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Church History from 1668 to 1994
Mendon Society: The Early Years
1668—Town of Mendon, for more than 150 years, consisted of a few families living in the clearing surrounded by hostile Native Americans.
John Rayner, First Minister, 1667
The First Meeting House—1668
January 1668, the town meeting ordered selectmen to have a meeting house erected, "upon the cheapest terms they can for the good of the town."
Joseph Emerson, Second Minister, 1669
The first 3 meeting houses were believed to have been built on "Founder's Park," a short distance from our present church at the intersection of Main Street and Milford Street. Joseph Emerson, who became the first minister of the town, received his ordination in the autumn of 1669. His salary was 20 pounds a year, but the people also erected a house for him, 40 acres of uncleared land, and 2 pounds of butter annually for every cow kept in place.
1675—the settlement of Mendon numbered about 25 families. Within a few years (1676) the settlement was destroyed by the Nipmuc tribe of Indians. Their dwellings and their meeting house were burned. Gradually the old settlers came back in considerable numbers around 1678. Rev. Emerson never returned; he died in Concord.
The Second Meeting House—1680
This meeting house probably stood on the location of the earlier one. It contained only rough seats.
Rev. Grindal Rawson was called to be their minister in 1684 at a salary of 20 pounds and board, with a horse to be kept for his use. He remained the minister of this church for 35 years until his death. The population increased rapidly after the re-establishment of the settlement. In 1690, the town had outgrown its meeting house, and voted to build a new one.
The Third Meeting House—1690
The Indians for the most part had been driven off and those that remained had become sufficiently civilized or demoralized to no longer constitute a menace. In 1709, the building was enlarged 10 feet in each direction.
The Rev. Joseph Dorr, the fourth minister, was settled in 1716 and remained here until his death in 1767—more than fifty years. It was a long, peaceful and prosperous ministry.
Joseph Willard, Fifth Minister, 1769
The Fourth Meeting House—1728
In 1728, talk of a fourth meeting house was begun. However it was not until 1737 that it was finally completed. There was a long controversy over its building, particularly its location. There were many town meetings and many votes and the controversy was bitter. At one meeting it was moved to build 2 meeting houses and let the minister preach in whichever one he wished. This vote was not carried.
Although the location had been determined after a long struggle, not everybody was satisfied. The dissatisfied element undertook to chop it down on the night after is was raised. Upon its completion pews were built and sold to individuals with "the elderly men who bore the greatest charge in the Town" having the first choice of space.
Caleb Alexander, Sixth Minister, 1786
Preserved Smith, Seventh Minister, 1805
Simon Doggett, Eighth Minister, 1816
In 1820, the meeting house had become old-fashioned and unsuited to the people of a town like Mendon. It was out of repair. Its architecture was behind the times. It had no bell. It had no spire. Mendon was a community of exceedingly well-to-do citizens. They compared most favorable with those of any town in the county in refinement, intelligence, wealth and social standing.
The Fifth Meeting House—1819
The community had changed religiously too. The "learned Orthodox minister of good conversation" was becoming a Unitarian and in the latter part of 1819 they had definitely decided to build a new meeting house.
This was the 1st meeting house that was built by the parish as distinguished from the town. The money for the support of the minister and meeting house was raised by general taxation.
Two locations were considered. Elm Street, which runs by the church on the east had not been laid out. The lot had to be leveled, as we find in 1820, and bids were solicited for leveling the meeting house lot. The best bid that was received was $159. They voted to limit the sum to $130, so it is supposed that is what it cost. Undoubtedly the great elms now on the lot were set out at that time.
A building committee was immediately selected. Elias Carter, a renowned architect, was chosen to design the church. A very carefully drawn subscription paper was prepared and subscriptions solicited from the members of the Parish. The response was prompt and the amounts subscribed were generous.
There were 43 subscribers totaling $6,460. Foundations having been laid, the lumber drawn and made into the frame, they were ready for the raising in May. The work progressed to completion during the summer. Undoubtedly the interior is practically as it was 100 years ago.
On November 29, 1820, it was voted to accept the meeting house as completed. The entire cost, including the bell, was $7,619.16. The bills were all paid from the subscriptions with a surplus left of $51.09.
The committee of the Parish had charge of the selling the old meeting house according to an extensive written report of their doings, dated October 9, 1843. And so passed the fourth meeting house about 1845.
Adin Ballou, Ninth Minister, 1831
Church Struck by Lightning—1936
On the evening of May 18, 1936, the Unitarian Church of Mendon was struck by lightning, and only by a seeming miracle was saved from being entirely destroyed by fire. Fortunately, with the exception of the ceiling, the interior of the main church was not seriously damaged. It is estimated that restoration cost $12,000. Funds in the amount of $4,550 were received from insurance. The townspeople also donated much to the rebuilding fund, even though the church was no longer part of the town government.
Church History from 1668 to 1994
Mendon Society: The Early Years
1668—Town of Mendon, for more than 150 years, consisted of a few families living in the clearing surrounded by hostile Native Americans.
John Rayner, First Minister, 1667
The First Meeting House—1668
January 1668, the town meeting ordered selectmen to have a meeting house erected, "upon the cheapest terms they can for the good of the town."
Joseph Emerson, Second Minister, 1669
The first 3 meeting houses were believed to have been built on "Founder's Park," a short distance from our present church at the intersection of Main Street and Milford Street. Joseph Emerson, who became the first minister of the town, received his ordination in the autumn of 1669. His salary was 20 pounds a year, but the people also erected a house for him, 40 acres of uncleared land, and 2 pounds of butter annually for every cow kept in place.
1675—the settlement of Mendon numbered about 25 families. Within a few years (1676) the settlement was destroyed by the Nipmuc tribe of Indians. Their dwellings and their meeting house were burned. Gradually the old settlers came back in considerable numbers around 1678. Rev. Emerson never returned; he died in Concord.
The Second Meeting House—1680
This meeting house probably stood on the location of the earlier one. It contained only rough seats.
Rev. Grindal Rawson was called to be their minister in 1684 at a salary of 20 pounds and board, with a horse to be kept for his use. He remained the minister of this church for 35 years until his death. The population increased rapidly after the re-establishment of the settlement. In 1690, the town had outgrown its meeting house, and voted to build a new one.
The Third Meeting House—1690
The Indians for the most part had been driven off and those that remained had become sufficiently civilized or demoralized to no longer constitute a menace. In 1709, the building was enlarged 10 feet in each direction.
The Rev. Joseph Dorr, the fourth minister, was settled in 1716 and remained here until his death in 1767—more than fifty years. It was a long, peaceful and prosperous ministry.
Joseph Willard, Fifth Minister, 1769
The Fourth Meeting House—1728
In 1728, talk of a fourth meeting house was begun. However it was not until 1737 that it was finally completed. There was a long controversy over its building, particularly its location. There were many town meetings and many votes and the controversy was bitter. At one meeting it was moved to build 2 meeting houses and let the minister preach in whichever one he wished. This vote was not carried.
Although the location had been determined after a long struggle, not everybody was satisfied. The dissatisfied element undertook to chop it down on the night after is was raised. Upon its completion pews were built and sold to individuals with "the elderly men who bore the greatest charge in the Town" having the first choice of space.
Caleb Alexander, Sixth Minister, 1786
Preserved Smith, Seventh Minister, 1805
Simon Doggett, Eighth Minister, 1816
In 1820, the meeting house had become old-fashioned and unsuited to the people of a town like Mendon. It was out of repair. Its architecture was behind the times. It had no bell. It had no spire. Mendon was a community of exceedingly well-to-do citizens. They compared most favorable with those of any town in the county in refinement, intelligence, wealth and social standing.
The Fifth Meeting House—1819
The community had changed religiously too. The "learned Orthodox minister of good conversation" was becoming a Unitarian and in the latter part of 1819 they had definitely decided to build a new meeting house.
This was the 1st meeting house that was built by the parish as distinguished from the town. The money for the support of the minister and meeting house was raised by general taxation.
Two locations were considered. Elm Street, which runs by the church on the east had not been laid out. The lot had to be leveled, as we find in 1820, and bids were solicited for leveling the meeting house lot. The best bid that was received was $159. They voted to limit the sum to $130, so it is supposed that is what it cost. Undoubtedly the great elms now on the lot were set out at that time.
A building committee was immediately selected. Elias Carter, a renowned architect, was chosen to design the church. A very carefully drawn subscription paper was prepared and subscriptions solicited from the members of the Parish. The response was prompt and the amounts subscribed were generous.
There were 43 subscribers totaling $6,460. Foundations having been laid, the lumber drawn and made into the frame, they were ready for the raising in May. The work progressed to completion during the summer. Undoubtedly the interior is practically as it was 100 years ago.
On November 29, 1820, it was voted to accept the meeting house as completed. The entire cost, including the bell, was $7,619.16. The bills were all paid from the subscriptions with a surplus left of $51.09.
The committee of the Parish had charge of the selling the old meeting house according to an extensive written report of their doings, dated October 9, 1843. And so passed the fourth meeting house about 1845.
Adin Ballou, Ninth Minister, 1831
Church Struck by Lightning—1936
On the evening of May 18, 1936, the Unitarian Church of Mendon was struck by lightning, and only by a seeming miracle was saved from being entirely destroyed by fire. Fortunately, with the exception of the ceiling, the interior of the main church was not seriously damaged. It is estimated that restoration cost $12,000. Funds in the amount of $4,550 were received from insurance. The townspeople also donated much to the rebuilding fund, even though the church was no longer part of the town government
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Uxbridge Society: The Early Years
The town of Uxbridge, originally part of Mendon, incorporated June 27, 1727. The 1st church was gathered by the Rev. Joseph Dorr, Pastor of the Church of Christ in Mendon on January 6, 1730. It was a town church and the ministry was engaged and paid for by local government. It was situated on the common between the present Unitarian Church and the Congregational Church. Its 1st settled minister was Rev. Nathan Webb (1731—1772). It incorporated June 23, 1979, as the First Congregational Society.
During Rev. Samuel Judson's pastorate (1792—1832) the religious controversies of the early Nineteenth Century came to a head. In 1832, during the Unitarian controversy which split New England Congregationalism into 2 denominations, the conservative faction lead by Rev. Judson withdrew and organized the Evangelical Congregational Church.
The liberal group retained the church organization and property and called their 1st Unitarian minister, the Rev. Samuel Clark (1833—1859). It became necessary to remove the old meeting house and build a new house for public worship. Modeled after Gothic architecture of the Unitarian Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the present edifice was erected in 1834 on the same site occupied by the town's 1st meeting house, which was erected in 1729.
The new church (our present church) was dedicated on January 13, 1835. Major renovations were made in 1926, 1942, 1990 and again in 1992. The original building had balconies on 3 sides and had no center isle or box pews. The side balconies were removed and pews arranged as they are now. The Hook-Hastings electric organ was installed in 1926, given by Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Root in memory of her father, the Hon. Charles A. Wheelock.
The Unitarian Church developed a diversified congregation of whom many were brought in by Rev. Roy Wintersteen between 1922-1946. Most of the mill owners and bankers belonged to the church and gave much support. The high points of church activity were in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Membership grew up to 140 people and had large Sunday school enrollment. However, most of the mills had gone out of business by 1961 and families moved away, impacting the size of the Congregation.
The Uxbridge church maintained a parsonage on North Main Street until 1977, at which time it was sold.
Uxbridge Church Chronology
April 1926 The Hook and Hastings organ was donated. $1,200 was given for pulpit furnishing.
December 1935 Treasurer reported a deficit of $1,000 and a list of members were divided among the members and "to approach the members of the church personally and to beg for money.
January 1948 Installed church heating system which cost $11,276.12. Church paid $5,000 and the other was contributed by an anonymous donor.
April 1950 Reported that there were 136 pledges.
January 1961 Reported that within 6 years time, 25 families had left town, 46 members had died, 30 members were added and 90 pledges were received.
March 1962 Fire alarm system was installed.
November 1962 Church was appraised at $124,402 including organ, windows and carpet.
1964 Reported 126 members and 85 pledges.
April 1966 New by-laws were adopted.
1988 New Furnace installed.
1990 Renovation of vestry and kitchen at a cost of $104,000.
1991 Re-roofed south side of church
