History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 363
The question of buying a poor-farm was again agitated, and
at a meeting held April 7th a committee was chosen to look
out a suitable place. But at the November meeting a large
committee was chosen to report to the town the expense of
keeping the poor ten years with and ten years without a farm.
The move, whatever its intention might have been, delayed
matters so that nothing was accomplished this year.
Since the dismissal of Rev. Benjamin Sawyer in the East
parish no minister had been settled, although occasional preach-
ing had been obtained and lay brethren had held sendees dur-
ing warm weather. Deacon Hezekiah Colby was a constant
and faithful exhorter, collecting a few of the older people who
were strongly attached to this ancient house and unwilling to
change their place of worship. The attendance, however, grew less
each succeeding season and the house was evidently growing
worse for wear, for a deserted building is always a target for
mischievous boys and evil-minded persons. To allow it to
remain to be riddled by stones and torn piece-meal away was
hardly desirable, and, accordingly, a meeting was called and a
vote passed authorizing its sale. Thus in one hnndred and
thirty-three years from its first erection at the parsonage and
eighty-eight years after its rebuilding at Sandy Hill, this ven-
erable house was removed to be seen no more. A single sketch
by Mr. Daniel Nayson is all that has saved its once familiar
form from oblivion. The site is now owned by A. S. Adams,
Esq., and Robert W. Patten, Esq.
The Congregational church at West Amesbury extended a call
to Rev. Albert Paine to settle as pastor, and he was ordained
September 7 th.
A company was incorporated at West Amesbury for the man-
ufacture of wheels, with a capital of $40,000. Thomas T. Mer-
rill was appointed agent. Hitherto wheels had been made by hand
process, and its slow work gave employment to many wheel-
wrights. At this factory nicely adjusted machinery performed
nearly all the work. At a later date the manufacture of car-
riage parts was added to the business. The factory was located
on Cobler's brook, near Humphrey Nichols' mill.