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Highlight keywords:
| Pastor: |
Rev. S. Henry Archibald |
| Deacon: |
Allen Whedon |
| Deacon: |
B. H. Nelson |
| Clerk: |
David O. Beecher |
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Committee on Reception of Members: |
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Rev. S. Henry Archibald |
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Dea. Allen Whedon |
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Dea. B. H. Nelson |
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George W. Beecher |
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Mrs. Allen Whedon |
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Mrs. B. H. Nelson |
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Miss Esther A. Nelson |
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A number of members of different Baptist Churches, having settled in Pawlet and
vicinity, first began to hold meetings for religious worship as distinctive Baptists
in December, 1789, under the direction of Elder Brown of Westfield, a part of what is
now Hartford in Washington Co., NY. A Mr. Solomon Brown, licentiate, was engaged as
their minister for one year. A council to recognize the first Baptist Church, in
Pawlet, was called to meet the first Monday in May, 1790. This council was composed
of Elder Cornell, from Manchester; Elder Dodge, Jonathan Brown and a Bro. Doane ,
from Granville, NY; Elder Blood from Shaftsbury; Elder Worden, from Adams, Mass;
Elder Skeele, Thomas McClure, Caleb Cummins and Joseph Dickerman, from Westfield, NY.
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Elder Caleb Blood was chosen moderator, and Caleb Cummins, clerk.
The constituent members were as follows:
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Bennett, James | Bennett, Mary | |
Hall, Thomas | Hanks, Hannah | |
Brown, Solomon | Hopkins, Miriam | |
Hascall, Joseph | Agard, Caleb | |
Crouch, John | Harmon, Nathaniel | |
Hascall, Joseph | Agard, Caleb | |
Crouch, John | Harmon, Nathaniel | |
Sisson, Samuel | Abbott, Samuel | |
Trumble, Alexander | Sheldon, Sybil | |
Whedon, Edmund | Agard, Lydia | |
Wilcox, Lydia | Crouch, Elizabeth |
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Elder Worden, of Adams, gave to these brethren and sisters the hand of fellowship.
The Church was without the ministration of a regular pastor for the first ten years
of its existence. In September 1800, Elder Isaac Beall was called to the pastorate
and served the Church till 1831. On the 23d day of April, 1807, Daniel Hascall,
afterward Professor Hascall, the founder of Madison University, received his
license to preach the gospel from this Church, and from its membership at various
times have persons been licensed to preach.
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Its first organization was on the present homestead of Allen Whedon, and it has
twice since been re-organized. A meeting house was built on the premises of Seely
Brown in 1800, and a parsonage in 1802. In 1852, a new Baptist meeting house was
built at West Pawlet village, and old meeting house having been taken down some
years before and divided between the Baptists and the Disciples, (who were, in 1831,
organized into a church, mainly from the membership of the Baptist Church, and
were a part of the proprietors of the old meeting house.) The preachers employed
by the Baptist Church, since its first organization, have been as follows, viz;
Revs. Brown, Skeels, Green, Wait, Cornell, Dodge, Blood, Isaac Beall, L. P.
Reynolds, Wetherell, Woodward, Joseph Packer, Cobb, Soullard, Sweet, Increase Jones,
Mead, Sanders, Archibald Wait, Coon, Hancock, Mosher, David Beecher, R. D. Pierce,
and Brethren J. C. Allen, C. A. Towne and S. H. Archibald, licentiates, the last
named is the present pastor, and was ordained as Pastor over this church November
10th, 1874. Sermon by his father T. H. Archibald. Ordaining prayer by Rev. David
Beecher.
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The pastorate of Elder Beall covered a space of thirty years; the only other
pastorate of any considerable length was that of Rev. D. Beecher, covering a
space of fourteen years. Both these pastorates were eminently successful and may
properly be said to embrace the only really prosperous periods in the history of
this little church, excepting perhaps that of the last two years. Under the
first of these pastorates, the membership reached one hundred and fifty, while a
strict discipline was maintained until the latter part of the time when a
disaffection occurred and Elder Beall, and quite a share of the members of the
church, after a short time embraced the views of Alexander Campbell, and , in 1831,
organized a Disciple Church. From this date to the settlement of Elder Beecher,
July 14th, 1859, as pastor, the stay of the preacher was short, and the success
of the church correspondingly weak. This pastorate found the church with a
membership of twenty-three and left it with a membership of one hundred and three,
and a Sabbath School of more than one hundred members. This devoted laborer for
Christ still retains a warm place in the hearts of all the members of the church,
and the respect and confidence of the community. Since 1859, this church has
been a member of the Vermont and Shaftsbury Association, except one year when it
was with the Washington Union Association. The present membership (December 1st,
1874) is one hundred and twenty-six. Its deacons have been as follows, viz; Joseph
Hascall, Timothy Brewster, Josiah Tobey, Jeremiah Arnold, David Frary, Isaac
Wickham, Reuben Tobey, Jeremiah Clark, Samuel Cole, Allen Whedon, B. H. Nelson.
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During the eighty-four years of its existence its average membership is estimated
at sixty, and its aggregate membership at one thousand to twelve hundred. In the
year 1873, its house of worship was enlarged and refurnished at a cost of about
two thousand dollars, and was re-dedicated November 25th, 1873, since which time
the growth of the church has been marked and substantial, a revival following the
re-opening of the church during which about thirty members were received.
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