History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

236 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
In 1799 the Newton Iron Works Company
built a rolling-mill, and commenced operations in
1800, opposite the small island in the river, where
a dam was built and a saw-mill erected in 1783.
In 1809 a new manufactory was built for making
cut nails. Nails were sent by the cargo from
the manufactory in Nekton to New Orleans and
the West Indies, to be used in the construction of
stigar-boxes, in which they were thus returned to
every port on the Atlantic seaboard. The same
year the Worcester Turnpike was constructed
through this estate, and the bridge was built over
the river. In 1813 this company erected a cotton-
factory on the same dam, on tlie Needham side of
the river. In 1831 Mr. Ellis bought out this
company and became sole owner. In 18;J3 a new
company of seven persons was incorporated under
the name of the Newton Factories, and in 1835
Rufus and David Ellis became sole owners of the
property. In later years the cotton-factory was
destroyed by fire, and has not been rebuilt. The
rolling-mill, adjoining the bridge, was long managed
by the late Frederic Barden, Esq.
Previous to 1800 the business carried on at the
Upper Falls by water-power was small, being only
three snuff-mills, a grist-mill, and a saw-mill, and
only about six families resided in the place. In
1850 there were, at the upper dam, one cotton-fac-
tory, with about nine thousand spindles; machine
.shops sufficient to accommodate about three hun-
dred workmen ; and a steam furnace for iron cast-
ings, employing about fifteen workmen. At the
lower dam was a rolling-mill, working about 1,500
tons of iron into various shapes ; a nail-factory,
making about five hundred tons of cut nails; a
cotton-factory (on the Needham side), with about
2,000 spindles, and manufacturing about 500,000
yards of cotton cloth annually. There were then
in the Upper Falls village about 1,300 inliabitants.
The first religious society at the Upper Falls
occu])ied the meeting-house now in possession of
the First Methodist Church. The building was
commenced in the autumn of 1827, and dedicated
February 27, 1828. Tiie land on which the meet-
ing-house is built was given for this purpose by
the Elliot Manufacturing Company. The building
cost about $3,300. Of this amount the Elliot
Manufacturing Company paid three fifths, and Mr.
Rufus Ellis two fiftiis. The society was incor-
porated as The Upper Falls llcligious Society, and
church edifice was sold to Marshall S. Eice, Esq.,
of Newton Centre, and it has since been occupied
by the First Methodist Society of Newton.
Tlie IMethodists in Newton first formed a "class,"
but in consequence of removals it was dissolved.
In April, 1828, another "class" was formed, of
seventeen members, the germ of the present Metho-
dist Society at Newton Upper Falls. Tlie church
was organized November 11, 1832, numbering
fifty-three members. The meeting-house, purchased
by Mr. Eice, has been repeatedly enlarged and
improved. The first stationed preacher was the
late Eev. Charles K. True.
The Second Baptist Church in Newton (Upper
Falls) was organized February 8, 1835, numbering
fifty-five members, all of whom were previously
members of the First Baptist Church. The meet-
ing-house, which had been erected two years earlier,
was dedicated ilarcli 27, 1833. It was erected
on land given for the purpose by Mr. Jonathan
Bixby, an efficient and leading member of the
church, and in whose house the meetings had beau
held before the church-building was erected. The
property was divided into twenty shares, of which
Jonathan Bixby owned seven ; three others, tAvo
each ; and seven others, one each. The first pastor,
Eev. Origen Crane, was ordained Sejrtember 14-,
1836. He was succeeded by Rev. C. W. Denison,
S. S. Leighton, A. Webster, and W. ('. Eiehards.
The congregation was very much weakened by the
removal of members, resulting from changes in the
character of the bushiess, and ultimately by a
change hi the character of the population.
A Uni\'ersalist society was organized in Septem-
ber, 1841, at Newton Upper Falls. They erected
a meeting-house, which was dedicated iu May,
1842, and cost about S 1,300. Their only regular
pastor was Eev. Samuel Skiinier, who left in 1845.
The society finally relinquished the enterprise, and
the meeting-house was changed to a village hall,
called Ellio"t Hall.
Catholic services were first held at Newton
Upper Falls in 1843 or 1844. The celebrant was
Father Strain, of Waltham, and his chapel a room
in the house of Mr. James Cahill. A beginning
was made to collect funds for the erection of a
church in 1852. In 18G0 the congregation began
to assemble regularly in Elliot Hall, number-
ing about three hundred. In 18G7 the Catholic
church Avas built, forty feet by seventy-six, and
tlie jjulpit was su))plird mainly by preachers of tlie dedicated November 17, 1867. In 1875 this
Unitarian faith about five years. In 1832 the church was enlarged by a transept, fort}' feet by