St. Paul's Church (Dedham, Massachusetts)

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St. Paul's Church is an Episcopal Church in Dedham, Massachusetts

History[]

A group of Anglicans began meeting in Clapboardtrees in 1731.[1] A chapel was built with a bequest from George E. Hutton.[2] As of 2001, it is a nursery school.[2]

Lay readers from the church began ministering to Episcopalians in the Oakdale section of town in 1873 who could not get to the church easily.[3] Out of their efforts grew the Church of the Good Shepard, which was dedicated in 1876.[3] One of the early members was William B. Gould.[4]

Colburn grant[]

Samuel Colburn[a] died in the Crown Point Expedition of 1756.[5] Though he was not an Anglican, he left almost his entire estate to the Anglican community in Dedham to establish St. Paul's Church.[5] The grant, consisting of 135 acres of land and other cash and property, was hindered only by a life estate left to his mother.[5] Some of the eight parcels were on the outskirts of town, along Mother Brook or up in Sandy Valley, but most were centered around modern day Dedham Square.[5] The main portion ran from Maple Place to Dwight's Brook, and 10 acres bounded by High, Court, and School streets.[5]

When Colburn's mother died in 1792, Montague began laying out streets and house lots on the property.[5] The first street Montague laid out, modern day Church Street,[b] was the first street in Dedham to be laid out with house lots on either side, as opposed to simply being a road to connect one farm to another.[5] Norfolk Street was next, followed by School street.[5][c] Montague rented out the parcels in 999 year leases.[5] One lessee, Samuel Richards, hired Charles Bulfinch to design his house on the corner of Highland and Court Streets.[5]

Churches[]

1758 building[]

The first church, a simply structure measuring 30' by 40', was built on Court Street in 1758 diagonally across from where the current church stands.[6][1] It was built by a Mr. Durpee.[1] When the main beam of the church was raised, it broke causing 12 men to fall.[1] None were injured.[1] It was dedicated in 1761, but it wasn't complete until 1771 when it was plastered and permanent seats were installed.[1] When Norfolk County was established in 1792, the congregation offered their building for use of the courts, but it was in such poor condition that the county declined.[7]

The people of Dedham stoned the church during the American Revolution and then took it over for use as a military storehouse.[8][9] From then on, Rev. William Clark would secretly conduct services in his house.[8]

1797 building[]

The congregation attempted to move the church to Franklin Square in 1797, but the entire structure collapsed, sending a cauldron of bats out of the belfry.[10] It was reconstructed in that location in 1798 using various portions of an abandoned church in Stoughton.[6][10]

1845 building[]

The builders, Thomas and Nathan Phillips, were from Dedham.[6] Designed by Arthur Gilman after Magdalen College, Oxford, it was consecrated in 1845 but burned down in 1856.[6]

1858 building[]

The present church was built in 1858 at the corner of Court Street and Village Ave.[11] It was 90' long and the bell tower, added in 1869, was 100' high [11] The bell was donated by Ira Cleveland.[2]

Ministers[]

Anglican Church Minister Years of service Notes
William Clark 1760-1777 [12]
William Montague 1794-1815 [12]
Samuel B. Babcock 1834 to 1873 [2]

The first minister, Rev. William Clark, held controversial Tory views.[6] By March of 1777, Clark announced that he would cease preaching; such an action was easier to swallow than eliminating prayers for the king.[9][8] Two months later, he was charged by the Board of Selectmen in Dedham of being a traitor to the American Revolution.[13][6]

After being denied bail, he was brought to Boston to stand before a military tribunal.[14][15] He refused to pledge allegiance to the Commonwealth, and so was sent onto a prison ship for 10 weeks.[15][16] In June 1778, Fisher Ames obtained a pass for him and Clark was allowed to leave America.[15][17]

In 1791, the congregation regrouped and called William Montague away from Old North Church.[18] Montague received a salary of £100 sterling.[19] He remained in the Dedham church until 1818.[20][d]

Samuel B. Babcock served as rector in three buildings from 1834 to 1873.[2]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Colburn was a descendant of Nathaniel Colburn and John Hunting.[5]
  2. ^ It was known at the time as New Street.[5]
  3. ^ Norfolk Street was originally known as Cross Street, and School Street was originally Back Street.[5]
  4. ^ Burgess has his departure as being in 1815.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Hanson 1976, p. 136.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 28.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 32.
  4. ^ Stephen K. Brayton (2003). ""Diary of a Contraband" – Professor Gould Relates Story Of Dedham Civil War Veteran Who Escaped Slavery". Dedham Historical Society Newsletter (July). Archived from the original on December 31, 2006.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hanson 1976, p. 165.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 27.
  7. ^ Hanson 1976, p. 166.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c Worthington 1827, p. 70.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Hanson 1976, p. 157.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Hanson 1976, p. 194.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 27-28.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c Burgess 1840, p. 515.
  13. ^ Hanson 1976, p. 155-156.
  14. ^ Worthington 1827, p. 70-71.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c Hanson 1976, p. 158.
  16. ^ Worthington 1827, p. 71.
  17. ^ Hurd 1884, p. 56.
  18. ^ Hanson 1976, p. 164.
  19. ^ Burt, Sally (January 2008). "Church History". St. Paul's Church. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  20. ^ Slafter 1905, p. 89.

Works cited[]

  • Dedham Historical Society (2001). Images of America: Dedham. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0944-0. Retrieved August 11, 2019.

Coordinates: 42°14′49.5″N 71°10′41″W / 42.247083°N 71.17806°W / 42.247083; -71.17806

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