Churches Archives - Page 28 of 46

Children’s Chimes Tower, Stockbridge, Mass

February 18, 2016February 10, 2016 by Derek Strahan

The Children’s Chimes Tower in front of the First Congregational Church in Stockbridge, around 1905-1915. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The tower in 2015:

This bell tower was built on the site of the original church in Stockbridge, which stood here from 1739 until 1785. The church was established by John Sergeant, a missionary who moved here to convert the Mahican people to Christianity. He served here until his death in 1749, and he was replaced by Jonathan Edwards, the former Northampton pastor and prominent theologian who helped influence the First Great Awakening. Edwards was here until 1758, when he became the president of the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University.

The present church building, visible in the distance to the left in both photos, was built in 1824, during the pastorate of David Dudley Field, who served here from 1819 to 1837. He and his wife Submit raised their nine children here, four of whom became prominent figures in American history. Their oldest, David Dudley Field II, was a lawyer and law reformer who briefly served in the House of Representatives 1877. Stephen Johnson Field was also a lawyer, and he served on the US Supreme Court from 1863 to 1897 for what was at the time a record 34 years. Cyrus West Field chose business over law, and he also enjoyed success; in 1858, he and a group of other investors established the first transatlantic telegraph cable. Henry Martyn Field, the youngest of the nine siblings, followed in his father’s footsteps and became a pastor, but he was also a successful writer, publishing a number of travel books in the second half of the 19th century.

The Children’s Chimes bell tower in front of the church was built in 1878 by David Dudley Field II, in honor of his grandchildren, with the intention that, “It will be a memorial of those who are enshrined in my heart, while the ringing of the chimes at sunset I trust will give pleasure to all whose good fortune is to live in this peaceful valley.” Today, almost 140 years later, it is still rung, according to his wishes, every evening at 5:30 between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Stockbridge, Mass

February 9, 2018February 10, 2016 by Derek Strahan

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, at the corner of Main and Pine Streets in Stockbridge, around 1905-1915. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The church in 2015:

Not much has changed for this historic church in downtown Stockbridge. It was built in 1884 in memory of Susan Ridley Sedgwick Butler, a native of Stockbridge. After her death, her husband Charles E. Butler provided the funds to build the church, and hired architect Charles Follen McKim to design it. It was McKim’s first church, and it reflects the style of Henry Hobson Richardson, who he had once worked for in the early 1870s. Several years after this church, he designed one of his most significant works, the Boston Public Library’s McKim Building at Copley Square. Today, the church is still an active congregation, and it is part of the Main Street Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

Unitarian Universalist Church, Monson, Mass

February 9, 2018January 5, 2016 by Derek Strahan

The Unitarian Universalist Church at the corner of Main and Lincoln Streets in Monson, probably around 1900-1920. Image courtesy of the Monson Free Library.

The church on June 3, 2011, following the tornado two days earlier:

The church in 2015:

The Universalist church started meeting regularly in Monson in 1876, and in 1889 they built their first permanent building here on Main Street, due in large part to the efforts of factory owner Dwight W. Ellis, who offered a matching donation for ever dollar that the congregation raised. This helped pay the $26,000 construction costs of the church, which was built using Monson granite from Flynt Quarry. Architecturally, it is a good example of the Romanesque Revival style that was popular in the late 19th century, and it was designed by Henry M. Francis of Fitchburg. Francis’s other works include a number of buildings in his hometown, as well as many other churches, schools, and libraries across New England.

When the 2011 tornado hit Monson, the church was in the midst of a major rehabilitation project to restore the historic building. Structurally, it was undamaged, but the wooden steeple was completely destroyed, as seen in the second photo two days later. The restoration was completed, though, and a year later the steeple was rebuilt. Today, the building’s appearance is nearly indistinguishable from the first photo, and it remains a major landmark in downtown Monson.

Downtown Monson, Mass

January 5, 2016 by Derek Strahan

Looking north on Main Street in Monson from near Lincoln Street, in 1860. Image courtesy of the Monson Free Library.

The scene in 2015:

The first photograph is among the earliest known images of Monson, and it shows a town in transition. Founded 100 years earlier, Monson’s development had been largely limited by geography. The town center, seen here, is located in a narrow valley with steep hills on either side, making large-scale farming impractical and transportation difficult. However, 10 years before the first photo was taken, a railroad was built through the town, just out of view to the left. This helped to spur industrial development, and in the second half of the 19th century the town’s population and economy grew thanks to a granite quarry, along with factories that produced textiles and hats.

When the 1860 photo was taken, this section of Main Street was still mostly residential, but by the end of the century many of these homes would be demolished and replaced with commercial buildings, especially the older homes in the foreground. Other late 19th century changes included several new churches. The old meeting house, whose steeple can be seen in the distance to the left, was replaced by a larger church in 1873, and in 1889 the Universalist church was built at the corner of Main and Lincoln Streets; it can be seen to the left in the 2015 photo, partially hidden by the tree in the foreground.

Despite all of the changes over more than 150 years, there are several buildings from the first scene that are still standing today. The most obvious is the Methodist church, which was built in 1850 at the corner of Main and Cushman Streets. Today, aside from a new steeple, it still looks essentially the same as it did in the 1860 photo. Further up Main Street, many early 19th century houses are still standing today, but only a couple are readily identifiable in the 1860 photo. The fourth house on the left is now the Unitarian-Universalist church parsonage, and it is located just beyond the present-day church and out of view from here. Beyond it on the far left is the Joel Norcross House, which had been built around 30 years earlier by Emily Dickinson’s grandfather. It is also hidden from view in the 2015 scene, but it is still standing and has since been converted into business and office space.

First Church, Monson, Mass

February 11, 2016December 28, 2015 by Derek Strahan

The First Church of Monson, probably around 1900-1920. Image courtesy of the Monson Free Library.

The church on June 3, 2011, two days after it was damaged in a tornado:

The church in 2015:

This view is similar to the one in this post, which shows the church from just a slightly different angle. As mentioned in that post, the church was completed in 1873, and has been a major Monson landmark ever since. The steeple, though, has been replaced twice. The original one, seen in the first photo, was destroyed above the belfry in the 1938 hurricane. It was reconstructed similar to the original design, but over 70 years later, the June 1, 2011 tornado completely destroyed the entire steeple, as seen in the second photo, which was taken two days later. In the distance, the remains of the steeple lay in a pile of rubble in front of the church. The old bell, which had been installed around 1881, was also cracked and had to be replaced. The steeple was rebuilt in 2013, using stronger building materials of concrete, steel, and fiberglass. Other than the new materials, though, it is identical to the 1939 reconstruction.

Old Meeting House, Monson, Mass

February 11, 2016December 27, 2015 by Derek Strahan

The old meeting house of the First Church of Monson, seen around 1860-1871. Image courtesy of the Monson Free Library.

The church in 2015:

The First Church of Monson was established in 1762, and the first photo here shows its second meeting house, which was completed in 1803. The building stood here on High Street, overlooking downtown Monson, until 1871, when it was moved across Main Street and the present-day church was built. Its time in use coincided with the lengthy pastorate of Alfred Ely, who served as the pastor of the church for 60 years, from 1806 until 1866. After the building was moved, it was converted into stores on the first floor and a meeting hall on the upper floor, named Green’s Hall. It can be seen in the c.1892 photo in this post, but it burned down in 1895. The church building that replaced it, though, it still standing over 140 years later, and aside from having its steeple replaced twice, it looks essentially the same as it did when it was completed in 1873.