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��FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, CONCORD.
��served the state also. In this house the Convention of 1778 met "to form a permanent plan of government for the state." Here, with religious ser- vices, in 1 784, the new State Constitu- tion was first introduced, and here, too, in June, 1788, the Federal Constitution was adopted, by which New Hampshire became one of the states of the Union. This was the ninth state to adopt that Constitution, the number required to render it operative ; so that, by this vote, it became binding upon the Uni- ted States. After another church edi- fice was built, this was used by the "Methodist Biblical Institute" till 1866. When it was destroyed by fire, on the night of November 28, 1870, there passed from sight the church building which had associated with it more of marked and precious history than with any other in the state.
The third house of worship, situated on the corner of Main and Washington streets, was dedicated to the worship of God November 23, 1842. In 1848 it was enlarged by an addition, giving twenty new pews. In 1869 the gallery was lowered, to make room for a new organ which was placed in the church ; the inside of the house was repainted and the walls frescoed.
It was burned Sunday morning, June 29th, 1873.
At the rear of this building, a chapel was erected, in 1858, and enlarged in 1868.
The present beautiful and commo- dious house of worship is on the same site, built of brick with stone trimmings, and is cruciform in shape. It cost about $45,000, and was dedicated free of debt, March 1st, 1876.
CHURCH UNION.
As the church was about leaving the "Old North" as a house of worship, it was voted to invite all the churches formed from this to unite in a special religious service in that house. Says the record of it : " Religious services were attended at the Old North Church, on Thursday and Friday, October 27 and 28, 1842. On Friday the pastor delivered a discourse on the history of
��this church, and in the afternoon about 550 communicants of the four sister churches sat down at the table of the Lord. It was a season of tender and affectionate interest. Many wept at the thought of separation from the place where they and their fathers had worshipped." So happy was the effect of this meeting, that the next year one of like character was held in the New North Church, but on Novem- ber 18, in commemoration of the organ- ization of this church. Since that time, an annual union meeting of the Con- gregational churches in Concord, in- cluding that in Fisherville, has been held with the several churches in suc- cession, and the meetings have always been precious seasons of Christian union and fellowship. At the twenty-fifth annual meeting, held with the First Church, 1867, it was voted that the union bear as its name, "The Concord Congregational Church Union."
THE SABBATH-SCHOOL.
Miss Sarah Kimball, in her annual report to the Female Charitable Society, in January, 181 7, suggested that some- thing more be done to get the children to meeting and to school, and that Sab- bath-schools be commenced the com- ing spring or summer. It is probable that a small school was gathered the comming summer, by Miss Sarah Rus- sell, a school teacher in the village. About the same time, also, Mr. Charles Herbert, a devoted christian, used to gather the small children of the neigh- borhood into the kitchen of his father's house, after the service on Sabbath after- noon, and teach them the catechism and scripture. In the spring of 1S18, by advice of Dr. McFarland, Sabbath- schools were organized in four different parts of the town, viz., one in the Town House, superintended by Capt. Joshua Abbott ; one in District No. 9, superin- tended by Hon. Thomas Thompson, and numbering 44 scholars ; in the West Parish, one numbering 47 schol- ars ; and in the school-house on the East Side, No. 13, one of 40 scholars. The two las't named had no superin- tendents, but were taught by two young
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