Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-08-04
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS
Pilgrimage to Old Meeting House.

Pilgrimage to Old Meeting House.
One certainly would have thought all
roads led to Rockingham village Sunday
afternoon had they travelled any of the
thoroughfares leadinA in that direction.
The occasion was the fifth annual pill
grimage to the old meeting house in that
village and all kinds of vehicles were
brought into use to transport the crowd
thither. The time set was 4 o'cock, but
the people began to gather on the
grounds two hours earlier, and by the
hour appointed the automobiles and
teams hitched along the roadside from
the edifice extended a mile in each di-
rection. Not more than two-thirds OF
the people could get inside, and the 9TH
ers crowded about the doors and saun-
tered about the building and the church
yard
permanent organization known as
the Rockingham Town Meeting House
associat ton was organized May l, l9ll,
with the following object: In order to
preserve the old Rockingham Meeting
House and other buildings or monuments
of marked historical interest In Rocking
ham and the neighboring towns and Tor
the purpose of commemorating lmpor-
tant historical events in the settlement
and growth OF Rockingham and adjacent
territory, for providing an annual Pill
grimage to the old Rockingham Meeting
couraging love for the civic, social and
religious principles and institutions in
corporated in our local, state and nation
al governments"
Following are the officers of the assoc
citation: Pres, Prof. Franklin W. Hooper,
Ill. D.. vice pres, Gen. Nathan q. Will
lams, Mrs. Josiah G.. Bellows, Dr.. Henry
d. Holton Charles w. Osgood; sec,
Rev. Arthur p. Pratt, Ph.D. treas, Will
lis c. Belknap; librarian, Lyman S.
Hayes; exec. COM, Thomas Bellows
Peck, Hon. Horace A. Perry, Charles n.
Villas, Hon. John w. Prentiss, Nat. l..
Divoll, Herbert W. Mitchell, Justus
Dart, Rev. Henry L. Ballou.
The old meeting house was built in 1857
and stands today as one of the best pre-
served examples of church architecture
of century and a half ago remaining
in New England, it having been preserv-
ed in it's original form, both exterior and
interior. 1t retains it's square pews with
seats on all four sides of each pew its
high pulpit and sounding board showing
in every way the characteristics of those
early times. The program Sunday in
cluded an address by Gov. John A. Mead
on "Nermonts services" which was re-
plete with patriotic and uplifting senti-
ment and it gave a large number of citi-
zens of this locality their first opportuni-
ty to hear our chief executive. He was
accompanied by his chief of staff, Col d.
l.. Morgan of Rutland. The Governor
was entertained while in town by Gen.
n. G.. Williams. The sermon by Rev. AL
bert j. Lyman, DID, of Brooklyn was on
the subject New England's contribution
to religion" and no one went away with
out a feeling that in hearing him they
had the opportunity of a life time. Rev
A. p Pratt, PhD., of Bellows Falls
opened the services, while the president
of the association, Professor Hooper of
Brooklyn, introduced some of the speak
ers. A large choir from Walpole and
Bellows Falls was assisted by two violins
and they led the singers from the old
singers seats in the gallery. These an
nual pilgrimage have become events
looked forward to each year with an in
creasing interest. The date for the
meeting next year has been set as Sunday,
Aug. 4.