Worcester City (part 21 of 58)

On October 21, 1861, occurred the battle at Ball's Bluff, in which the Fifteenth Regiment lost heavily. Our own Company B, of that regiment, suff'ered terribly in the battle, and Capt. Clark S. Simonds and eighteen of his men were captured and imprisoned at Richmond. Nothing was known here concerning their fate till letters were received from Capt. Simonds informing us of the imprisonment of himself and his men, and making an earnest appeal for his men, who were suffering for lack of clothing and money. This news did not reach us till November 20th, a month after the battle. A meeting of the citizens was forthwith called, and held on the evening of the 20th, at which seven hundred dollars in cash were raised, and about one hundred dollars' worth of clothing contributed by the merchants. This money and clothing, together with blankets, etc., given by the Soldiers' Aid Society, were consigned to the hands of Henry A. Willis, Esq., who started with them for Fortress Monroe ou November 26th, whence they were in due time forwarded to our boys at Richmond. At this time Mr. Willis visited the camps of the Fifteenth, Twenty-finst and Twenty-fifch Regiments. About three weeks after the supplies were forwarded from Fitchburg, a letter was received from Captain Simonds, acknowledging the receipt of the money and clothing and conveying his thanks, on be- half of his men, for the prompt and generous response which the people of Fitchburg had made to his appeal.. The letter also contained the following, which is certainly worthy o f record in this place:

It is a fact of wbich I sluill ever speak with pride, that FUchhurg wna thejirst and onhf town as yet to aid her prisoner/*, and Masisachusetts the only State. Since the clothing came from Fitchburg, clothing of all kinds, enough for three hundred and fifty men, has arrived, sent by the State authoritiea of Massachusetts, for the relief of her men now here in captivity, placing them in comfort, in this respect, for the winter.

This statement that Fitchburg was the Jirsl toxon in the whole North to send aid to suffering prisoners is indeed one that may justly inspire a feeling of pride. Many other towns soon followed her example, but ere long the inhuman orders of the rebel authorities made it impossible for our supplies ever to reach the starving and almost naked Union prisoners.

Our citizens mont willingly contributed money to be placed at the disposal of the Soldiers' Relief Committee, and the town, on December 14, 18G1, voted to appropriate the sum of one thousand dollars to help it in its noble work, and until the committee ceased to exist, in October, 1863, it carefully sought out the needy families of soldiers and relieved their wants. About two thousand dollars was thus disbursed, beside a very large amount of clothing, farm produce, &c., of which no accurate account was ever kept. After October, 1863, this work was conscientiously carried on by the citizens and the town until the close of the war.

During the whole course of the war, when news reached us of great battles, either the Soldiers' Relief Committee or the citizens very quickly despatched committees io the front with generous amounts of supplies, and to look after and bring home the wounded. Such action was taken after the battles of Ball's Bluf}', Roanoke Island, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Cold Harbor and the battles before Petersburg.

Lack of space prevents us from giving an account of all this, and the mere details of a few of the more important contributions after some of the great battles must suffice. After the battle of Gettysburg there were sent, on July 14, 1863, in charge of Henry F. Coggshall, Esq., $1079.60 in money, and nine barrels and five large boxes packed solidly with clotliiug, bandages, liquors, wines and delicacies for the sick and wounded.

News of the battle of the Wilderness reached Fitchburg May 8, 1864. It was Sunday, and that evening a meeting of the citizens was held in the town hall, the result of which was that in less than twenty-four hours after the meeting Dr. Alfred Hitchcock and Messrs. H. A. Goodrich and E. B. Hayward started for the front, taking with them seventeen hundred dollars in cash and sixteen barrels and bundles of carefully selected stores for the sick and wounded. This promptness and generosity of our citizens received wide notice in the newspapers " and Fitchburg, for her repeated efforts in this direction, became noted

There is no accurate account of all the money thus sent away to the fields of battle for the relief of the sick and wounded soldiers ; but the whole amount received and disbursed by the various societies and committees in town was not far from twelve thousand dollars. Most of this sum went to the soldiers themselves, together with large amounts of supplies. Besides this, much was done by the town and societies for the soldiers' families in the way of money andaupplies. Certainly Fitchburg did all that could be expected and the gratifying feature of it is that everything was done and given freely and spontaneously.

Soldiers' Funerals. - Soldiers from this town met death in almost every one of the great battles of the Civil War and on scores of battle-fields of minor importance.

Seven public funerals were held in Fitchburg during, or shortly after, the war, over the remains of eleven of our boys, and a brief mention will here be made of them.

The first was that of Clark S. Simonds, captain of Company B, Fifteenth Regiment. Captain Simonds was killed at Antietam, September 17, 1862, while conversing with Colonel Kimball after the battle was nearly over. His funeral was held September 23d, with military honors, and all business in the town was suspended.

The second public funeral was that of Henry A. Beckwith, first lieutenant of Company D, Twentyfirst Regiment. Lieutenant Beckwith was mortally wounded at the battle of Chantilly, September 1, 1862, and died, four days later, in the hut of an old slave woman near the battle-field. His body was brought home by his wife and Henry A. Willis, Esq., and given a public military funeral on Sunday, October 5, 1862, in the town hall, which was densely packed.

The third was that of George G. Nutting, first litutenant of Company A, Fifty-third Regiment. He was killed at Fort Bisland, La., April 13, 1863, and on account of the absence of Capt. Miles, was in command of the company at the time of his death. His body was at once sent to Fitchburg, wheie it was given a public burial. May 1st. On that day business was suspended in town during the afternoon, flags were at half-mast, and the town hall, in which the services were held, was beautifully decorated. A long procession followed the remains to the cemetery, and the fallen hero was laid to rest in Laurel Hill with military honors.

The fourth was that of Frederick H. Sibley, first lieutenant of Company I, Thirty-sixth Regiment. He died of disease at Louisville, Ky., August 17, 1863, and his remains were brought home by his father. His funeral occurred at the Universalist Church, August 27, 1863, and he was buried with military honors.

Jerome K. Taft, both captains of Company A, Fiftythird Regiment, and both killed at Port Hudson, La. We have already related the unfortunate accident by which Captain Bailey was mortally wounded, May 25, 1863. Captain Taft, his successor in command, was commissioned only four days before he fell in the gallant assault on the works at Port Hudsoni June 14, 1863. Their remains were brought home and funeral services held October 5, 1863. The bodies of the two brothers-in-arms rested on one bier. The Fifty-third had returned from the war a little over a month previous, and both the Fitchburg companies of the regiment did esjort duty and many of the officers of the Fifty-third were present. "The obsequies were a credit to those who had them in charge, and a noble tribute to the brave men they commemorated."

The sixth public funeral was held April 6, 1S64, over the bodies of four of our Fitchburg boys, - Sergeant Simon F. Marshall, of the Third Cavalry, and privates Edward P. Farwell, J. Henry Kendall and Charles W. Stuart, all of Company A, Fifty-third Regiment.

Privates Farwell and Kendall were two of the youngest soldiers that went out from this town. The former was but eighteen when he enlisted. His friends tried to dissuade him from entering the army, but his answer was, "Some must defend the country and I feel it my duty to go.'' He went, but never returned. At Port Hud.son he was stricken with a fatal disease. He lived to see the surrender of the stronghold, and on July 19, 1863, died within its fortifications. Kendall was still younger, not quite seventeen when he enlisted, and a delicate boy. Twice before had he volunteered and been rejected on account of his youth. When every effort was being made to fill up Companies A and B of the Fifty-third, he again volunteered and was accepted; and when his mother besought him not to go, he said " Mother, if the men will not go to the war, the boys )nust." He endured the marches, privations and suffering remarkably well, and was courageous in battle. He was in the front ranks at the heroic charge on the works at Port Hudson, June 14, 1863, where he received the wound from which, ten days later, he died, at the New Orleans hospital. Truly both these young men were heroes.

In the spring of 1864 Mr. Josiah Spaulding, of this town, made a journey to Louisiana to procure the remains of these four men, was successful and soon returned with them in charge. The funeral occurred April 6, 1864, and the services were conducted by the various clergymen of the town. Rev. Alfred Emerson preaching the sermon. A hymn, written for the occasion by Mrs. Caroline A. Mason, concluded the services. Then, with martial solemnity, they were borne to the city of the dead " over the river," and laid to rest in their soldier graves.

Of the seventh and last soldier's funeral in Fitchburg mention has already been made in the opening section of our war history. It was that of Lieutenant- Colonel George E. Marshall, of the Fortieth Regiment, and occurred April 19, 1866. The services were held in the town-hall, which was most beautifully and artistically decorated, and there was a large concourse of ciiizens and organizations, both military and civic. Ex-Governor John A. Andrew, Governor Alexander H. Bullock and his staff and other officials and several members of the Legislature occupied seats on the platform.

The exercises opened with the singing of a hymn, written for the occasion by Mrs. Mason ; Rev. Henry L. Jones, rector of Christ Church, delivered the funeral oration, and a brief but eloquent address was made by Governor Bullock. The remains were escorted to the receiving tomb, where the casket was deposited, after which the customary salute was fired. In a grave on the hillside now repose the remains of Lieutenant-Colonel Marshall beside those of his brother, Sergeant Marshall ; and the aged father still lives to tenderly care for and keep green the graves of his two noble sons who died in the preservation of the Union.

The writer painfully realizes that the story of Fitchburg's part in the Civil War has not been half told in the few preceding pages. Only the briefest outline has been given. Those terrible years were filled with private sufferings, anguish, heart-rendings and sacrifices, a record of which has been preserved only in the Book of Life and the hearts of the sufferers ; no manuscript or printed page ever has portrayed them, or ever will, in their real significance.

The writer feels that this sketch of the war, imperfect as it is, ought not to be concluded without at least a brief mention of those of our citizens who fell victims to the systematic inhumanity of rebel prisons. As far as is known, there were seven of these unfortunates from Fitchburg, as follows: John H. Prichard, died in the horrible prison-pen at Andersonville, January 18, 1865.

Charles E. Goodrich, who was only sixteen years old when he enlisted asadrummer-boy in the Twentyfirst, was captured at the battle of the Wilderness and sent to Andersonville, where he was kept four months, until his robust frame wasted to a mere shadow of its former self, when he was sent to the foul prison at Florence, S. C, where he died in October, 1864.

William T. Peabody and Henry K. Hill were both captured at the Wilderness, and sent to prison. The former died at Andersonville, September 1, 1864, and the latter at Florence, but the date is unknown.

made by the rebels, May 16, 1864, on the Twenty-fifth Regiment while moving towards Richmond. He was . sent to Andersonville, where he wasted away. He was finally exchanged, but was too much weakened to go further than Annapolis, where he died in the hospital.

William H. Hayden was in the navy, and was on the gun-boat "Granite City" when it was captured, May 8, 1864, while cruising up one of the bayous of Texas. He was taken to Galveston and died in a socalled "hospital" there, on September 16, 1864.

Cyrus Putnam was captured at Drury's Bluff in the same engagement in which Cotting was taken prisoner. He was sent to Richmond, where the wound he had received, just previous to his capture, was neglected, and he died there after a lingering illness - how long we know not - a victim of man's inhumanity to man.

A short account of the beautiful and costly memorial which Fitchburg erected in honor and commemoration of her fallen heroes seems to be a fitting termination to our record of the war. We will therefore conclude this section with a condensed history of the inception, construction and dedication of

The Soldiers' Monument. - Soon after the close of the war the question of building either a soldiers' monument or a memorial hall began to be agitated.

April 9, 1866, the town voted that a committee of five be appointed by the chair "to report the names of seven to constitute a committee on the subject of erecting a monument, as a sacred memorial to our citizens who fell in their country's service, during the late rebellion." The chair appointed as this committee Messrs. L. H. Bradford, Ebenezer Torrey, William H. Vose, Amasa Norcross and George F. Fay, who presented the names of Alvah Crocker, George E. Towne, Eugene T. Miles, Lewis H. Bradford, Alpheus P. Kimball, Stephen Shepley and Henry A. Willis, and these seven gentlemen were duly constituted the Soldiers' Monument Committee, which was subsequently organized by the choice of Mr. Crocker as chairman, and Mr. Bradford, secretary.

April 8, 1867, Mr. Towne made a verbal report for this committee and asked for further time, which was granted. It was also voted to add to the committee General John W. Kimball, Colonel Theodore S. Foster and Walter A. Eames.

April 13, 1868, Mr. Shepley made an able and eloquent report for the committee and the town voted that " the Soldiers' Monument Committee be authorized to purchase the two lots of land situated upon Main Street, owned by William W. Comee and Isaac Hartwell, and erect thereon a Soldiers' Monument at an expetise not exceeding fifty thousand dollars, whenever twenty thousand dollars of the same shall have been raised by private subscription."

On the 28th of the same month it was voted to instruct the committee to buy these two estates for forty thousand dollars, and to rent the buildings and estates and sell the buildings as soon as the construction of the monument required it. These two estates were accordingly purchased for the sum named, and came into the hands of the Soldiers' Monument Committee, who rented them for some years.

April 12, 1869, Mr. Crocker made a report on the soldiers' monument, which was accepted and placed on file. It was then voted that a sum not exceeding forty thousand dollars be appropriated for a monument, ten thousand dollars of which was to be raised by taxation the current year. At an adjourned meeting. May 3, 1869, this vote was rescinded in order to investigate the feasibility of erecting a memorial hall instead of a monument. A committee of nine, consisting of Frederick F. Woodward, Alvin A. Simonds, David H. Merriam, Gardner S. Burbank, Jabez Fisher, George Robbins, Edwin P. Monroe, Hale W. Page and Edwin Upton, was appointed "to prepare and present plans and specifications, together with the estimated cost of a Memorial hall and report at a future meeting." The original committee was not, by this action of the town, discharged or relieved of its trust, but, the appropriation having been withdrawn, it was decided best for the Monument Committee not to proceed further until the Memorial Hall Committee had rendered a report. The investigations of this committee did not appear to be favorable to the Memorial Hall project. A verbal report was made on the matter, April 11, 1870, by David H. Merriam, which report was accepted and the committee discharged.

Meanwhile, in September, 1869, Ebenezer Torrey, town treasurer, was instructed to give a deed of right of passway over the Comee and Hartwell estates to the county of Worcester, on condition that the County Court-house be erected in the rear of these estates and front towards Main Street, "said right to continue as long as said court-house shall remain standing, as aforesaid." The right was duly conveyed and the court-house built very soon after, in accordance with the provision therein.

October 2, 1871, Mr. Crocker made a report to the town, and presented plans and designs for the proposed monument, all of which was accepted ; and the Monument Committee was instructed "to proceed forthwith to carry out the designs and plans submitted, at a cost not exceeding $25,000." In accordance with this instruction the committee made the following contracts:

November 15, 1871, with Samuel A. Wheeler & Son, of Fitchburg, for the construction of the foundation to receive the granite superstructure and bronze statues.

April 1, 1872, with Martin Milmore, of Boston, who had furnished the designs accepted by the town the previous autumn, for the execution of the bronze statues and tablets.

Agreements were also entered into by the committee with J. L. Roberts, of Boston, to furnish and erect a substantial iron fence around the enclosure, and with David Damon & Co., of Fitchburg, to execute the granite base for the fence and the steps at the two entrances to the park, both of which agreements were fulfilled in a manner creditable to the artisans and highly satisfactory to the committee.

There was a strong feeling among the citizens that the superatructuj-e should be made of granite quarried from old RoUstone, a dear and familiar object to the eyes of the brave boys whose death the monument was to commemorate ; and the members of the Soldiers' Monument Committee felt the claims of RoUstone as deeply as did any of the other citizens. Unfortunately, however, at that stage of development of the Rollstone quarriet", the granite obtained was apt to contain here and there iron pyrites, and exposure to the weather caused staining of the granite in spots with iron. No contractor was willing to assume the responsibility of furnishing RoUstone granitethat would keep unblemished by iron stains. It is gratifying to state that there has been much improvement in the granite in this respect since then ; the deeper the quarrymen go, the cleaner and purer does the granite become. The committee, feeling that no blemish ought to mar their costly memorial, decided, much against their will and inclination, that RoUstone granite was out of the question as a material out of which to construct the superstructure, and fixed upon what is called "Concord" granite, as the stone best suited to the purpose.

Beginning with 1873, the city government replaced that of the town, and on January 28, 1873, it was ordered by the City Council that the Soldiers' Monument Committee, appointed by the town, be continued as a committee of the City Council until the business for which it was appointed was completed.

Meanwhile the work on the various contracts was progressing, and on June 2, 1873, the Soldiers' Monument Committee deposited within the die of the monument a box containing books, papers and documents relating to the history of Fitchburg, its war history, copies of deeds and contracts relating to the monument, newspapers, fractional currency and coin then in use, etc., and a written report, signed by all the members of the Monument Committee save one or two who were absent from the city, of the action of the town and the work of the Soldiers' Monument Committee in regard to the erection of this memorial.

It was expected that the dedication would take place in the autumn of 1873, but an accident occurred in making the cast of the central bronze figure, " America," causing a necessary delay of four months.

It was then decided that June 17, 1874, should be the day, but unavoidable circumstances necessitated a further postponement of one week, and on June 24,

1874, the dedicatory exercises were held. Elaborate preparations were made for this event, and the City Council appropriated the sum of two thousand dollars for the occasion. Gen. John VV. Kimball was appointed chief marshal, and authorized to select marshals and aids. The gentlemen whom he appointed had all seen service in the war, and were as follows:

Marshals. - T. S. Foster, colouel, 21st Regiment ; Edwin tjpton, colonel, 25th Regiment; C. H. Foss, captain, 25tli Regiment, and senior past commander of Post lU, G. A. R. ; T. L. Barker, colonel, 36th Regiment; George Jewett, major, 51st Regiment; E. A. Brown, major, 53d Regiment; Levi Lawrence, captain, 57th Regiment; G. T. Hay ward, captain, 4th Regiment Heavy Artillery.

Aids. - George Lawrence, lieutenant, 1st Regiment ; Charles C. Walker, private, 2d Regiment; Edwin Newton, private, 10th Regiment; Albert H. Andrews, major, 19th U. S. Infantry ; Rii^ell 0. Houghton, captain, 2Gth Regiment.

The day of dedication was fine, there was a large attendance of citizens from neighboring towns and most of the business blocks and many private houses in the city were handsomely decorated. The procession, which was an imposing one, was made up of ten divisions, and moved promptly at eleven o'clock ; and after passing through the principal streets, was, with the exception of the carriages, battery and fire apparatus, massed in Monument Square.

Rev. Dr. S. B. Grant then offered prayer, after which Hon. Alvah Crocker made a brief address of welcome, from which is taken the following extract:

My friends, I do not claim that Fitchburg, in character, tone and spirit, is above our sister towns and municipalities, but I do claim with a population of 80UO souls, including 2UiX) able-bodied men, furnishing eight companies and a balance in isolated individual cases sufficient to make a regiment of 1000 men, that there was the same spirit as in the Revolutionary War when she furnished the germ (in her letters to Boston) of the immortal Declaration of Independence, that Bancroft alludes to, and can be read by any one, as when her old iron cannon, on the 19tb of April, 1775, boomed tlie call to her minute-men ; the same spirit as when Capt. Bridge, with fifty men, before the metal was cold, was on his way, or " Hue of march," to Concord and Lexington, and was at Pitcairn's heels before he gut into Boston.

The report of the Soldiers' Monument Committee was then read by Capt. Eugene T. Miles. At the close of the report Capt. Miles presented the Soldiers' Monument to the city in the following words:

Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen of the City ConiicU: Trusting implicitly in your patriotism, in your sympathy with the bereaved ones who to-day mourn the loss of dear ones who fell in the bloody conflict to sustain our liberties, in your true love of country, in your integrity as municipal officers, nothing now remains but to commit to your care and keeping, and through you to the people of our young city, this beautiful structure - the Soldiers' Monument - together with so much of its surroundings as are completed.

At the conclusion of the reading of the poem, Hon. Alvah Crocker introduced Major-General Nathaniel P. Banks, the orator of the day, who delivered a stirring and eloquent address; and at its close General Kimball stepped to the front of the platform and called for three army cheers for General Banks, which were given with a will. General Banks stepped forward, bowed and said: "Comrades, from my heart I thank you for your kind remembrance."

Thus was our memorial to the fallen Fitchburg soldiers dedicated ; and since that day its stately, symmetrical and ornate form has been to the citizens of this place a sacred object, and well worthy the care and attention bestowed upon it and the beautiful park whose centre it occupies.

We will close with a statement, in round numbers, of the total cost of the monument and park and a brief description of the monument. The statement in regard to the cost is taken from the report read at the dedication :

"Cost of lot, $40,000; granite base for fence, $3600 ; iron fence, $3000 ; foundation for monument, $2000 ; granite superstructure, $9000 ; bronze statues and tablets, $15,400 ; which, with the grading and miscellaneous expenditures, will make the total cost at least $75,000."

About ten thousand dollars were received for rent of the estates prior to the removal of the buildings thereon and from the sale of the buildings, and the net cost, without interest, was found to be $66,- 699.23.

The monument itself rests upon tiers of solid masonry, so graduated as to form three broad steps on all sides of it. From this base rises the massive square shaft, broader at the base than at the top, to a height of some twenty feet above the level of the park. A large granite cap crowns the top of the shaft and bears the colossal bronze statue " America," holding in each hand a myrtle wreath, as if in the act of crowning the two large bronze statues on either side and below her. These two statues represent a soldier and sailor, respectively, and are placed on pedestals forming, on either side, a portion of the granite superstructure, their top being only a few feet above the level of the park. Though these magnificant bronze statues were designed by Mr. Milmore, it is but just to state that they were made by the Ames Manufacturing Company, under the supervision of Mr. M. H. Mossman.

Into each side of the monument, just below the cap-stone, is let a large bronze tablet. The tablet, looking toward Main Street, bears upon it an inscription proclaiming that the monument is Fitchburg's tribute, not only to her brave sons who fell in battle.

but also to those who went forth and fought nobly for the "just cause," and were spared to return once more to the home of their youth. The tablets on the other three sides of the shaft are inscribed with the names of one hundred and thirty-five men who perished in the War of the Rebellion, and whom Fitchburg claims as belonging to her "Roll of Honor." The four tablets were made by Samuel Hooper & Co., and are finely executed.

Chapter Xli Ecclesiastical History

The history of the beginning, growth and progress of religious life and organizations in a town like Fitchburg would easily make a volume of itself ; and this fact may be realized more fully when we say that from 1786 to 1823 the town was almost all the time in a ferment concerning religious and church matters.

During the first forty years of Fitchburg's existence church and town aflairs were almost inextricably blended. All church business was settled in townmeeting, and, very naturally, controversy arose between people in diflerent sections of the town ; and during the first quarter of the present century doctrinal disputes were carried on with considerable bitterness.

We have already spoken, in the section on the early history of the town, about the " six Sabbath days' preaching," by Rev. Peter Whitney, in the Samuel Hunt tavern, during the winter of 1764-65, and of the building of the first meeting-house.

September 22, 1766, voted to have preaching during the coming winter, and appropriated £40 for that purpose, and chose Amos Kimball, Elisha Fullura and Jonathan Wood "for to git a minister to preach ; " also voted " to have Mr. Petter Whitney, Mr. Angier, Mr. Payson, if they will come and preach with us."

Rev. Samuel Angier preached for them that winter and was so well liked that the people gave him an invitation to become their permanent pastor; but Mr. Angier declined the call, chiefly, if not wholly, on account of some difiiculty arising between him and Deacon Kimball. It appears from the records that the deacon boarded the minister, for the town voted, March 2, 1767, " to allow Deacon Kimball six shillings per week for boarding the minister till the time agreed upon is expired for Mr. Angier to preach."

May 11th the town voted to appoint Thursday, May 21, 1767, as " a day of fasting and prayer in order to ask divine assistance in giving some Gentleman a call to settle in the Gospel ministry in this town."

During that summer Rev. John Payson, a graduate of Harvard in 1764, son of Kev. Phillips Payson, of Chelsea, and a brother of the young and muchlamented minister of Lunenburg, Samuel Payson, who died in 1763, preached for the people of Fitchburg. He gave great satisfaction, and September 24, 1767, the town voted to give him a call, and oflered him the same terms of settlement and salary as had been proposed to Mr. Angier a few months before, viz. £133 13s. id., as a settlement, one-half to be paid one year after ordination, and the balance two years after, and an annual salary of £60, " until there shall be sixty families settled in town, after that to pay him annually £66 13s. id." Two months later, November 23d, the town voted to find and provide for him thirty cords of wood annually. On this date Rev. Mr. Payson gave his answer in the affirmative, and accepted the town's call to settle on the terms proposed.

The First Church in Fitchburg was formed January 7, 1768, and on the 27th of the same month Rev. John Payson was ordained its pastor, and his pastoral relations with the town continued until May 2, 1794. By vote of the town the two churches in Lancaster, the church in Lunenburg, the First Church in Leominster and the two churches in Westminster and Shirley were invited to participate in the ordination.

For the next few years matters ecclesiastical ran along very smoothly and nothing worth recording occurred till the "hard times " and depreciation of the currency came in 1777. During the three years 1778-80, it was hard work to pay Mr. Payson's salary and the poor man came near starving to death. The town, however, did not allow him to come to absolute want, and March .30, 1778, voted to appoint a committee of four to circulate a subscription paper among the inhabitants to give them a chance " to subscribe some of the necessaries of life, or anything they please to subscribe for Mr. Payson's support." Two weeks later, April 13th, the records state that this committee reported to the town and presented the paper to Mr. Payson, "which was kindly accepted by Mr. Payson and said he was well suistied with what the town had done, until September next, which will be one year from the time the subscription paper was dated."

In October, 1778, he received one thousand dollars Continental currency, and the next month two hundred and sixty-six dollars more (equivalent, in all, to about one hundred and eighty-four dollars), as his salary.

October 9, 1780, it was voted to raise one hundred pounds, "hard money," "to pay the Rev. Mr. Payson his salary the year ensuing, to be paid in hard money or produce, that is, wheat at 9s. per bushel ; rye at 63. per bushel ; Indian corn at 4s. per bushel ; labor in the summer, 4s. per day; flax, Is. per pound; sheep's wool, 2«. per pound; pork, 5d. per pound; beef, Sd. half penny per pound, and other produce in proportion."

The same vote was passed in 1781 and 1782 ; and during the remaining years of Mr. Payson's pastorate the annual salary voted him was £66 13s. id.

Nothing worth noting occurred in church affairs until the famous " meeting-house controversy " began. We have previously recorded the two futile attempts made by the people living in the westerly part of the town, in 1785, to be set off from the town of Fitchburg. These attempts, however, were but a skirmish.

The date of the beginning of the real contest was September 12, 1786, when the town voted "to build a new meeting-house in the center of the town, or the nearest convenient place to the center." To fix upon this much-de-ired "center" took over nine long years, and occupied the attention of the people during the whole or some portion, of ninety-nine town-meetings. We propose to give here only a history of the most important acts of the people in this matter.

For the next two years no public action was taken in regard to the new meeting-house, partly because the people became involved in aside issue concerning the manner of singing in church. The custom was for the minister to read the psalm or hymn, then the oldest deacon present would read the first line, which the congregation would then sing, and so on to the end, each line being read and sung separately. In the winter of 1786-87 an attempt was made to introduce .something similar to our present mode of singing, together with some new tunes. The veteran singers did not approve of these innovations, and many characterized them as irreligious and unscriptural. Quite a dispute occurred in which the whole town became interested, and in May, 1787, there was an article in the town-meeting warrant as follows: "To see if the town will vote to come into any general rule in regard to carrying on the singing part of the public worship of God, and whether the singers shall sing a part of the time without reading, and how the psalm shall be read, whether by line or verse, or act any thing thereon." A committee was chosen to consider the matter and report at the next meeting.

In accordance with the report of this committee rendered at a town-meeting soon afterward it was voted " to sing five times in the worshipping on the Lord's day, in the following manner, - the first singing before prayer, without reading; after prayer, with reading line by line, and set such tunes as the Congregation can in general sing: first in the afternoon, before prayer, without reading ; after prayer, with reading ; after sermon, without reading." This

During tliese two years considerable private controversy was going on in regard to the location of the new meeting-house. Meanwhile Jedediah Cooper and Jacob Upton, the two tavern-keepers in the westerly part of the town, despairing of getting any satisfaction out of the town, determined, together with some of their neighbors, to have a meeting-house among themselves at any rate. They accordingly erected a frame, which was covered after a time, and used occasionally for worship. It was just within the limits of the town, and was a desolate looking building. The proprietors did not take much care of it and its shabby and dilapidated appearance earned for it the name of " the Lord's Barn.'' It was sold and taken down about 1825, and the proceeds of the sale (about thirty-six dollars) were divided among the proprietors.

September 9, 1788, the subject was again brought before the town by means of an article in the warrant, - " To see if the town will erect a meetinghouse in the center of the town, or receive any part of Westminster that shall be willing to join with us, and then erect a meeting-house in the nearest convenient place to the center."

This article was inserted by the people of the west and no action was taken on it at this meeting; but at an adjourned meeting September 23d, a committee, consisting of Moses Hale, Daniel Putnam, Jacob Upton, Asa Perry and Oliver Stickney, was chosen "to examine and find out a place to erect a meetinghouse in the most convenient place to accommodate the inhabitants of the town of Fitchburg." The result of the investigation of these five gentlemen was that two of them found " the most convenient place " to be in the west, two in the east, while the remaining one was upon the fence. Their report was rendered to the town October 2d, and was rejected as soon as given, and the gentlemen were promptly discharged from further service in that direction. Immediately thereafter a motion was made to place the new house on the site of the old one; this was foithwith negatived. Then, " after some consideration on the matter," as the records state, it was voted " to erect the new meeting-house in the nearest convenient place to the center." Such brilliant progress must have astonished the people, for a few minutes later it was voted " to reconsider all votes hitherto passed relating to this matter," after which the meeting was adjourned to the following day.

At nine o'clock the next morning the parties proceeded to business. The first thing done was to vote "not to erect the meeting-house where it now stands." It was then moved to place it " on the hill near Phineas Sawyer's house, on the land belonging to the heirs of Mr. Ezra Upton."

and the motion to place the house thereon was carried, thirty-two voting in favor of it and seventeen against. Thus, by a vote of nearly two to one, it was decided to build the new house in the west, and the people in that section were greatly rejoiced thereat. A committee was chosen, consisting of Reuben Smith, Asa Perry, Phineas Sawyer, Elijah Carter and Jacob Upton, to inform the inhabitants of the west part of the town of this action and consult with them. It was voted that this committee "be invested with power to agree with the owners of the new frame erecting for a meeting-house in the northwesterly part of the town, if that appears cheapest for the town, - otherways be invested with power to provide materials and timber for building a new meeting-house in the prudentest manner for said town, on said plat of ground." This committee was directed to report at the next meeting.

This was a bitter pill for the east, and the people of that section, resolved on retaliation, called a townmeeting October 21st, "To see if the town will comply with a request of a number of the inhabitants of the town of Fitchburg, to grant that they, together with their respective estates and interests, may be set off from Fitchburg and annexed to Lunenburg." This was one alternative proposed by the east. The other was that the town allow the petitioners the old meeting-house, with Mr. Payson as their pastor, and let them be incorporated as a "poll parish." It was voted " to give those petitioners that called the meeting leave to withdraw."

The honest people, who, for the sake of peace and reconciliation, had favored the west at the meeting October 2d, were now very much alarmed. Holding the " balance of power " as they did, they were in rather an awkward predicament. If they favored the east, the west threatened to form a new parish ; if they favored the west, the east evinced strong symptoms of either forming a new parish, or returning to the parent town of Lunenburg.

Meanwhile, the gentlemen of the committee appointed by the town October 2d, undaunted by this blast from the east, were prosecuting their labors with great zeal and confidence. They had bargained for the new frame belonging to Jacob Upton and others, prepared a site for the new house on the land of Ezra Upton's heirs and done sundry other wise things.

November 17, 1788, a town-meeting was held to hear their report, which was duly submitted, whereupon it was voted not to accept the report, and insult was added to injury by summarily discharging the committee from further service. This was done by the peacemakers, who were at their wits' ends, and this time threw their influence into the eastern scale. At this meeting a committee was chosen "to find the center of the town."

December 18, 1788, this committee reported in townmeeting that the centre of the township had been found, after a careful survey, to be on the land of one

Thomas Boynton, about five hundred f?et north of the pound. This report was accepted, and Thomas Cowdin, Pliineas Hartwell, Oliver Stickney, Daniel Putnam and Paul Wetherbee were chosen a committee to bargain for a site in that locality. This committee bought of Mr. Boynton twenty-two and a half acres of land, a little south of the pound, paying therefor two dollars and thirty-three cents per acre, and the town approved this action.

This location did not fuit the people in the west, and they forthwith resorted to their old scheme of forming a new town, and called two meetings for that purpose, thereby frightening the conscientious peacemakers nearly out of their wits. The petitioners, however, did not put in an appearance at either meeting, and in consequence these two meetings were uncommonly peaceable. The petition was of course dismissed each time. In fact, the whole thing was but a ruse on the part of the men of the west to keep the attention of the people from a deep-laid scheme which they proposed soon to spring upon the unsuspecting public.

November 2, 1789, it was voted " to erect a new meeting-house on the land jiurchased of Thomas Boynton," and a committee of seven was chosen to take charge of the matter. Two weeks later the town voted to reconsider all votes heretofore passed on this subject i and thus, at the end of four years, the town was in the same position regarding this matter as when operations were first entered upon, with the exception of owning twenty-two and a half acres of real estate. The reason of this strange action was the culmination of the move on the part of the west, alluded to above. The people in that region, together with the inhabitants of adjoining portions of Ashby, Ashburnham and Westminster, had presented to the General Court a powerful petition for an act of incorporation into a town.

Tliis petition set forth in glowing colore tlie delightful situation of the contenipliited town - how natui-e had lavislied all her skill upon it - how admirably adapted for a township by itself was the noble swell of land - and that nothing in nature or in art could exceed the grand and imposing spectacle of a meeting-house towering from its summit, wiiile j beneath the said swell was a region of low, sunken land, which almost ' cut off the petitioners from intercourse with the rest of mankind.^

This meant business, and the inhabitants of Fitchburg and the three adjoining towns not included in the proposed new town speedily drew up a spirited remonstrance, in which every statement of the petitioners was denied, and the whole project denounced as visionary. During all of 1790 the attention of both parties was wholly engrossed with this matter, and the result was that the General Court refused to incorporate the new town.

Both parties were much in need of a breathing spell after this vigorous contest, and it was not until September 7, 1791, that the battle was renewed. On that date it was voted, forty-one to twenty-three, " to erect a new meeting-house in the center of the town, or in the nearest convenientest place thereto." This double-barrelled supcrlativeness is proof postive that the spirit of the people was in no wise cast down by the fruitless struggle of the past five years. Though the people could not decide upon a location, they were bound to have plans drawn for a new meetinghouse at all odds, and at this meeting a committee was chosen to plan a new house. October 10th, this committee reported to the town "to build a house sixty by forty-six feet, with a porch at each end twelve by eleven feet, with stairs into the galleries." There were to be forty-six pews on the ground floor and twenty-five in the galleries, to be sold to the highest bidders, and three years were to be allowed for the completion of the house. This report was accepted November 14, 1791, and on the same date a committee was chosen to clear a spot on the land purchased of Thomas Boynton and build the house.

For as long a period as six weeks thereafter it really looked as if the matter was settled ; but everything was completely upset December 27, 1791, by a vote " to dismiss the committee chosen to build a new meeting-house from further service."

Almost three years then elapsed before any further action was taken by the town in this matter. The people, however, showed their dogged obstinacy by refusing, on several occasions, " to repair the meetinghouse windows, and to paint the outside of the meeting-house."

1794, by voting "to erect a meeting-house in the center of the town, or in the nearest convenientest place thereto, to accommodate the inhabitants thereof for divine worship." Joseph Stearns and David Kilburn, of Lunenburg, and Benjamin Kimball, of Harvard, were chosen by ballot as a "committee of three disinterested persons out of town " to discover that much-to-be-desired spot, " the nearest convenientest place to the center." This committee found the centre to be about a quarter of a mile northeast of the pound, and decided that the most eligible location for the house was about half a mile south of this point, which would have placed it not f;ir from the present junction of Main and River Streets. Their report was rendered to the town October 21st, and rejected, thirty-six to twenty-nine. So the opinions of interested and disinterested persons seem to have been considered of about equal value - as good for nothing.

A month later a motion to place the house on the site selected by the out-of-town committee was defeated, forty-eight to forty-five. A committee was then chosen to select a suitable location, and December 1, 1794, reported in favor of " setting the meetinghouse near the high bridge under the hill " (the same place the out-of-town committee selected). This report was accepted, strange to say, sixty-one to forty-seven. A town-meeting was called January 8, but, with its customary obstinacy, the town refused, at this meeting, to choose such a committee, and so ended the project of building the liouse there.

January 20, 1795, it was voted " to erect a meeting- - house on the town's hind they purchased of Thomas Boyntou, about five rods southwest from a large white oak tree, and to pattern it after the Leominster meeting-house." It was to be completed by December 31, 1796.

February 10, 1795, it was voted to pattern it after the Ashburuham meeting-house. " Likewise voted to have the length of said hou<e sixty-two feet by forty-eight feet, the posts to said house to be twentyseven feet in length, and that the undertaker to build the house give bonds, with good bondsmen, to fulfil the contract." The contract was given to John Putnam, Jr. At subsequent town-meetings minor details in regard to the construction of the house were settled.

September 1, 1795, a committee of five was chosen " to stake out and oversee the clearing and levelling of the meeting-house spot for the underpinning on the town land,"' and also " that the Selectmen lay out a four-rod road in the best place to accommodate the travel to the new meeting-house spot."

There seemed at this time to be a very good prospect of building the new house on the town's land; but it was not so to be, for October 19, 1795, a townmeeting was called " to know the sense of the town, whether the former vote in placing said meetinghouse should be altered." After considerable discussion it was decided, by a vote of forty-four to thirty, "to place the new meeting-house at the crotch of the roads, near Capt. William Brown's house" (where the Upper Common now is). This was a final decision, though why it should have been is rather difticult to see, because this location was a trifle east of the town's land. It was intended to have the house face directly "down street," but the opposition mustered sufficient strength to change this plan so that it should face south and "stand cornerwise to the street."

So at last this momentous question was settled, and early in the summer of 1796 occurred the raising. Great preparations were made for this important event. May 9, 1796, a town-meeting was called "to see if the town will make any provision for the refreshment of the Raisers and also the Spectators that shall attend upon the raising of the new Meetinghouse." This was a most amicable meeting, and it was unanimously voted "that the town provide one barrill W. I. Rum and Loaf Sugar sufficient to make it into Toddy for refreshment for the Raisers and Spectators that shall attend the raising of the new Meeting-house." A committee was also appointed, consisting of Deacon Kendall Boutelle, Deacon Ephraim Kimball, Deacon Daniel Putnam, Reuben Smith, Joseph PoUey, Dr. Jonas Marshall and Asa Perry, "to deal out the Liquor to the Raisers and Spectators on Raising Day." Any one would suppose that a barrel of rum ought to make an amount of " Toddy " sufficient to satisfy the cravings of those who would be present at the raising; but the people were bound to have a rousing time after waiting so long for it, and to prove conclusively to the country round about that there was nothing small about them; for, before this meeting adjourned, it was voted " that the committee to deal out the Liquor and Sugar sufficient for the Raisers and Spectators, in case the barrill of W. I. Rum and Sugar already voted should be insufficient, procure more and bring in their account to the town for allowance."

This was the only meeting held to consider the subject of the new house during the ten years, where there was no contention or exhibition of spleen. For once the good people of Fitchburg were all of the same mind, and a "barrill of W. I. Rum," which, at the present time causes so much controversy, in the presumably degenerate days of 1790, acted like oil upon the troubled waters.

A few days later the raising came off successfully, but there is no definite statement as to the amount of rum and sugar consumed thereat. The following copy of the order to reimburse Deacon Boutelle for the refreshment expenses may, however, throw some light on the subject:

Such is the history of probably the most stubbornly fought and protracted meeting-house controversy on record. Zeal, obstinacy and bitterness on the part of both factions characterized the contest throughout, and so fierce was the strife that the people of neighboring towns for miles around were in the habit of coming in large numbers to attend the town-meetings held in Fitchburg during these ten years.

The controversy produced a very serious effect upon the town's good minister. Rev. Mr. Payson, who, moreover, was much troubled by the inroads made upon his flock by the Methodists, Baptists and Universalists. He became enfeebled in body and mind, but continued to preach most of the time until the autumn of 1793. By that time his mental infirmity had increased so much that the church and town united to call a council to consider the matter. This council met about the middle of November, 1793, but

During the following winter and spring the town hired other ministers to preach, and April 7, 1794, all parties agreed to reassemble the council of the previous year and abide by whatever decision it should arrive at. The council accordingly met April 29th, and decreed that the town should pay Jlr. Paysou a sum equivalent to about five hundred and thirty dollars and dismiss him from the pastorate. This proposition was accepted by the town May 2, 1794, and Mr. Payson's connection with the town, as its pastor, was finally dissolved.

Mr. Payson continued to live here without any improvement in his mental condition, and on May 28, 1804, while visiting at the house of his brother-in-law in Leominster, committed suicide. He was buried in the town cemetery in Fitchburg, where the tombstone erected to his memory by his son can still be seen.

The two councils assembled here in November, 1793, and April, 1794, were provided with board and lodging at the expense of the town. The members thereof were cared for at the tavern of Mrs. Cowdin, the widow of Thomas Cowdin. The bill for their entertainment is somewhat of a curiosity in its way and is as follows :

For about a year after Mr. Payson's dismissal Eev. John Kimball preached for the people. The church voted to give him a call and November 21, 1794, the town concurred. His salary vyas fixed at £90 per year, with a settlement of £200, to be paid as follows : £25 at the ordination, £75 one year therefrom, and £100 seven years after ordination. Mr. Kimball delayed his answer, and April G, 1795, the town voted to give him an annual salary of £112. May 6, 1795, Mr. Kimball declined the call.

November 26, 1795, the town voted to concur with the church in extending to Rev. John Miles an invitation to become their pastor at a salary of four hundred dollars per year. Mr. Miles declined.

Various ministers then preached here, among them the Rev. Thomas Noyes, whom the church, early in JTST^voted to call. The town was notified of this action at a meeting April 3, 1797, and voted not to concur. Then, by a vote of forty-three to twentyfour, the town signified its willingness to extend a call to Rev. Samuel Worcester. During a brief adjournment of the town-meeting, the church met and voted to call Rev. Mr. Worcester, agreeably to the preference of the town ; and the town, reassembled after the adjournment, then voted to concur with the church. The title of the church to precedence in calling the pastor was thus distinctly recognized.

Mr. Worcester's salary was fixed at four hundred dollars per year, with the privilege of taking his supply of wood from about twenty acres of the town's land. June 20, 1797, this was changed by voting to deduct twenty pounds from his annual salary (making it §333.33), and give him a " settlement" in addition of two hundred pounds (SG66.66), one-half to be paid one year after ordination, and the remainder two years after, with interest. Mr. Worcester accepted the call July 22, 1797, and the last Wednesday of the following September was selected as the day for his ordination, and on that day, September 27th, he was duly ordained. Rev. Dr. Samuel Austin, of Worcester, preaching the sermon.

In the month of October, after his ordination, Mr. Worcester was united in marriage with Miss Zervia Fox, of Hollis, N. H., which was Mr. Worcester's native town. He then " settled down " in Fitchburg and entered with zeal on the work of the ministry, and for a time everything went on prosperously ; but new beliefs and doctrines were fast gaining ground, which led, in 1801, to the division of the town into three societies and a year later to Mr. Worcester's dismissal.

In March, 1798, the town voted that " the Selectmen try and see what market they can make of the old meeting-house." June 21st, following, it was voted that it be sold at public auction, the pew-holders having liberty to take out their pews before the sale, if they desired. Benjamin Fuller bought it at the auction and proposed to move it away, but Mrs. Cowdin, the widow of Thomas Cowdin, to whom the land, on which the house was, belonged, threatened to proceed against him if he did so. September 17, 1798, the matter was brought before the town, and it was voted " to give up Mr. Fuller's obligation for the old meeting-house and give him three dollars for his trouble.'" The ipatter was finally settled by giving the underpinning to Mrs. Cowdin and selling the house ; and in May, 1799, the proceeds of the sale were equally divided between the town, the pewholders and Mrs. Cowdin.

At this time considerable attention was paid in town-meeting to the request of the Methodists and Baptists in town to have their " miniater tax " abated ; and a little later the town actively opposed a petition to the General Court made by the people in the northwest part of Fitchburg and in adjoining parts of Ashby, Ashburnham and Westminster, to form a " pool parish " among themselves. The "Fitchburg Universal Christian Society" had been formed and rapidly gained power in town affairs. The result of all this dissension was that in 1801 the majority of the people became dissatisfied with Mr. Worcester and the town was divided into three societies. March 2, 1801, the town chose ii committee consisting of the assessors to proportion tlie number of Sundays each Bociety should use the meeting-house, according to the amount of taxes paid by the members of each. On the 13th of April following, the report of this committee was accepted, giving the use of the house as follows : Society in the east part of the town (Universal Christian Society), twenty-four Sundays; Rev. Mr. Worcester's society, seventeen Sundays ; the society in the west, eiglit Sundays ; and the remaining three Sundays in the year were apportioned to the Baptists and Methodists.

One week previous to this, April 6, 1801, the town had voted that it would be "for their peace and happiness to dissolve the contract with the Rev. Samuel Worcester as their minister, agreeable to the contract made with him at the time of his settlement." A committee was appointed to wait on Mr. Worcester and inform him of this vote and get his answer in regard to dis'^olving the contract. Mr. Worcester, after conferring with the church, returned an answer to the effect that he desired to dissolve the contract, but claiming the right, solely for his church and himself, of appointing a council of five churches to dismiss him in regular ecclesiastical form, the town to defray the expenses of such a council. The town accepted this proposal" The council, composed of Rev. Messrs. Gushing, o Ashburnham, Lee, of Royalston, Payson, of Rindge^ N. H., Austin, of Worcester, and Hill, of Mason, N, H., and eight delegates from their churches, convened June 22, 1801, and decided that it would be be.st for Mr. Worcester to continue in his pastorate. This decision was formally accepted by both the church and the town. This truce, however, did not last long. Committees of conference were appointed, ex parte councils held, etc., and the upshot of the matter was that on December 7, 1801, the town declared the contract with Mr. Worcester .null and void, raised one hundred and thirty dollars and appointed a committee to hire preaching, and voted " that the sexton be directed not to open the meeting-house doors upon any occasion unless by direction of the Selectmen or the committee to hire preaching."

During the following six months numerous councils were convened, and on one occa-ion there were two councils in session here at the same time. Finally, a mutual council was agreed to, and the pastor was regularly dismissed, September 8th.

Ttius, notwithstanding the votes of the town, dividing tlie house of worship between different societies, with the reiterated threats of the " Universal Cliristian Society "' to talie possession of his pulpit for the number of Sabbaths allowed them ; and notwithstanding the vote explicitly declaring '*tho contract fur his support dissolved," with other measures of a corresponding character, he retained hie pnJpit to tliti lasty and received his salary, according to the terms of his settlement, until, in due order and form, and agreeably to his own wishes, ho ceased to be the pastor of the church and the minister of the town of Fitchburg 1 1

The most important result of this protracted controversy was the dissolution, soon after Mr. Worcester's dismissal, of the parochial powers of the town. Two societies were formed. The First Parish held the church property, and in 1804 Rev. William Bascom became its pastor. In the same year the other society settled Rev. Titus T. Barton, and in 1805 built a small house of worship on the corner of what are now known as Main and Bollstone Streets. Mr. Barton was dismissed in February, 1813, whereupon the First Parish made overtures for a re-union of the two societies which were accepted the latter part of that year. About that time Mr. Bascom requested to be dismissed, which request was granted.

For over a year the church had no settled pastor, but in August, 1815, Rev. William Eaton accepted a call, and preached until June 30, 1823, when he was dismissed at his own request. A considerable minority did not agree with him in religious opinions, and October 31, 1823, a final separation of the two societies occurred. The majority retained the church property, and its organization has since been known as

The First Parish (Unitarian). - Rev. Calvin Lincoln, Jr., the first Unitarian pastor in Fitchburg, was ordained June 30, 1824, and continued as pastor until 1855, a period of thirty-one years. From 1851 to 18.54 he had as his colleague Rev. Horatio Stebbins. Rev. William P. Tilden was pastor from 1855 to 1862 ; and since then the church has had five ministers, the last and present pastor being Rev. William H. Pierson, who was installed in 1881.

This society used the house dedicated in 1797 as their place of worship for about forty years. In the autumn of 1836 this house was removed, and the present brick church, completed in 1837, was erected on nearly the same site. It stands in a very picturesque situation at the head of the Upper Common. Its interior has been materially changed several times since the church was built. About 1871 an addition was built in the rear, and a very large and fine organ put in ; and ten years later new pews were put in, the side galleries taken away, stained-glass windows substituted for the old-fashioned kind, and the whole interiorgenerally renewed at a cost of several thousand dollars. The auditorium is now one of the brightest and finest in the city. During the summer of 1888 a brick chapel, named Phillips Chapel and costing some twelve thousand dollars, was erected in the rear of the church.

The Calvinistic Congregational Society. - The early history of this society is, of course, identical with that of the First Parish, with the exception of the few years of separation prior to the latter part of 1813. In October, 1823, those individuals who could not sympathize with the religious opinions of the First Parish formed a new society, and on the 31st of that month it was voted by them " that this church remove its connection from the First Parish and unite with the Calvinistic Congregational Society, formed this day in the town of Fitchburg." The churcli, numbering one hundred and two persons, immediately removed to the house built in 1805. In 1828 the building was enlarged. In 1848 the present brick church was built, and some twenty years later the high flight of stone steps on Rollstone Street was removed, the entrance and vestibule of the church materially changed and improved, and a commodious and handsome brick chapel built on Rollstone Street, next to, and connected with, the church.

Rev. Rufus A. Putnam was the first pastor of this sodety. He was ordained in February, 1824, and dismissed, at his own request, in March, 1831. Since then the society has had nine ministers, the longest and most important pastorates being tho-fe of Rev. Ebenezer W. Ballard, 1838 to 1852; Rev. Alfred Emerson, 1858 to 1870; Rev. Henry M. Tyler, 1872 to 1876 ; and Rev. Dr. S. Leroy Blake, 1880 to 1887.

As time went on the building occupied by this society became inadequate to accommodate the increased congregation, and the need of another society, in the easterly part of the town, became very evident; and in 1808 a portion of its members organized

The Rollstone Congregational Society. - The first public services of this new society were held in the hall of the American House, beginning March 8, 1868. The church was organized on April 16th following, and Rev. Leverett W. Spring was engaged as pastor for one year. A site for a new church was soon purchased, at the corner of Main and Snow Streets, and the corner-stone of the edifice was laid October 5, 1868. The church, which is a large and handsome brick structure, was dedicated February 24, 1870. In connection with it is a fine chapel, also built of brick, and named in honor of the donor, Dea. David Boutelle, Boutelle Chapel. Dea. Boutelle contributed liberally to the needs of this society, his gifts towards the building fund aggregating upwards of twenty-eight thousand dollars.

The pastors of the Rollstone Church have been Rev. L. W. Spring, 1868 to 1875, and Rev. George R. W. Scott, D.D. Dr. Scott began his ministry here in the autumn of 1875, and remained in active service till December, 1885, when he was obliged to give up work and seek needed rest. He immediately went to Europe, and Rev. Dr. W. S. Alexander was engaged to supply his pulpit during his absence. Dr. Scott, finding that continued poor health forbade his return to the charge, sent in his resignatiim, which his people very reluctantly accepted. The present pastor, Rev. Charles S. Biooks, was installed on May 11, 1887.

Some twenty-five years before the Rollstone Church separated from the parent stem, there was a division of the Calvinistic Congregational Society of a far diSerent character. In 1843 the intense feeling on the slavery question gave rise to this division and resulted in the formation and organization of

The Trinitarian Congregational Society. - This society erected a church building at the corner of what are now known as Main and Church Streets, soon after the secession of its members. Rev. George Clark was the first pastor, and the succeeding pastors were: Revs. Foster Pettibone, Charles Bristol, George Trask and Elnathan Davis.

The members of this church performed active and earnest work in the interests of the slaves, and through their efforts Fitcliburg became known as one of the stations on the " Underground Railroad to Canada," in the flight of the slave to freedom. The slavery question was the only strong bond of union among these people, and when the slaves were emancipated, the object of its organization was gone. Its last sermon was preached on the day when the equality of the negro, before the law, was guaranteed. November 15, 1871, the church building was sold to Mr. John M. Carpenter for fourteen thousand three hundred dollars. Chiefly through the eftbrts of Rev. George Trask, the proceeds of the sale were given to the Freedmen's Aid Society, with the exception of the sum of two thousand dollars, which was presented to Rev. Elnathan Davis, a former pastor, as a token of appreciation. Since November 18, 1872, the building has been occui^ied, in part, by the Fitchburg post-office.

The First Baptist Society. - Undoubtedly there have been Baptists in Fitchburg ever since the incorporation of the town, but no mention is made of the denomination until 1783. In December of that year, " thirteen profest Baptists " sent in a petition to the town, asking that their " minister tax '' be abated. The names of the petitioners were Charles Willard, David Mclntire, Samuel Gibson, David Whittemore, Ephraim Nile, Ephriam Howard, Elijah Willard, Elijah Mclntire, Solomon Gibson, William Haskell, Daniel W^illard, Abraham Willard, Lemuel Haskell, Thomas Gibson, Joseph Policy, Jonathan Page and Simeon Shattuck,

No special attention seems to have been paid to this petition until May 16, 1787, when there was an article in the town warrant, " To see if the town will abate any of the profest Baptist Minister Rate." Deacon Kendall Boutelle, Daniel Farwell and William Brown were chosen to investigate the matter, and reported to the town two days later, when, after some deliberation on s* matter," the town voted "that the people in s* town that are profest Baptists, that petitioned to the town in the year 1784, be discharged from paying the Minister Rate after s"* year."

had no connection with the beginnings of the present Baptist Church in Fitchburg. These people built a shabby, barn like meeting-house near the Ashby line, and in June, 1810, "The First Baptist Society of Fitchburg and Ashby " was incorporated, and continued in existence for some years.

Let us now return to our "seventeen profest Baptists " who were e.x'empted from paying a minister-tax. They dwelt in the westerly part of the town, in the vicinity of Dean Hill, and, in conjunction with the Methodists in that locality, utilized the building heretofore spoken of as " The Lord's Barn " as a place of worship. But this society in the west gradually dwindled away and became merged in the other societies in town.

In 1801, as we have seen, there were, however, a sufficient number of Baptists and Methodists in the town to entitle them to the use of the meeting-house for three Sundays in the year.

The beginnings of the Baptist Church and Society in Fitchburg were identified with two residents of Leominster, - Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Crocker, - who, about 1828, removed to Fitchburg. March 2, 1831, Mr. Crocker and nine other gentlemen formed the "Fitchburg Village Baptist Society." The society thus antedated the church, which was organized as a branch of the Princeton Church June 8, 1831, on petition of Mr. and Mrs. Crocker, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Bemis and Mr. Augustus H. Searle.

For over two years services were held in the old (then new) Academy building hall. New members were rapidly added. The place of baptism, in those early days, was the pond on Punch Brook, just north of Academy Street. For some years this pond has not been in exi^tence.

In 1833 the society bought a lot and erected a new and commodious church on what is now Main Street, a little west of the Common. The building, now used as a carriage repository, still stands in the same location. November 14, 1833, the building was dedicated and the branch church was, on the same date, severed from the parent stock. The independent church then had sixty-two members.

The rapid growth of the society during the next twenty years made it necessary to either enlarge the old church or build a new one. The latter course was wisely decided upon, and March 1, 1854, the present handsome edifice, costing twenty-five thousand dollars, was dedicated.

June 8, 1881, this church observed its semi-centennial anniversary, which was largely attended, and proved to be an occasion of great rejoicing. An important feature of this celebration was the reading by the pastor, Rev. I. R. Wheelock, of a valuable historical address, to which the writer of this present history is indebted for much of the foregoing.

In 1887 the interior of the church was thoroughly renewed, a fine organ put in and a handsome brick chapel erected, largely through the munificence of

Samuel E. Crocker, Esq., for whom the chapel has been appropriately named. It was dedicated February 14, 1888. The total cost of the chapel and improvements was twenty thousand dollars.

The First Baptist Society has had fourteen different pastors settled over it since its organization, the longest pastorates being those of Rev. Kendall Brooks, 1855 to 18G5; Rev. Stillman B. Grant, 1867 to 1874 ; and Rev. Isaac R. Wheelock, 1875 to 1885. The present pastor is Rev. Frank Rector, who was installed over this church in November, 1886.

The First Methodist Episcopal Society. - Fitchburg seems to have been first visited by a Methodist preacher about 1794, when Rev. John Hill, of the Needham Circuit, came here for a brief season. A small Methodist society was then organized Snd meetings were held from time to time for a few years in the " Lord's Barn," built by Jacob Upton and others in 1786.

About 1803 several Methodists moved into town, among them Mr. and Mrs. William Walton, who, during their stay of seven or eight years in town, did good work in sowing the seed of Methodism. Services were held from time to time by itinerant preachers.

No Class was organized in town until March, 1831, at which time Rev. Warren Emerson organized a Class of only three members. It was formed at the house of Mrs. Jane Mack, widow of Thomas Mack, who came to Fitchburg from Ireland in 1824. The leader of this Class was Mr. Samuel Marsh, of Lunenburg, and the two other members of it were Mrs. Jane Mack and Mrs. Jane McCormick.

In 1834 Rev. Joel Knight began to labor in Fitchburg, and in March of that year the Methodist society was organized. Twenty-two members were added during Mr. Knight's first year here. He remained another year, during the course of which Mr. Elijah Brigham was licensed as a local preacher.

In 1836 Fitchburg became a Methodist Station, and Rev. Joseph S. Ellis was appointed pastor of the society during that year; but the people were not able to support a minister, and no one was appointed to preach in Fitchburg during 1837-8-9.

In the spring of 1840 the Class was revived, two hundred dollars appropriated by the district, and in the following July Rev. John Tate was appointed to preach here. The hall in the Academy building, where meetings had previously been held during Mr. Knight's ministry, was again hired, and before long was found insufficient to accommodate the rapidly increasing attendance. The need of a church edifice was evident, but the people did not feel able to incur the necessary expense. Accordingly, on February 15, 1841, the people here had a conference with brethren in Ashburnham and Lunenburg. The result of their deliberation was a resolve " to build a

The names of the fifteen persons who became thus responsible are : Major Ephraim Jones, William S. Jones, James Gilchrist and Samuel Marsh, of Lunenburg ; Eben Frost and Walter Russell, of Ashburnham ; James Puffer, of Westminster ; and Elijah Brigham, Daniel Emory, Nahum Wetherby, Nathan Caswell, Roswell Graham, Ebenezer C. Hayden, Edward Aldrich and James Ilartwell, of Fitchburg.

March 1, 1841, Major Jones and Messrs. Puffer, Brigham, Emory and Graham were appointed a building committee. A site was purchased near the foot of the present Upper Common, and the building erected during the following summer. It was dedicated September 14, 1841, Rev. Miner Raymond preaching the sermon. On the next day the first board of trustees was elected, consisting of the following : Roswell Graham, William Wilder, Elijah Brigham, Samuel D. Phelps and Daniel Emory.

Since 1841 this society has prospered, and the original church edifice, which still stands in its old location on Main Street, was twice enlarged - onie during the pastorate of Rev. Samuel Tapper, in 1853-54, when an addition of fifteen feet was made to its length, and a second time in 1868, when upwards of four thousand dollars were spent in repairs and enlargement.

In October, 1885, this society purchased of Dr. Thomas S. Blood a lot on the corner of Fox and Elm Streets, and in the course of the next three years erected a large and handsome brick structure on this land. The cost of the edifice was thirty thousand five hundred and eighty dollars, of which amount twenty-five thousand two hundred dollars had been pledged previous to the dedication of the church, which occurred February 29, 1888. The exercises were held on the afternoon and evening of that day, and there was a large and notable gathering each time. Bishop Andrews, of Washington, D. C, preached the sermon, and it is worthy of record that before 10 p.m. that day the entire deficit of five thousand three hundred and eighty dollars was pledged. Afier the money had been all pledged, the trustees formally surrendered the church into the hands of Bishop Andrews, who then dedicated it, according to the Methodist Episcopal Church ritual, to the worship of Almighty God.

The first pastor of this church was Rev. Joel Knight, and since then it has had twenty-seven different pastors settled over it. The present pastor is Rev. Jesse Wagner, who began his work here in April, 1888.

West Fitchburg Methodist Episcopal Society. - In November, 1874, a Methodist Sundayschool was organized in West Fitchburg, and a chapel was soon after built. November 17, 1881, the West Fitchburg Methodist Episcopal Society was organized. The chapel being found too small, their present church was built in 1882, and dedicated May 11, 1883. Rev. F. T. Pomeroy was pastor the year preceding the organization, and remained, at the earnest request of the people, till April, 1884. Since then there have been three pastors, the present pastor being Rev. W. W. Baldwin, who began his work here in April, 1887.

The First Universai.ist Society. - One of the chief difficulties with which the Rev. Dr. Worcester had to contend during his pastorate here was a religious sentiment within his flock, denominated " Universalism ; " and it is recorded that the Rev. John I'ayson, Kitchburg's first pastor, was also troubled in spirit from this same cause. All this goes to show that the principles of the Universalist faiih were early developed in this town.

These sentiments gradually gained adherents, and Universalist meetings were occasionally held. Soon after the old meeting-house was fitted up for a townhouse, in 1837, the Universalists began to have meetings in it occasionally, with preaching by ministers of their faith in neighboring towns ; and as a result, the First Universalist Society of Fitchburg was organized October 9, 1844, after which date services were regularly held in the town-hall each Sunday.

August 4, 1846, the society appointed a committee to see about building a church edifice, and on February 11, 1847, it was voted " that there is a sutficient amount of funds raised on the subscription paper to take measures to commence building a meetinghouse." At the same time Hiram Davis, Everett Sprague, Charlea Upton, Albert C. Upton, Abel Derby, Harrington Sibley and E. S. Bowditch were chosen a building committee, with full authority to purcha>e land and build a church.

This committee purchased a site at the corner of Main and RoUstone Streets, prepared plans and reported their doings to the society a week later. The report was accepted, and work begun at once. The church was of brick and stone, and was completed during 1847, and was at that time considered one of the finest buildings in town.

For nearly forty years the society continued to occupy this church, but in the summer of 1884 a lot was purchased on the corner of Day and Union Streets, at a cost of three thousand eight hundred dollars; and March 30,1885, it was unanimously voted to proceed at once to erect on this site a church edifice in accordance with plans previously prepared by a committee chosen for the purpose. Rev. F. O. Hall and Messrs. J. S. Wilson, H. L. Rice, F. S. Lovell and J. D. Littlehale were chosen as a building committee. The corner stone was laid June 18, 1885, and during the succeeding eight months their present Hue and attractive house of worship was erected at a cost of thirty thousand six hundred and twelve dollars. Its doors were first opened to the public on the evening of February 23, 1886.

Rev. Mather E. Hawes was the first pastor of this society, and continued his ministry until the spring of 1849. Since then the society has had ten pastors, the longest pastorate being that of Kev. Frank Maguire, - 1870-79.

The First Episcopal Society {Christ Church). - Episcopal services appear to have been first held in Fitchburg during the latter part of 1862, in the lower town-hall, and were conducted by Rev. W. G. Hawkins.

October 7, 1803, the Episcopal Society was organized here, and one week later the church was duly organized under the statutes of the Commonwealth by the name of Christ Church.

Rev. Mr. Hawkins preached until April, 1863, when he was succeeded by Rev. Henry L. Jones, of New York City, and on October 14, 1863, Mr. Jones was unanimously chosen the first rector of Christ Church. At the game time the following officers were chosen : Wardens, Alvah Crocker and Augustus Whitman; Vestrymen, C. H. B. Snow, G. F. Fay, L. B. Jaquith, C. L. S. Hammond and Thomas Trees.

For about five years after Mr. Jones first came to Fitchburg, the society held services regularly in the lower town-hall, but the need of a church home soon became very evident, and about 1806 the society purchased of Dr. George D. Colony his estate, situated on Main Street, between Hartwell and Fox Streets, for eight thousand dollars. During 1867 their present fine, stone church edifice was built at an expense of over fifty-three thousand dollars. The corner-stone was laid April 22, 1807, and just one year later, April 22, 1868, the handsome and attractive church was consecrated by the Rev. Manton Eastburn, D.D., Bi^hop of the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Rev. Charles Morris Addison, the present rector, is a graduate of the Episcopal Theological School at Cambridge, and assumed the charge of Christ Church parish on June 1, 1885.

Saint Bernard's Parish (Roman Catholic). - Catholic services seem to have been held in Fitchburg as far back as 1842, but no society was organized until 1847. In 1848, under the pastorate of Rev. M. F. Gibson, a church was built on Water Street. There were then about eight hundred in the whole parish.

Rev. Edward Turpin became pastor in 1856, and remained ten years. He was succeeded, in 1866, by Rev. C. M. Foley, who, in 1869, built the present brick church edifice, which is one of the finest in town. Rev. P. J. Garrigan took charge of the parish in 1875. He greatly embellished the interior of the church, and dedicated it with imposing ceremonies in 1879. Father Garrigan also built the parish house on Water Street, next to the church, and the parochial

In the summer of 1888 Father Garrigan was asked to accept the position of vice-rector of the Catholic University recently established in Washington, D. C, and afteV much deliberation concluded to accept the position. He left Fitchburg early in November, 1888, closing a long and valuable pastorate, and will be greatly missed by his parishioners, now numbering over four thousand.

Since he came to Fitchburg, Father Garrigan has been a prominent citizen. He has been a member of the School Committee, but is chiefly noted, as a public man, for the noble and effective work he has accomplished here in the cause of temperance.

West Fitchburg Roman Catholic Parish - Church of the Sacred Heart. - This parish was organized in 1878 in West Fitchburg, and Father Garrigan, as before stated, purchased a lot and built thereon the present neat church edifice. For a time it was sustained as a branch of Saint Bernard's Parish, but it is now self-supporting.

Its first pastor was Rev. James Canavan. He was followed by Rev. James Donahoe. The present pastor. Rev. J. L. Tarpey, began his work here in June, 1886.

Connected with these two Catholic Churches are twelve different societies, organized in the interests of temperance, doctrinal instruction and charity.

In December, 1886, the society purchased fifty-two thousand feet of land on Walnut Street, and a dwelling-house thereon was converted into a parsonage and school. A small chapel was erected, and it is the intention of the society to build a church on this land in the near future.

Chapter Xlii Educational History

The educational history of Fitchburg will, for the sake of convenience, be considered under two heads, viz.: Public Schools and Libraries. Neither of these all-important departments of our history has, as far as the writer is aware, ever been written upon in a way by any means complete. It is therefore proposed, in this history, to give special prominence to the subject of education, and to place before the reader a large number of facts relating to the history of the beginnings and progress of education in Fitchburg.

papers relating to this subject, collected and preserved by his father, Charles Mason, Esq., who has always been deeply interested in the education of youth, and was, for some years, prominent and active in the school and educational affairs of the town of Fitchburg.

Public Schools. - The early settlers of this town do not seem to have paid much attention, or devoted much money to the fostering of public education. The earliest mention in the town records of any public action respecting the establishment of schools in town occurs in the report of a town-meeting held September 12, 1764, and is as follows :

Votad, that there be two scools in s'" town and that mr. John fitch and Kindal Boutwell and their neighbors shall have the benititt of their BCoole money in order to provide scooling among themselves,

The "two scools" appear to have been kept, however, during the winter of 1764-65, - one in William Chadwick's corn-barn, near the present Pearl Hill School-house, and the other in Samuel Hunt's tavern, - but who the "scoolemaster" was is not stated.

November 21, 1765, it was voted in town-meeting "to have 2 scools in s'd town and Mr. Poole and Mr. John fitch with their neighbors have the benefit of their scoole money in order to provide among themselves,"

The next fall, however, the people returned to their first appropriation of £8, and voted " that twothirds be laid out in the middle of the town, and the rest by the Com. as they shall think proper on the outsides of the town."

Oct. 1, 1770, the town raised £5 ISs. 4rf. for schools, and the next fall £9 3s. id. ; and October 19, 1772, £20 were raised; and it was also voted to build four school-houses in the town, "each quarter of the town to build their own school-house at their own expense, free from any town tax, only that each quarter have their proportion of the Town's Boards and Nails left after finishing the Meeting-house." A committee of five was chosen to fix the location of the school-houses.

October 4, 1774, the following votes are recorded, showing that a sharp lookout was maintained with regard to the expenditure of the school money :

Voted, that all the quarters of the town that don't see that their part of the scuol money that is not scooled out within the year be returned into the Town Stoke. (This vote is rather blindly recorded, but one can catch the idea.)

Voted, to add what Bcool money remains not yet laid out that was raised the last year to the £20 now raised to be laid out in providing a scool or scools.

The effect of the depreciation in the currency is seen in the amounts raised for school purposes during the next three years, which were £200 in 1778, £500 in 1779 and £2000 in 1780. In the hist-named year Thomas Cowdin generously added £500, " to be scooled out in the scool-house sot on said Cowdin's land."

In 1781 the town raised " £60, hard money, to hire school Master, Masters or Mistresses." The same sum was raised in 1782, but the appropriation for each of the two following years was reduced to £40.

In 1785 it was voted "to hire a Grammar School Master for the town ; the said Grammar School to be kept four months, and each quarter to have their mouth, the said Grammar School to begin in town before December next." The appropriation this year was £45, and remained at that figure until 1789, when it was increased to £50.

April 5, 1790, it was voted " to new district the town," and a committee of seven was appointed (or this purpose. September 9, 1790, raised £50, and voted "that the several schools in town be free schools for the use of the town."

At a later meeting the report of the committee to redistrict the town was rejected, and it was not till 1798 that a report on this matter was accepted. The town was then divided into eleven districts.

It was necessary to build school-houses for the new districts, and at a town-meeting, June 21, 1798, a committee was appointed " to estimate the bigness of the school-houses." The committee reported at the same meeting, and their report was accepted, - " that the houses be twenty-four feet by twenty feet, and finished with Gallery s'^ats ; lathed and plastered overhead, to be glassed with six windows, 12 squares of 7 by 9 glass in each, and to be finished outside and in, all except clap-boarding." The report further provided that the old school-houses be appraised, and their value refunded to the proprietors, and that the building of the new houses be let out to the lowest bidder. A committee of three was chosen to let out and inspect the building of the new school-houses.

September 17, 1798, the selectmen were appointed a committee to appraise the old houses, and, at an adjourned meeting, October 8th, reported their valuation as follows :

In 1799 one hundred and fifty pounds were raised for schools, and the committeemen were directed "to agree with the teachers that they are not to be allowed anything for keeping schools Saturdays in the afternoon. " The selectmen were authorized to provide locks and keys and window-shutters for the several school-houses.

In 1800 one hundred and fifty pounds were raised, and in each of the three followingyears, five hundred dollars. From 1804 to 1808, six hundred dollars was the sum appropriated ; and in the latter year forty dollars were added " to be distributed among those school districts the selectmen shall think most need it." A committee of eleven was also chosen in 1808 to examine schools, and it was voted " that the committee be requested to attend the schools at their commencement and close, and it be the duty of the school committeemen to inform the examiners when the school begins.'' It was also voted that the School Committee furnish the selectmen, during the last week in August, an exact return of the number of scholars in their respective districts, so that the school money could be equitably divided.

In 1809 raised six hundred and forty dollars " to be laid out as last year," and chose a committee consisting of Rev. Mr. Barton, Rev. Mr. Bascom, Dr. Peter Snow, Leonard Burbank and Joseph Simonds, to inspect the schools.

In 1810 seven hundred dollars were appropriated for schools, and in 1811 six hundred and forty dollars ; and in the latter year, aconimittee of seven was chosen, " to consider the expediency of any alteration in the Middle School District " (District No. 1). At an adjourned meeting April 1, 1811, this committee reported " that the district should be divided and a new district formed." This new district, as outlined by the committee, corresponded to that portion afterwards called the " Old City."

The report was accepted, and in the following July it was voted to divide District No. 1, in accordance with the report of the committee, and call the new district No. 12. Also voted to give the new district ninety dollars toward building a school-house. This vote was reconsidered, and it was then voted to pay the sum of ninety dollars for this purpose in March, 1815.

In 1812 the school district boundaries were more accurately defined by a committee chosen for that purpose. The school appropriation that year was seven hundred dollars, and the next year eight hundred dollars.

The foregoing is an abstract of the more important actions of the town in regard to public instruction during its first half-century of existence. During the early years of this period the town furnished very meagre facilities for the education of the children ; and, as a matter of fact, the larger part of the instruction given in those days was furnished by private teachers.

For the first few years there were no school-houses even, the schools being kept in vacant rooms of private houses, or taverns. Fuel was gratuitously supplied by the neighborhood, and the teachers " boarded round." The first school-houses were probably built in 1773, - one in the middle of the town and the other three in the west, north and south parts of the township respectively.

In 1798 there appear to have been five schoolhouses in town, according to the appraisal report previously cited, and the frame of a sixth in process of erection.

In 1800 the school-house in the " Center District," or No. 1, stood on what is now Main Street, a few rods west of the present junction of Circle and Main Streets. It was a low, unpainted wooden building, standing with its end to the road. The other ten were in locations probably closely corresponding to those now occupied by our present long-established suburban school-houses.

In 1812, the year after District No. 1 was divided, a brick school-house was built in the new district. No. 12, and still remains there, forming a portion of a dwelling-houne at the upper corner of Crescent and Blossom Streets.

In 1815, by vote of the town, a new school-house was built in District No. 1. It was a wooden building, paiuted yellow, and containing two rooms. It stood at the present junction of Main and Mechanic Streets, on the site now occupied by D. H. Merriam's house.