St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-01-12
RededicatiOn at VerShire.

For score of years the Baptist house
of worship in Vershire has been occupied
by the Congregationalists. It was
pew holders meeting house originally in
which families of different denomina-
tions had holdings though the house
was wholly under Baptist control.
When the Congregationalists, with the
consent of the few Baptist families re-
naming in town, first began to occupy
the house there had been no Baptist ser
vices held for number of years, and the
Congregationa1ists had given up the use
OF their old building at the Centre and
had been holding services in the school
house in the village near by the Baptist
church Little has been done to keep the
building in repair during the past twenty
years, because of the uncertainty of ten
ure. But the death and removal of the
few remaining Baptist families, and the
assurance given by Rev. w. A. Davidson,
D. D., secretary of the Baptist State Con-
vention. that no claim would be made
by them, gave the needed encourage
ment to the community to go forward
with thorough repairs.
The foundations of the house have
been relaid where necessary, and excava-
ton made for the new furnace. The
ceiling of the audience room was lowered
and steel finish put upon that and upon
the sides. A hard wood floor was laid
and the pews rebuilt, making one cen
trail aisle and entrance, with aisles at tn {
sides. Pulpit and choir platforms were
rebuilt, with new pulpit, and railing for
the choir. The gallery over the vestibule
was left open, and was reseated. New
VIII dows, the gift of resident member,
replaced the old throughout. The en-
tire expense apart from the gift of the
windows was $96O.77. Of this amount
about $146.44 remains to be raised.
Friends from outside have contributed
generously, but the most has come from
societies connected with the church and
from resident givers.
The services of rededication were held
on Sunday, Dec. 5, at $50 p. m. Con-
ditions were unfavorable for the
attendance of neighboring pastors, but
the fair day brought numbers from sur
rounding towns and the little house was
crowded TO it's utmost capacity. The
prayer of Invocation was offered by Rev.
]. c. Lawrence. pastor of the Advent
church in South Vershire; and Mr.. Meh-
ran II. Looloian, the acting pastor, read
the Scriptures and lead in the Service of
Dedication. The prayer of dedication
was offered by Rev. William Paul. Mr..
Charles E. Stanley, through whose
efforts the larger part of the funds had
D6ou Ia1SGu anu VINO ndQ Charge Oh LuOSC
of the work personally, gave the report
of the Building Committee, and an
Offertory was taken. The sermon was
by Secretary c. H. Merrill. who also
administered the communion which
followed, assisted by Deacon E. P.
Brown of Vershire and Deacon o. Hub
bard of West Fairlee.
A few years ago a parsonage with
sufficient land for orchard and garden
was secured in location convenient to
the church. The thorough reconstruc-
ton of the meeting house now gives the
parish an equipment adequate and
worthy. In the changes which have
taken place in town the Congregation
alists have been left with the larger part
of the territory in charge. The remains
of the old meeting house at the centre
have been utilized in the horse sheds at
the village, and nothing is left in the old
location save the foundation stones. A