History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

ments among the people, although one or two fami-
lies had associated themselves with the Baptists of
West Cambridge (now Arlington), where, in 1781,
a society had been organized. The difficulties in
the First Parish respecting Eev. Mr. Sargent led
many persons to withdraw from it. Most of these
attached themselves to the West Cambridge church,
which was under the pastoral care of Kcv. Mr.
Green. Their numbers increasing, Mr. Green was
invited to preach a part of the time in Woburn.
These persons were regularly taxed for the support
of the First Parish. Tiiis was resisted, and a suit
was brought to recover taxes already paid. Tlie
suit was gained, and the money refunded. Not
Green left this vicinity in 1793, when the society
was successfully established. In its early history
the pastorates of the society were short. Over it
were settled Elder Snow, Elder Peak, Rev. Elias
Smith, Elder Nelson, Elder Stone, Elder Wydown,
Rev. T. Waterman, Rev. H. ]\Iarshall, Rev. G. Phip-
pen. Rev. A. Judson, Eev. J. N. Seaman, Rev. S.
Mallory, Rev. B. C. Wade, Rev. T B. Ripley, Rev.
N. Hooper, Rev. S. B. Randall, Rev. J. C. Stock-
bridge, Rev. J. Ricker, Rev. B. F. Bronson, Rev.
J. S. Kennard, Rev. H. C. Townley, Rev. William
Young. The present minister (1879), Rev. E. C.
Mills, has occupied the place for about four years.
The first meetings of the society were held in private
houses. A meeting-house was built in 1794-, which
was situated on the Main Street, near where the pres-
ent Episcopal Chapel is located. The growth of the
society requiring more room, a new house was built
in 18£7. The same house continues in use by the
society, although it has undergone two considera-
ble changes and embellishments since that period.
The last of these (including a partial removal of
the building) added greatly to the beauty of the
structure and to the convenience of the society in
its manifold religious and social life.
Unitarian Society. — The first Unitarian Society
in Woburn was preceded by two organizations of
Universalists. The first of these was begun in
1828. The society built a meeting-house on the
southwest side of the Common. Rev. 0. A. Skin-
ner was the first pastor. Three others succeeded
him, when preaching was suspended, and the house
was sold to the town for use as a town-hall. In
1841 a new society was formed, which built, in 1845,
a new meeting-house on Main Street, and occu-
pied it, with Rev. W. B. Randolph as pastor, until
WOBUEK 543
1847, when it passed into the hands of the Unita-
rian Society, which for the last two or three years
had been forming, and holding meetings in the town-
hall. Rev. Henry F. Edes Avas installed as pastor
in 1848. Resigning in 1850, the society was without
a settled minister till 1853, when Rev. J. M.
Marsters was installed. Ill health obliging him to
retire in 1856, Rev. R. P. Stebbins, D. D., was set-
tled as his successor in 1857. He resigned after a
successful ministry of nearly seven years. Rev. Eli
Fay succeeded him in 1864. In that year it was
decided to purchase the meeting-house which had
been vacated two years before by the First Congre-
gational Parish, and remodel it. This was effected
long after Rev. Mr. Green divided his time between in the course of the year, and the present fine
the two societies, giving one half to each. Mr. church edifice was the result. The improvement
to the public square by removing the house thirty
feet from the street, and presenting to it the handsome
facade of the new building, was one of the
most signal and satisfactory that has occurred in its
history. Rev. Mr. Fay terminated his pastorate
in 1868, on account of impaired health. Rev.
W. S. Barnes was called to the parish in 1869.
He resigned in April, 1879. His ministry was the
most active and successful, as well as the longest,
with which the society has been favored. Rev.
George H. Young is now pastor, having been in-
stalled in October, 1879.
Methodist Society.— No special efforts were made
to found a Methodist church in Woburn until 1850.
An organization was eff'ected in 1851, and preach-
ers have been regularly assigned to the church from
that period. Its growth has been rapid, and its
congregation is now one of the largest in the town.
The first meeting-house was a small building of
very slight cost. In 1864 the society purchased
of the Unitarian Parish the meeting-house which
it had recently vacated, and made several important
changes in the interior. This house was completely
destroyed by fire in 1872. A new and
commodious edifice was erected on the same site,
in tiie basement story of which are the Woburn post-
office and two stores occu])ied for trade. The soci-
ety is an energetic and flourishing one, and has a
wide influence in its sphere of activity.
Episcopal Church. — Adherents of the Church
of England first appeared in Woburn in the Sec-
ond Parish (Shawshine) , about 1750. Some twelve
or fifteen persons withdrew from it at that time,
and adopted in their religious worship the English
liturgy, which was read to them by one of their
number in a private house. Occasionally a rector