History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

PEPPERELL. 261
PEPPERELL.
BY LORENZO
ETl'LEMENTS iu the part of
Groton west of Nashua River
were commenced as early as
17:J0. In 1743, the number
of families having increased to
forty-twOj a petition from them
to be set off as a distinct pre-
cinct was granted by the Great
and General Court. Groton
West Parish included all the
territory bounded southerly by the road as then
travelled from Fitch's Bridge to Townsend, westerly
by Townsend, northerly by Dunstable West
Precinct and Old Town, and easterly by the
Nashua River. As a parish, it was empowered to
act for itself in matters of a parochial nature, but
in all other respects it still remained a part of
Groton.
At the first legal meeting of the parish, January
17, 17-13, all the requisite officers were chosen,
and ten pounds lawful money were voted to defray
necessary charges. At a subsequent meeting, February
16, Samuel Wright was appointed a com-
mittee to provide preaching till tJie last day of
April next ensuing ; and it was voted " to build
a meeting-house at the most convenient place near
Jo. Blood's fordway." During the two years or
more before the house was built, public worship
was held in the house of Enosh Lawrence, at the
East Village, and in the house of Nehemiah Ho-
bart, near where Elijah A. Butterfield now lives.
So much dissatisfaction was manifested in re-
gard to the location of the meeting-house, that
before the expiration of the year a parish meeting
was called, the vote reconsidered, and another
passed, " to locate the meeting-house three fourths
of a mile northeast of the centre of the town, or
at the next convenient place." The result was a
fierce contention, which at one time threatened the
disruption of the parish. As a final resort, an
appeal was made to the General Court, which appointed
a committee to adjust the matter. The
parish also chose a committee " to show the
Court's Committee the inhabitants of the place."
So promptly was the business attended to and set-
tled, that the parish voted, February 19, 1745,
" to set the Meeting-House on the Place that the
General Court perfixed," which is the spot still
occupied by the meeting-house of the First Parish.
The house — forty-two feet long, thirty feet
wide, and twenty feet to the eaves— was soon
after raised, and finished sufficiently to be occu-
pied in the early part of the year 1745 ; although
it was not completed for several years, as appears
from the following recorded votes —
:
March, 1745, " to build the Pulpit and f Body
seats below; — to seal the Meeting House as high
as the girts all Round."
March, 1746, "that Wiiulows be cut where
needed. Provided that they who cut them, Main-
tain them at their own Cost, so that they be no
Parish Charge."
March, 1749, "to finish the building the seats
ia y'^ Gallery, and to seal y* Meeting House from
the Gallery floor up to the beams." Also, "to
Glaze the Public Meeting House, and to provide
boards to Lay Loose on y" floor overhead."
The house at the best could have been but little
better than a barn ; and it must have required no
little exercise of fortitude and resignation to sit
through the lengthy services in an unfinished and
unwarmed house, especially iu mid-winter. But
our hardy ancestors had not attained to the mod-
ern ideas of church luxury nor of parish debt.
In the settlement of a minister they appear to
have proceeded in a more united and prayerful
way. March 1 3, 1 744, the parish voted " to
keep the last day of March instant a day of fast-
ing and prayer to Almighty God for direction in
the important affair of settling a minister." It
seems rather unfortunate that in this vote the
location of the meeting-house was not also in-
cluded.
A church was gathered on the 29th of January,
1747, consisting of fifteen male members and
about the same number of females, most of whom