The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-04-07
ESTORY OF UNITARIAN CHURCH
,0ded April 5, lS31-Present Edifice Built in 1875
Twelve Pastors During That Time.

l.ua nt the local Unitarian church,
~ ~ "1.,Vipr historical sketch was
" p.r 4 .. 5. Osgood at the Sun
,-ni Ir. William Wells, a dissent
MINI N England, came to this eoun'
" .,,n,aally made his home IN Brat
'' u.,,1s at once asked to preach
o r.,gg,tlanal church in West
,.,, hint church at the time being
l1,' ,ne In Town, This pastorate last
ny N ,,l. Al the expiration OF this
N Wrlls gave up his charge to be,
minister of new Congregational
,b' had been established in the
0.,. which included many OF his
"l4. 0inuers. \ meeting house was
y XIV m. common, its dedication tax
y " Nm. ~, 1916, Rev. Samuel Will
y I, u.',8rId preaching the sermon;
2, ~ hi, theological belief, Mr.
\rim. that is TO say, he be
", ,.r liberal wing of the Congre-
r.', hut he laid little stress upon
4" Narwuees. and rarely referred
I.o m. pnlpit. His preaching, II is
v. nnlncutly practical, and al
~" ,n.d with the uplifting and bet
ID. 'Ur community thus lciJ i NH
nitro. his own sanity ana wen
Il Ia.
ISlN t,., good minister (then IN the
... M, aeel went back to Eng
.. .prnt year with his oldest
tr \lr Freme. during TINS inter
Ii,u.r lrose among ms parishloneIs
.rIon, matters OF doctrnai OPINION
r..nlll finally IN the ealing oil a
minister OF more rigid TYPE NE
Jonathan MeGee, TO succeed MT;
This Wa, naturally source Vi
mo, onk FOO Mr.. Wells on his return
number in the society VINO Jus
1H., reversal to a, strlcter ana ,la1
ryu.itIm OF theological ne,i eh Aiiu'
ALL death of MIR. Wells, IN 49,, the
became SO intensified that measures
10 DE- taken to estIahllsm a seG n,nI
|qrtuuul society in the village, whlen
| embrace those who were IN sylnpa
|1tb the IDEAS ut lnitarlanlslh' nov
advanced so freely IN many 0. VI,
England churches, especially IN thoS1l
| nc.hborhood OF Boston ana w an"
,be Massachusetts, coast.
|. AMERICAN Unitarian ASSOCIATION Wa'
|5sbrd In Boston in lS22: ana ! an
h. to state that my grandlatilet, heN
|Gl Quincy Sewall, while employeo
,.ionarv work by tins BODY, Wa sel,'
|attleboiu in March or aprll OF 'n' ~
In found this church OF our falth; II
|,rr dated at Rochester, \: u May
tba, year he writes (qmte nalvely
has, u had a very pleasant. mohtl
|5nlebo.o and left an impression very
|abla 10 myself and TO my doGtrlhei
IN Isw months Of Mr., Sewall visl'
/. community (Which was doubles
|+peutci by the earnest service o
Unitarian clergymen sent on th'
p,r5niJ orr society was formally
oH into being. On April ., 1911 !,
|lel Root. Paul Chase, Gardner = liall
R Blake. Charles Chaplin, }; u. Brad
mi George Newman, with others hoiu
h same views. came together ana Ell
/ into the following agreement
H.. the subscribers, do hereby Noi! ~
k associate and agree to form rellgl
society hy the name OF Inc BrattleooI'
tarm Congregational society, lor th'
,o,e Of building a meeting mouse, AM
linz and supporting a minister. az, 4.
hi, HI-t meeting Hon. Lemuel Whlt
was chosen moderator; Samuel Aileh
(. John Il. Blake, treasurer, ana HarS,
{ IIall. Charles Chapin and John L.
e prudential committee. fraheI
1hue Gardner G. Hall and Emu n
mas were chosen building committee
.uel Allen, Jonathan ID. Bradley am
re, Chaplin were chosen a commute
cpot n code of bylaws. At a meetin
\pil II it was voted to add Pau
So ma samuel Root to the bulldin
mtloe On the following day, apr
a contract was entered into ny I'M I'M
mlttco and Messrs Howard and I'm
N Of Swanzey. y. H., builders, Tor Tn
|tion Of this place Of worship. lhroug
courtesy 81 one Of your number (th
|dson ol a member of the building con
Fet) have been privileged to see IN
|na contract and to note the Simple
|ot this building and the economy Q
construction. The amount to, be eN
Wed wa, $500, this to cover the ere.
d 4 wooden meeting house with II
10 the street, a feet long by ~ zee
|dth. furnished with pulpit, galletie
he'll tower, the same to be complete
the first day of December OF the Gu!
wear 1S31O. The lot on winch
fd /, practically the same where on
Bent church stands, and was pressenl,le
bhe society by Francis Goodhue, fathe
Eo Goodhue lately deceased. i u
Ich was dedicated Feb. %, 1S32; KEY
bge ". IIo,mer of Northfield,, Mass
|ching the sermon. On the Sunday SUI
Fmg the dedication, Addison Brow
| had been preaching several months, a
N, y. Y. where he had organized III
church, commenced supplying the pu
a. candidate and at the expiration {
f. months, received and accepted an II
ltion to become the minister oil Tn
(ety Ills ordination took place June L
fng those taking part in the service be
DR. Hill of Worcester, DR.. Kendall {
mouth, Mass. and DR.. Abbot OF Peter
b, y. II. Mr.. Browns pastorate e,
|ded until Oct. 1915, a period of nearl
years, and. during that time he wa
Iye in every good work, whether relatin
Pile parish over which he was mlnlste
| 10 the community at large, in who's
|ice he always took such rare delight
society for the men in the parish wa
|med during his pastorate, also one fo
women, both organizations meetin
IarentIy for the deepening of the sol
within as much as for charitable an
Der work. The Sunday school was estal
ped Immediately upon Mr.. Browns Ell
'nce upon his charge as well as a churc
with frequent services of con