~ CHURCHES MEETING HOUSES ~ Old West Meeting House - Present
See more information below pictures
Old West Meeting House or
Unitarian Church - PastWest Meeting House - From Ella Bigelow's Book
The old time stories are still sought by the children of the present clay of Marlborough, noted in time past for its apples and sweet cider, its beauty of hill and dale over and through which even today all love to roam. The pride of many a pasture has been destroyed. The beautiful bordering bush, with which Marlborough in ye olden days was overrun, has been nearly exterminated. Dwight, in his "Travels," speaks of the same and tells of its being « a serious annoyance to the farmers of New England. " The two very early- ministers at time of separation of the church are pictured elsewhere and an antiquarian exclaimed : "The old men rise in memory as plainly as though their faces had been taken by Luther Rice in the old daguerreo typing gallery that used, as time went on, to be anchored on the west meeting house common. " The ministers of that day were looked upon with utmost respect, yea, reverence, and the preached word from their lips was treasured up as spoken by authority.
Rev. S. F. Bucklin was the good parson of the East Village. Standing in his high eminence, he discoursed to the people away down in the pews below, while above him hung the old bell-shaped sounding board which to all young minds seemed to hang upon so slender a thread as to endanger the parson's life. At that time there seemed to be a great gulf between the east and west parts of the town, politically, socially and religiously; each part looking upon the other as Samaritans and desiring 4~no dealings with them." With what reverence and awe did the young look upon these men when either came as "committee " to visit the district school, and as he entered, every sound was hushed and the order would come from the master, "The school will rise! " and all would stand gazing and breathless until his hat, coat and muffler were duly placed by the master upon the desk, when at the order, "Be seated ! " the scholars would again regain breath and resume their studies, manifesting great assiduity, though all the time keeping a sly eye on the dignitary and wondering that so much intelligence, wisdom and piety could be centered in one man.
Later on came the doctrine of Universal Salvation in the East Village which doctrine met with great opposition from the sturdy Calvanists. The idea that no punishment was to follow after death was too shocking to be tolerated and one good old lady declared the doctrine might do for some folks, but as for her she believed in "better things. "
At the time the West Church was 55 feet long and 40 feet wide with a gallery running around three sides, the list of pew holders and the amount paid for same was as follows
George Williams $262.25
Lovewell and Samuel How Jr. $132.75
Daniel Stevens Jr. $260.00
Joel Felton $135.00
Samuel Gibbon 4265.00
Phineas flow $138.00
Thomas Rice $251.25
Deacon William Barnes $109.50
William and John Boyd $205.75
Windsor Ward $110.00
Abner Brigham $102.25
Benjamin How $83.75
Jabez and Martin Rice $70.00
Aaron How Jr. $61.00
Hezekiah Maynard $58.50
Levi Wilkins and Jonas Darling $48.50
John Bond $116.00
Peter Rice $208.50
M. R. Brigham $91.75
Silas Gates $249.50
Gershom Rice $127.25
Deacon Benjamin Rice $263.00
William Arnold $134.00
Joseph How Jr. $258.00
Ivory Bigelow $169.75
Society's pew- or "deacon's seat"
David Temple $173.75
B. Rice $165.00
Gershom Bigelow Jr. $174.50
Daniel Stevens $205.00
A. S. Brigham $98.00
Stephen Felton $187.00
Gilbert How $60.25
Archellis How $132.75
Israel Goulding $62.50
Aaron Brigham $127.50
B. Rice Jr. $55.50
Warren Brigham $90.25
Henry How $56.00
Jotham Brigham $50.00
Eli Rice $56.00
Joseph Trowbridge $51.50
Seth Rice $45.25
Caleb Brigham $77.00
Josiah Brown $41.75
William Biglow $109.75
Joseph How Jr. $40.75
Eleazer How $108.50
Lucy Wyman and Fortunatus Brigham $44.25
William Gates $139.00
Moses How $138.75
Ithamer Brigham $52.25
Josiah Fay $131.75
Stephen How and others $65.25
Jabez Bent $173.00
Daniel Stevens and others $64.25
John Stevens $123.00
Ephraim Barber $52.50
Abraham How $123.50
Windsor How $42.75
Ephraim Brigham $131.75
Heirs of Elihu Maynard $33.70
Solomon Barnes $132.00
Sylvanus How $49.75
Ananias Cook $132.75
Francis Hudson and James Wright $46.00
Ithamar Brigham $129.75
John and Francis Gleason $122.25
Abraham How $51.50
Rev. A. Packard $126.00
William Biglow $54.00
Deacon Moses Ames and Joseph Brigham $123.50
William Holyoke $51.25
Samuel Brown $65.50
Col. Luke Drury $123.00
William Felton Jr. $63.00
Roger Phelps $177.25
Daniel Stevens Jr. $87.75
List of ministers to date (1910): Revs. Asa Packard, Seth Alden, William Morse, Horatio Alger, William C. Tenney, Eugene De Normandie, Calvin Stebbins, ,James H. Wiggin, Richard A. Griffin, Edward F. Haywood.
Back to Church Tour
