After the Church Fire

Services held in Town Hall after the 1902 Fire

Church burned July 15, 1902

    At a meeting in the Cong parsonage the night after the fire, a majority ex- pressed a preference for the town hall as a place in which to hold Sunday services at present, from its nearness to their accustomed church home, and to the horse sheds, which were not burned. While the fire was still raging they were offered, with generous Christian sympathy, the use of the Baptist church for Sunday forenoons until they should find a church home. Grateful appreciation for this kindness of the sister church was expressed by all at the meeting and a desire to make it known. 

   Rev. G. F. Merriam, a former pastor of the church, met the people Sunday forenoon, in town hall and, with his usual kindness of heart, addressed them from the following texts: Isaiah Ixiv, 11, "Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste;" Haggai 1, 8, "Go up to the mountain and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord;" Haggai ii, 9, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts;" 1st Peter iv, 12, "Beloved, think it not strange, concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you."

   For the following beautiful monody we are indebted to the gifted pen of Rev. H. H. Loomis, a beloved and more recent pastor of the church, who is
[missing text]

The poem by Rev. H.H. Loomis

Broods a silence sad, pathetic, o'er the 
     hamlet's life tonight, 
And a vocal gleam seems wanting in the 
     moon's benignant light, 
Hearts are touched with tender yearnings as 
     the eve in night is drowned.- 
Missing more than they had deemed could e'er 
     invest a simple sound. 

Hanging where the lightnings sported, where 
     the storms renew their power, 
Sending out its clarion mandates from the sober 
     stately tower, 
Heralding Time's moods and changes, all who 
     knew its mission well 
Learned to prize its guardian presence, came 
     to love the dear old bell. 

And when through the lull that followed tempest's 
     crash and lightning's stroke, 
Pealed its clear, familiar accents, all the hills 
     and vales awoke. 
A Listened every ear to catch the notes of that 
     mysterious knell; 
Saddened every heart to view the lightning's 
     wanton carnival. 

Waiting for its faithful summons we forget 
     the noontide hour, 
And we miss, like some lost sweetness, curfew's 
     tranquilizing power; 
Since have passed its silvery tones from scenes 
     once resonant of them. 
Like some doomed and exiled angel, in that 
    last, grim requiem. 

Gather up the precious metal from the ashes 
     where it fell; 
Art shall argue for the music that the lightning 
     dared to quell.. 
Wait and listen, ye whose ears have held its 
     cadences so long; 
Ye again may catch a note from out the soul 
     of its old song. 

When the silver cord of life is loosed by some 
     angelic hand, 
And ye catch, with eyes immortal, visions of 
     some other bland. 
When ye say "Good night and nestle under 
     Life's celestial wing, 
Through the stillness, like a love song, ye may 
     hear the curfew ring.

The moment the bell fell

Photo taken at the moment the bell fell - July 15, 1902

Remnant of the melted bell

One Hundred Formulas

George Carmichael donated a copy of Stephen A. Thayer’s “One Hundred Formulas” which was published in 1883. It contains recipes from everything from printing ink to pain killers. This formula is a true “witches brew” with a combo of a deadly nightshade, opium and Jimson weed. I imagine this caused all kinds of visions.

WARNING: Please don’t try any of these “remedies”, many contain ingredients which have been shown to be harmful.

James Roger diary entry

2nd November 1908 (Monday)

Hard front. Clear and cool but molder wind W. to S.W. David on roads down town. Hamish and I fixed the Hall for the Election tomorrow. Hamish went to Greenville in afternoon with G Sargent’s horse and took turnips to Robbin’s and cranberries and corn for Berkley. Brought grain, laundry etc. I emptied the Preston fountain in Cemetery. Mr. Ely told Hamish to close up Club. David, Hamish, Mr. Peacock and F. Shirland going to Greenville tonight where the Republicans and Democrats are each holding rallies and torchlight processions. The New Ipswich band to be there also.