WAS appointed to this
| field with missionary appropriation
of $3.50, with which 10 carry on The
work in the interest of Mcthodism
incipirnt measures were taken for the
building of Il house of Worship and it
even went so far as the bargaining ioi
Il church site. But Mr.. Allen left the
work at the close of the year and the
building enterprise was abandoned.
in the year 1915, the Rev. Asahcl
Moore supplied the mission, and in the
year 1916. the Rev. Charles Munger
Again the society became discouraged
and it is rcgrettablc that the field was
abandoned. For nearly five years
little or nothing was accomplished.
Then came again the Rev. Stephen
Allen, appointed to preach in Wafer
Vile. He remained for two years. AZ
this time quite Il revival occurred, and
t!IH<c WAS considerable talk on foot
about the building of Il house of wor-
ship but the Old difficulty of financial
embarrassment again pat an end to
the plans OF tn" little Methodist
gathering, and the enterprise was
given ~, but this time reluctantly.
This Was Il good si:5n. 1t was not, as
il had heretofore been. altogether
abandoned. but the work only
si@ckcn"i for time as 4 consequence
of the reaction.
Daring tho years 1851 to 1856, the
| Revcrcnds Stephen Allen. y. Water
house, AMI Caleb E'C!lcr. were APP
pointed Preachers. the first and the
;hird of th,m serving two years, the
second serving one. There was A
revival under Mr.. Allen. sand the
| question of the building of the meeting
house, which had ever been vital
! one. was again raised. Ii was taltna
up anew under the leadership of Ar.
Fuller. and an eligible site was en-
| gagged and arrangements to build
nearly maturcd. But the society was
again doomed to disappointment, for
| the plan to build WAS abandoned, the
| society broken W. and the membership
Anininaill transferred to the Fairfield
| charge. For the next twelve years
| there is nothing further of the
| Methodist denomination in Waterville
| for it WAS connected during that
period with the Fairfield charge, and
| the history of that organization is the
story Of the struggle and the tenn
| p0rary failure of Methodism in
| Wateryilc.
In the year 1867. Waterville was
| again made separate appointment
With thirty members, and missionary
| funds We're appropriated for the
| purpose Of supporting the society.
| This was mainly effected by the
! earnest efforts of Mr. Hobart Richard
| son, at that time Il resident of the
| town of Waterville The Rev. J. II.
Movers was appointed the preacher in
| charge. There were held regularly, a
| Sunday morning preaching service in
| the Town Hall, and Il Sunday evening
| prcachin" sorvic" in the third story of
| The Ma~ston. Block. There was also 1t
| Thursday evening social meeting he,';
| in tho same hall. y Sunday school.
| more over. was organized at this time.
| This extended development was very
| largely due to the revival which had
occurred in the preceding year. and
| the outlook for tn" members of the
| Methodist denomination was now a
| bright one. 1t seemed as if the Old
! dark day; were long past, and the
| dawn of Il new era Of prosperity had
| at length arrived. In 1868 the R,'V
| james W. hathaway Was appointed to
the charge. The society decided to
| build 4 church, and bought lot of
| land situated on Pleasant street for
| the purpOS". called for plans, as well
as contracts and went directly for
ward under the leadership of Mr.. r.
| W. Dunn. The estimated cost of the
| house of worship that was To be built.
was about $4,000, and tn" total Of the
| amount subscribed was $4.315, af
which sum Mr.. Z. Il. Dunn. had
| pledged $4,000 Mr.. Dunn was Il man
of considerable financial standing ana
although the church society at the
| time Of the erection of the church WAS
not very fully supplied with funds, the
| building of the cdficc went on. Mr.
| Dunn assuming the responsibility
| W men the cnufcl WIS HIlf,ItuA IL S'7t
with the bell and organ complete
| about $4,000, Mr.. Dunn paying SILL
| OD0 The dedication took place on fhc
23d of March, 1870. Th" sermon Ia
BY thc H'.v. j. \. NJ. Chapman, d.
| If Boston. Mr. I-adl, aftcrWard rrc-
| siding elder of the Lewiston district
RI manned pastor of tn" church for
three years. during which time ."
| pcrapnS united. The Rev. \. w. Polite
was then pastor In 1873. the Rev.
| William 5. Jones WAS pastor and a
| gracious revival under the leadership
Of the Lynn Praying Band added a
hundred names to the list of members
and probationcrs The Rev. Roscoe
| Sandersnn was next the pastor. fol-
lowed by a lengthy list of subsequent
| pastors. many of whom were men Ut
rare parts. and signally successful i'll
carving forward the work of the
| church.
| 1T was during tho year 1893 that the
| church building was enlarged anu
| much beautificd. This was at the time
| cf the pastoratc of tho Rev. George d..