History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

248 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
the depot known as Bemis' Station, on the Water-
town lirancli Railroad, on the North side of Cliarles
River. This scliool was commenced June 2, 1861.
It was transferred, July 27, 1862, to a small chapel
erected for its use on Cliapel Street. Tlie land was
given by Mr. Thomas Dally, and tlie cost of the
building was $1,200. In" December, 186.5, the
chapel was enlarged at an expense of S2,000.
Tiie church was organized July 11, 1866, com-
]iosed of twenty-three members. Rev. Samuel E.
Lowry was ordained tlie first jiastor February 21,
1867. The chapel, which had been in use ten
years, was destroyed by fire June it, 1872, and
the present stone edifice was erected on the same
site at a cost of $18,000, which was all subscribed
])revious to the dedication. This service occurred
October 16, 1873. From June till December,
1872, when the vestry was completed, worship
was held in a simp owned by Mr. Dally. The
stone used in the CDnsiructiini was taken from a
quarry near Beacon Street, Xcwioji, on land then
owned by Mr. Samuel Gooch. TJie church-members,
in February, 1878, numbered one hundred
and ten. The following are the names of mem-
bers w lid lia\i' served as deacons : Messrs. Joseph
Wain, Ilnirv .Mason, Artemas Rumrill, Nathaniel
Davidson, W. R. Smitli, and Hii-enr Carlick.
T/n' Mcllnulld l-:,,i.sr,./,„/ Chin-rl, al Nc-ipion
Centre was commenced by a ])iayei'-mceting in the
Old Engine-House in June, 1875, corner of Centre
and Station streets. In January, 1876, a Sab-
bath-school was foiiiied, and in llie sjji'ing f(jll(iw-
ing a preachiiii; set \ ice tnlhiwcd. t'niil (trtoher,
1877, it was re-Mnled ;is a braneli of the church
at Newton Upper Falls. The late Marshall S.
Rice left in his will 81,11(1(1 (o be used in the
erection of a church ediCiee. April 20, 187i), n
church was organized, Kev. (i. II. Perkins being
the pastor. The fir>( trustees uere Aldei, Spemv,
!;. M. Fowle, .1. F. Lams S. |). (uiw, AV. L.
LihI.eV, !;. (_;. St.'veiis H. (1. St.\,Jls, .iV. Hon.
Aldeli Speaiv proeilled t., (lie M.eie(v the lot
known as (he Miigiiie-hoiiM^ Lo(, \»lieiv (he lirst
nieedngs l,;,d been held. The elniivh ediliee «as
eomiiieneeil in the winter of 1S7',).
The following table gives (he lor,i(ion, d:i(e of
oi-gani/.ation, and religious denoinina(ioii of (he
churches in Newton.
Coiif/rfr/atioiHil.
. . . I''il^( I'Mi-iOi Cliuroli . .(ulv -'II, null
WcM Cnnirn-atioiiiilCliiuTli . del, :>!, UsF
Klml Cliui-cli (iil,v 1, ISI.-,
Auljuiiidale .\uv. U, IS.M)
North Evangelical Cliureli . . . July 11, 186G
Central Consresratioiial Clmrcli . Sept. 8. ISfiS
Church of the Highlands . . . July 9, 1872
First Baptist Church
BapHsf. .... July 5, 1780
Second Baptist Church . . , Feb. 8, 1835
,
Newton Baptist Churcli 1800
West Newton Ba|i(isf Church . . June 5, ISOC,
Myrtle Baptist Church . . Sept. lS7i
Methodist.
First Methodist Episcopal . . . Nov. 11, 1832
Newtonviile Methodist 1860
Auburndale Methodist .... June 1, 1SG2
Newton Methodist 18(34
Lower Falls Methodist 186/
Newton Centre Methodist . . . April 29, 1879
Episropal.
St. Mary's, Lower Falls . . . April 7, 1812
Grace Church, Newton 1855
Church of the Messiah, West Newton . . 1872
Unitarlaii.
Religious Society, Upper Falls (now extinct), . 1827
First Unitarian Society, West Newton . . 1817
Chauiiing Religious Society, Newton . . . 1851
'
Chestnut Hill Chapel .
T'//irerx/itist.
1861
Uuiversalist Society, Upper Falls (now extinct) Sept. 8, 181 i
Univcrsalist Church, Newtonviile, . . . 1S72
h',„„„„ Cillinlir.
15, 1867
. Nov. St. Mary's, Upper Falls .
Our Lady ol' Help to Clinvtiaiis, Newtonviile
St. Bernard's Church, West Newton
. 1873
SirciJeiihorffwii.
New Church, Newtonviile . . . .1869
The first i)ost-office in the town, and previous
to ]s2(i the only one, was at Newton Lower
Falls, a village remote from many of the iidiabi-
tants. .\s the first settlers of Cambridge seem to
have cherished (he I'xjurlation that that town, embracing
also New Caiiibfiilge, or Newton, would
become the ca|)ital of the country, so the people of
the Lower Falls very likely anticipated that their
village was to lie the principal depot and centre
of business of the town; which accounts for the
location of the first post -oflice there. The business
enterprise of the inhabitants gave them some
grounds I'or such an anticipation ; for in early times
the village was the seat of iron-works, saw-mills,
grist-mills, snnir-inills, clothing-mills, leather-mills,
paper-mills, calico-printing, macliine-sbo])s, etc.
The second ijosl-ofiicc was established at Newton
Corner in 1S20, the income of which at first was
Old) thirty or lorly dollars per annum. In the