The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-21
CENTENNIAL OF CHRIST CHURCH
Continued from Page ID

Bishop Griswold made a second visit
Feb. IS, 1919, and at the request of the
proprietors consecrated the building to
the worship of Almighty God according
to the rites and ceremonies of the Pro-
tcstant Episcopal church, by the name
of Christ church. Twenty-one persons,
children and adults, were baptized and |
32 were confirmed, and 40 received the |
holy communion, about 30 of them for |
the first time. At third visit in Aug |
ust of the same year five were baptized |
and nine confirmed, making a total of |
50 baptisms and 50 combinations with |
in seven months, which was an excep- |
tional record.
In April, 1929, month before Rev. |
Mr. Baury concluded his services with
the church, the brief life of the Church
Society of the Center came to an end
by being merged with that In the east
village, and thereafter there was but
one parish of Christ church. Services,
| however, continued to be held either i'll
| the meeting house or in the town house
mt the Center until July, 1887, when the
rector, who was then Rev. Luman
Foote, began to give part of his time
| to the newly formed (bur short lived
parish of st. Peter S in Brattlcboro. st.
| Peter s is the name by which the Brat
| tleboro parish first was known
In n historical sermon concerning St
| Michael 5 Episcopal church of this
town. preached in the church by the rec
tor, Rev William J. Hamilton, on Sun
day, Oct. 1908, to commemorate the
| 50th anniversary of the Brattleboro
church building, Rev. Mr.. Hamilton said
that in 1853, on the Feast of St Mich
: and All Angels, the first public
services were held in the building i'll
Brattleboro which was known as st.
| Miehacl's Episcopal church He stated
that the hall in which services were held
when the church was mission was
burned. As to the time when the Gull
ford church began holding services In
Brattleboro Rev. Mr. Hamilton said:
Mr.. Alfred Baury, who had been ap-
pointed Law reader in ISIS to take
charge of the newly consecrated church
in Guilford. was ordained priest and he
was the first clergyman of the Episcopal
church permanently appointed TO Off
ciate in this part of the state of Yer
mont That his official acts took III
Il Brattleboro is evident from the fact
: that at the first marriage he performed
after his ordination and the second mar
ragc performed in Christ church one of
the most interested parties in this Ger
emony. the bridegroom, was from Brat
tleboro. The entry in the old register
reads thus: Jan. l, 1921, Rev. Alfred
| Baurv, officiating minister, Samue
Whitney of Brattleborough and Amelia
Hyde Of this town were married. The
second reference to BraLtlcboro which
, we find in the old register was made BY
the Rev. Jacob Pierson. It reads thus
Tuesday, Nov. %, 1884, Bishop visited
this church, preached and confirmed
three persons. In the evening of thi
day he preached at Brattlcborough
where the prospects of a church ar
seemingly frightening 1t is quite evi
: dent from this that services had bee1
{ held in this town (Brattlcboro) preyi
Gus to 1884. Tho entry goes on to sa.
: that one of the three persons Mere,
! Derby, was from Bellows Falls :"
y For about 81 years from the time o
\ its formation Christ church had an ay
9 erage Of about 80 communicates.
= 1853 St Michael s church was organ
! zed. taking away from Christ churc
: MANY who formerly had gone for scr1
4 ices from Brattleboro or who had move
3 here from Guilford. During the pr,
: ceding 80 years the population of Gui
q ford had fallen from about 500 to |
: $50, while that of Brattleboro had ri
y on to about $500. In 1875 the last Sc
q tied rector reported &c communicate
y In 1915 there were GO children in Il
= Sunday school and as late as 1875 the
q were So
= The rectory was built in 1910, and
= 1857 the rector s stipend was $3.50 cas-
q $40 in provisions, 10 cords of wood al
y the use of the rectory.
3 In January, 1891, bell weighing 3
2 pounds was placed in the tower of Il
= church. In 1902 Congregationalists
: the town and some former rcsden
~ united with the few remaining Episc
palians in restoring, at an expense
n $3.50, the foundation walls, whose dec
had come to imperil the safety of t
building.
At the time of the celebration of t
18th anniversary of the parish Nov .
1893. the sermon was preached by Re
A. Y. G. Allen, ID. D., professor of t
Episcopal divinity school in CambridI
Mass. who was named for Bishop
L " Griswold. The historical address "
given by Rev. Allan d. Brown of Br
tleboro, who was in charge of Chr
church. About 80 attended the morni
service and 100 the afternoon servi
many of them going from Brattlebort
The rectors and ministers in charge
the parish. those since 1878, taxi
charge from Brattleboro, have been
follows: Rev. Alfred L. Barry. Is
to 1922; Rev. Samuel B. Shaw 1922
1891; Rev. Jacob Pearson, 1882 to IS
Rev. Luman Foote, 1887 to 1898; R
John B. Pradt, 1888 to 1871; r
\ Frederick A. Wadleigh, 1871 to IS
Rev. Thornton W. Clapp, 1s45 to Is