The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-09-30
ANNIVERSARY SERVICES
AT OLD WEYMOUTH.
Held Last Sunday To Celebrate 111th
Year Of It's Existence.

Services celebrating the one hun
bred and eleventh anniversary of the
church at old Weymouth were held
on Sunday, September oath. The
Historical Society attended, as is their
custom, this being their third annual
pilgrimage to this historic spot. Those
attending were the President, Mrs.
Robert Willis, and Miss Hattie Franz
bes, Mrs. Sallie Sickler, Mrs. Som
ers, Mrs. John Jefferies of Atlantic
City, Mrs. E. A. .Higbee of Somers
Point, Mrs. NJ. R. M. Fish, Miss Sarah
Risley, Miss Price, Miss Frances For
man and Mrs. Charles Blake of Pleas
antville.
The party left Pleasantville about
ten o'clock, arriving at the church in
time for most of the morning service.
The church was filled and many
standing on the outside. Chairs were
placed in the aisles and places found
for the ladies of the Historical Soci-
ETY..
The morning service as usual, was
in charge of Rev. Benz. Collins, and
was taken up largely by an old-fash-
toned Love Feast and experience
meeting. No one could listen to the
experiences of these earnest people
and not feel a great spiritual uplift.
Mr.. John F. Hall read an interest
ing paper, closing with Lincoln's fav-
orite poem by the Rev. Knox, ooh,
Why Should the Spirit of Mortal Man
Be Proud" Mr.. Hall first came to
Weymouth 40 years ago as a school
master and taught in the school house
near the church.
Lunch was served under the giant
old trees surrounding the church.
The roadside beyond the ruins of the
old mills was also lined with automo-
bile parties.
The two hours following the morn
ing service were given over to lunch
and social pleasures.
The members of the Historical So
ciety visited the old Colwell mansion
and through the courtesy of Mrs. Col
we'll, her rooms in the old boarding
house, where she has been spending
the present summer. Some interest
ing old pieces of furniture were view
ed.
The ruins of the wood pulp and pa
per mills were of much interest. The
walls of these are of sand stone and
brick and about two feet thick. The
mill pond and surroundings is n of
the most beautiful spots in the county.
1t seems wrong that the water power
there should be going to waste in this
day of the high cost of production.
There is a most wonderful spring
also, enclosed in mason work, to
which is attached a hydraulic ram,
forcing the water to the manor and
surrounding houses. Everything is
going to decay and reminds one of
Goldsmith's deserted Village"
On the porch of the old Manor
stands a stone marked 1854. That
was the year in which the Iron
Foundries were built. On the banks
and stony bottoms of the streams can
still be seer the evidence of iron.
Why should it not be possible at some
time to again use our bog iron with
profit?
The afternoon session was in
charge of the Rev. VIM. Abbott, OF
Asbury Park.
Mrs. Willis spoke for the Historical
Society, giving a historical sketch OF
Weymouth taken from the booklet
which Mrs. Colwell has just publish
ed. This booklet gives a comprehen-
sive history of old Weymouth and is
being sold for 25c per copy, the pro.
ceeds to be used to build a new fence
around the end of the cemetery.
Two years ago Rev. Abbott preach
ed on the Ascension of Elijah. Last
year on Moses; this year he combined
the two characters, giving a short
stirring sermon.
Good music was furnished both
morning and afternoon by soloists
and by members of the choir of Mays
Landing. The afternoon session clos
ed with singing, "God be With You
Till We Meet Again"
Coming home the route past Ca
tawba was taken and the old ceme-
terry there visited. This cemetery is
rapidly going down and should be re-
stored. The stones have fallen and
the West family are displaced and
broken, supposedly done by someone
searching for treasure, as there is
said to have been a report that treas
ure was buried with them.
Under the guidance of Mrs. Enoch
A. Higbee, the old cellar and old mill
of the West Mansion were located.
These are all that remain to mark
Cne SpOC Oh CndC "ndHuSOIHe eSIdee.
Standing on the high banks of the
broad, beautiful river, surrounded by
nothing but woodland, it was hard to
imagine a mansion with beautiful
grounds on the same spot. The lines
of the poem recited by Mr.. Hall were
recalled, also the sermon by the Rev.
Abbott, urging US live actively and
earnestly, and do something to make
life worth while and develope charac-
ter, which alone is permanent. The
balance of the ride home was made
interesting by historical sketches of
places passed en- route and of person
alities of local interest.
Other Pleasantville visitors at
Weymouth we're: Mr.. and Mrs. Rob-
ert Race, Mrs. Isaac Collins, Mr.. and
Mrs. R. Leeds and Miss Edith Leeds
ooI NJ onJ Mre 7 ou; uauyitt