Daily Kennebec journal., 1912-09-09
EARLY SETTLERS AND THE
CHURCH.
History of the Pittston Church, Read
at Its Centennial Celebration, Sept.
9TH,

The town of Pittston was largely
settled by people from Massachusetts.
About the time of the Revolutionary
War there was a Congregational
church at Hallowell and the Pittston
people, being Congregational because
of their Puritan ancestry and tradi-
tons, made up part of this eongrega-
ton.
In Hanson's History of Gardiner
ana Pittston we read The great
ma aiority OF the people Of the Province
of Maine were of Congregational or
der, but that exclusive seetarianism
which prevailed in Massachusetts did
not obtain here. So liberal were the
people that this proverb prevailed at
Plymouth: when man can find no
religion to his taste let him go to
Maine
One man, Maj. Colburn. used to take
a boat on Saturday. and, going with
the tide, paddle 35 miles down the
river to Georgetown, attend the Con-
gregational church. returning home
on Monday.
In 1888 the people interested IN a
church began to build a meeting house
on the land belonging to Maj. Col
burn, the spot on which this church
now stands, but We're unable to finish
it. and it was finally completed by the
town; and in this meetinghouse or
town house as it was called, services
We're held for some years.
In the record of 1877 we read of 2S
pews being sold at prices ranging from
sfG to $3.50 making a total of $65S. 30
History does not record the length
of time that the zeal OF Maj Colburn
carried him to Georgetown, but II
was at his house, the house is now
standing n little below this church at
the bend of the river, that an Ecclesi-
astIcal Council was invited, who voted
to form q Congregational church in
the West Parish in Pittston, Nov. II,
1872.
Ministers and delegates from the
churches of Hallowell. Newcastle,
Bath, Augusta and Winthrop We're
present. Rev. Mr.. Gillet of Hallowell
was moderator. A confession of
faith and covenant was accepted by
the newly formed church which was
composed of eight members. Mr..
Daniel Hendrick, who had license
to preach was examined by the coun-
Nii- anu lliNiltu 10 StltfS
with them in the Gospel ministry
Later a union meeting house was
built and dedicated in 1892. On the old
church books under date of June 26.
stand three rows of names under
headings, Congregationalist, Methodist.
Unlversalst. In the Congregational
row are % names, in the Methodist 3,
and in the Ilniversalist s. As the
gregationalists numbered the most,
a Congregational minister preached
the greater number of Sundays during
the year; the Methodist and Universa-
list following in proportion to their
number.
In the old days in this church there
used To be thick planks in the bottom
of the pulpit. that were used to regu-
late the .height of the minister who
was preaching Mt the time If he was
of medium height the planks were not
removed: if the minister was tau the
plallks We're removed. but ifk he was
short the planks We're placed one on
another to bring him up to the de-
sired height to see and be seen.
Nearly a century later one OF the
deacons of this church received a let
ter from the Rev. VIM. Bray then at
Georgetown, from which we quote the
following interesting paragraphs
Cottage Manse July, 1854. / take a
stroll in the old woods or climb the
old cliffs, or sail on the old ocean,
everywhere having my ears well open
to hear the mighty sermons which ma
ture is preaching, preaching, preach
ing to me.
''One of these days / will repeat to
you what l can remember of them.
though / will not promise to thrill you
with the eloquenee with which they
are preached to me. These works and
workings of God which We term ma