Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1915-10-08
HISTORICAL ADDRESS
CONTINUE d from Psge Il

idttnIul service was followed IN turn
by Charles y. Sharpe Edward F.
Whitmore, d. Dwight Sharpe. Eugene
A Flagg Lewis o. Williams and Earl
c. Bohanon. Mr.. L. o. Williams, the
present chorister has occupied that
position since 1892.
There is one feature in connection
with the music Of this church that is
true Of very few churches of its size
and importance, namely, without eX-
eepti0n the vocal talent has been graf
uitous No one can estimate the
great service that has been rendered
IN this direction. II is doubtful if the
church could have held It's own dur
ing some Of the experiences Of past
years and retained lis position iH the
community. bad it not been for the
patient laboriOus and faithful efforts
OF those Bho have been leaders Ia
sacred SONG THE church and society
are under burden Of obligation 70
these men and women Hh8 have Civ
en- time and talent 70 this branch Of
the service. We should be unjust to
the history if we did not make esuecs
ial mention OF the Broad and 8ard
families. whose efforts aud enlhusis
asm gave 10 the music Of this com
munity much Of its character ana
life.
The present choir as an organiza
ton was formed in lae5 6f course
the personnel has almost entirely
changed. but the characters OF the
singers remains The same In the
beginning. without any discussion the
yestments were adopted and worn at
tie FIRST appearance III the choir seats
the nm fFGrFqFff s,F tho Eraac an ia
appealed to the good sense Of the PEG
pie that no word Of dissent OF anfa-
yorable criticism followed the innoya-
ton. For years the congregation has
taken commendabe pride in those
VINO have led the service Of song in
our sanctuary services and have
shown their appreciation in material
ways. such as the annual banquet pro
viding for a day at the Worcester Fes-
tiyal and liberal patronage of the
annual lecture or entertainment
course. whose returns have been used
Fl ne summer outings The organ
fists have been Luther Bolies, Charles
II. Brown. W. Mason Broad, F. n
Bronson. Mrs. Emma Fem Brown and
i. o. Williams. Three organs or
musical instruments have been used
phine and was rated as worth SIS Mr.
Buck declared that il was one of the
finest instruments ever owned in town.
This gave place 10 a one manual pipe
organ which was introduced in 1868
It was built by Hook Of Boston and
cost between $500 and 5000 1t is a
significant fact that of the forty-tiye.
people who contributed to the fund
-. IA IL n
ing today This instrument was used
in the old church until the building
was sold and on the completion of the
new edifiee was removed to the gal
lery In the rear of the auditorium. In
1892 1t was given in part payment for
the present instrument and It was said
that il was sent to Philadelphia where
it delighted the theatregoing public In
Denman Thumpson's play. The Old
Homestead"
The following are the names Of
those who contributed for the pur
chase OF the first pipe organ G. w
Phillips, 500. Edgar Clark So; He
ram \. Brown 81. E. l.. Whitmore.
So: Edward Shaw. s25, Franklin
Bailey. So. T. \ Tourtellotte. S25;
S. p. 4 G. y. Fem. So: II. Fisher.
Buck. So; Andrew k LeaYens Sc:
Warren w. White. So. Henry B Al
drioh. $40. Or. u q. Plmpton $40;
Henry Thurber. So: j p Parkhurst.
SIS; G. Jerome Alton $40; NJ. Mort
arty. $40, Jason Green. Ste. A Mer.
RAM. $40; William H. sharpe. $3.50
Joseph W TorreV. So. Mrs. II Sea
mans. s25; Lewis Williams $685.
Broad q Ward, So Day Harris, So;
John A. Carpenter. ST. Alex Arnold.
S25. George J. Tflotsen s25i Renia-
min h, Layton So, Hobart G. Cutler
$25: Edward r. Cutler, So; Widow
Cutler and II. Nc& ON Brown, So.
John NJ. Williams St2.50i Emeline
Fem. $40; Lyndon Tucker. $l0 Geo
Perry. $40: William 7 Dyer. s.; En-
cline Holmes. s.; William J. Stone.
s.; judith Williams, So; Total $50
A. contributors, living September.
1915.
The organ that now graces the front
of the auditorium was the last instru-
ment that was built by the We'll known
firm OF George Stevens and has prov
en-. in these more than twenty years
of service. an excellent instrument,
Well balanced and of abundant power.
Church Buildings
The first meetings of the church
were held in the old brick sehoolhouse,
which was the property of Mr. Wilkin-
son In January, 1S49. Or. u. b. Plimp-
ton took the responsibility of engaging
the new Quinebaug hall that was just
about that time finished In building
that fronted on the present railroad
square. IL was represented as beau
tiful and commodious hall and well
suited to the demands of the newly
organized church. There are very few
who can remember the building, which
was the center of the trade of the
town. II was two stories high and had
stores below and offices and hall above,
This hall was used for church purposes
until 1852. when a church was erected
on a lot in front of the old school
house.
The church was a model in at least
two respects, il had no mon gage on
IL. and was built within the appropria-
ton Mr. George Buck few months
before he died, expressed satisfaction
over the fact that the Westinghouse
was largely Of his planning and built
according To his directions The mu-
nifceut sum of SOC paid for the
entire building We do not need 20
say that in all probability there were
no useless corners or gaudy ornament
atoms For nearly twenty years this
building was used for house OF wor-