A SKETCH OF BRISTOL. 265
1819, and is therefore as old as the town itself. The church was organized in 1826. The first settled pastor was Rev. Samuel Arnold, who served trom 1825 to 1828; Rev. Job Cushman occupied the pastorate from 1828 to 1832; Rev. John S. Winter from 1832 to 1837; Rev. John Wcllman from 1837 to 1841 ; Rev. Joel Wright from 1841 to 1842 ; Rev. Daniel O. Morton (installed) from 1842 to 1852; Rev. Joseph Garland from 1S52 to 1858; Rev. John Clark from 1858 to 1859 ; Rev. Wiliam Spaulding from 1859 to 186 1 ; Rev.
C. F. Abbott from iHbi to 1S66 ; Rev. Silas Ketchum,from 1867 to 1874; Rev. Albert W. Moore from 1874 to 1S76 ; Rev. John M. Hart from 1876 to 1878; Rev. E. L. Jaggar from 1878 to 1881. The pastorate is now vacant, but preaching has been supplied from the Andover Theological Seminary since the close of Mr. Jaggar's term of service. The Congregational church edifice, erected in 1827, was remodeled and extensively repaired some ten or twelve years ago, at an expense of about ;^8ooo, which sum put it in excellent condition throughout. It is pleasantly located, and the audience room is one of the most attractive in the state outside of the cities. The officers of the society are —
D. P. Prescott, chairman ; Ira A. Chase, secretary ; Calvin Martin, R. S. Dan- lorth, N. B. Butrick, directors ; Cyrus Taylor, treasurer. The church officers are — N. B. Butrick, clerk, and N. B. Butrick and George Sumner, deacons. The present membership is in the vicinity of one hundred and fifty.
The Methodist church and society in Bristol is one of the largest and most prosperous in the state. The germ of this church was in a Methodist class of seven persons, organized in Bridgewater, then embracing the larger portion of Bristol, in 1801, by Rev. Asher Smith, an itinerant preacher. In the following year the Bridgewater circuit, embracing thirteen towns in this section, was or- ganized by the New York conference, and Rev. Reuben Jones was put in charge. Elijah Hedding, Caleb Dustin, Lewis Bates, Martin Ruter, and other pioneers of Methodism, followed him in succession. In 1813 the first chapel was erected upon the turnpike, a Utile north of the present vilj^ge of Bristol. It was but partially completed at the time, and was used in its unfinished condi- tion for several years. In 1822 the name of Bristol was given to the circuit. In 1828 a camp meeting was held on the charge, and in the following year a great revival occurred, " Reformation John Adams" being the preacher at the time. In 1834 a parsonage was erected. In 1837, ;^8 and 39 revival work continued, and m the latter year a new meeting-house was erected in the village, and the church membership largely increased. The board of trustees, at this time, consisted of Hon. Nathaniel S. Berry, S. T. W. Sleeper, Hon. O. F. Fow- ler, R. C. Bean, and Walter Hayward. Since 1840, the pastors in charge, at Bristol, have been — R. Dearborn, Henry Hartwell, J. C. Cromack two years, N. W. Aspinwall two years, L. Howard two years, C. L. McCurdy two years, A. C. Manson two years, Calvin Holman two years, Samuel Kelley and S. S. Cummings one year each, L. P. Cushman, Josiah Hooper, N. Culver and John Currier, two years each, Geo. N. Bryant, J. W. Guernsey and W. H. Jones, one year each. James Thurston served three years, 1866-67-68, and during the last year of his service the society arranged for the purchase of a new par- sonage at a cost of $2800. He was succeeded by Rev. A. E. Drew, now of Manchester, who remained two years, from April 1869 to 1871. During his ministry there was a large increase in church membership, and a movement for the erection of a spacious and elegant church edifice was fully inaugurated. This new house of worship, which was constructed under the direction of Wil- liam A. Berry, P. G. Carlton, and Hon. Lewis W. Fling, as a building committee, at a total cost of about $20,000, was dedicated in January, 1872. It is among the finest owned by the denomination in the state — a credit to the society and an ornament lo the village. Since Mr. Drew, four pastors have labored
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