The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-13
CHURCH
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pastor, covered the second 80 years of the
church's history at the evening service.
The Windham Union ministers meeting
for December was held in the church this
forenoon, on the general subject, The
Early History of the Churches of Wind
ham and Windsor Counties, introduced
by Rev. DR.. Merrill and participated i'll by
all present. Discussion was led by
DIR. G. {. Merrill of Burlington, secre-
tary of the Vermont Congregational Con
ference, on the subject, What Shall We
Preach About This Winter? The women
of the church served dinner to the visit
ing ministers.
An Observation-Disclosures meeting was
begun at $50 o'clock this afternoon, to
include the history of the BrattlebOro
churches. with addresses by the different
ministers of the town. and an address by
Rev. Clifford III. Smith of Ludlow on The
Future of the Churches in the Light of
the Past.
Tonight at 40 a "Reminiscences meeting
viii be held, when various speakers will
give recOllections of interesting incidents
of old times in the West Brattleboro
church.
Thu first minister in the old meeting
house on the hill was Rev. Abner Reeve,
who was the first minister in BrattlebOro.
He came in 1870, preaching alternately
in BrattleborO and Guilford the first three
years and after that wholly in this town.
He continued preaching until 1894, or "a
years, when he was obliged to decline be
cause of intirmities. being Sc years old.
He preached at Fort hummer OCCASION
ally before any meeting house was built
in this town. The next pastor was Rev.
William Wells, who preached from March.
1904. to March, 1914, 20 years, when
L. @,--a -, 4I.-
ish, which covered the whole town. was
too great n burden for him, and became
the first pastor of the Centre COngrega-
tIOnal church in the east village.
Since then the pastors nave been as
follows Caleb Burge. 1~S14-1S10; Jedp-
diah l.. Stark. 1S19-1S39 go years. ; Cor
bin kidder, 1S39-1S45 Joseph Chandler,
1S46-1S72 (2S years. Charles. II. Merrill,
l~S73-lSSS James II. Rabbit. 1SSS-19OO
Luther VI. KenestOn. 1900-1g0S; Edwin
j. Lewis, 190S-1911; Henry Lamb, 1911
1919; Arthur V. Woodwork. 1916 to
date, The last four named and DR.. Mer-
rIII are the only survivors. The church
has Il membership of about 200.
The first church building which was
occupied by what is now the First Con-
gregational church Of West Brattleboro
vas built in 100. 1t stood on Meeting
House hill II was the first church in
town. Ihe site was marked some years
ago through the efforts of the late Ezra
+. Fisheri The building was occupied
10 years, until 1875. when il was sold
to Israel Smith. 1t did not contain much
If any sawed lumber. In 1913 the March
meeting of the town was held in the
meeting house" for the first time. and
from then until 1885 both the church
and town business meetings were held
there. except. that occasionally in winter
an adjournment would be taken to some
private dwelling.
In 1875. after the disposition of the
original building on the hill. a new church
editlce was begun in West BrattlebOro
village, on the north side of the main
highway, but more than 10 years elapsed
before it was completed. The frame was
erected in 11Sj, accepted by the town.
and a new committed was chosen to en-
close it. At the raising of the frame the
committee was authorized by vote of the
town to employ $50 men. and Il Substan-
tlal tax was necessary to cover the cost
of rum and shugar,' also for males
and glass" In this unfinished state the
building was occupied. and during the
long period before it was completed there
was much division of opinion and harsh
words were spoken.
This second building stood in its or
iginal state until SIS and served up to
that time as a church and town house
for the whole town. 1t was then moved
across the road and ~rc-Occupipd until de
str0ycd by fire in 1915. when the third
church was built. the frame of which is
the frame of the present building.
The third church was erected in 1915
6 and the late Lafayette Clark was
chairman of the building committee. The
total expense of construction. furnishing.
cts. was s LBS. This structure was en-
tircly rcmodeled in 1856, and the cost