St. Paul's Church (Dedham, Massachusetts)

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Coordinates: 42°14′49.5″N 71°10′41″W / 42.247083°N 71.17806°W / 42.247083; -71.17806
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St. Paul's Church

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

History[edit]

A group of Anglicans began meeting in Clapboardtrees in 1731.[1]

Colburn grant[edit]

Samuel Colburn[a] died in the Crown Point Expedition of 1756.[2] Though he was not an Anglican, he left almost his entire estate to the Anglican community in Dedham to establish St. Paul's Church.[2] The grant, consisting of 135 acres of land and other cash and property, was hindered only by a life estate left to his mother.[2] 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, including 369 Washington Street.[2] The main portion ran from Maple Place to Dwight's Brook, and 10 acres bounded by High, Court, and School streets.[2]

When Colburn's mother died in 1792, Montague began laying out streets and house lots on the property.[2] 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.[2] Norfolk Street was next, followed by School street.[2][c] Montague rented out the parcels in 999 year leases.[2] One lessee, Samuel Richards, hired Charles Bulfinch to design his house on the corner of Highland and Court Streets.[2]

Music[edit]

William H. Mann was the organist in both the 1797 church and in the 1845 church until it burned down.[3][d] John H.B. Thayer then left the brand new organ at the Allin Congregational Church in 1858 to play at St. Paul's.[4][e] He held the position until his death in 1873.[4]

Churches[edit]

1758 building[edit]

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.[5][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.[6]

The people of Dedham stoned the church during the American Revolution and then took it over for use as a military storehouse.[7][8] From then on, Rev. William Clark would secretly conduct services in his house.[7]

1797 building[edit]

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.[9] It was reconstructed in that location in 1798 using various portions of an abandoned church in Stoughton.[5][9]

In 1845, Comfort Weatherbee was commissioned to demolish the church.[3] All the boarding was removed and a capstan was used to pull the frame and tower down.[3]

1845 building[edit]

The builders of the 1845 church, Thomas and Nathan Phillips, were from Dedham.[5] Designed by Arthur Gilman after Magdalen College, Oxford, it was consecrated on Court Street in 1845 but burned down in 1856.[5] The bell from the 1797 church hung in the tower for three or four years, but was eventually replaced with a rich toned bell.[3] The old bell, which was small enough for neighborhood boys to pick up and chime, was then placed on the ground next to the tower for a few weeks before removal.[3]

1858 building[edit]

The present church was built in 1858 at the corner of Court Street and Village Ave.[10] It was 90' long and the bell tower, added in 1869, was 100' high [10] The bell was donated by Ira Cleveland.[11] It is made of Dedham granite.[12]

Chapel[edit]

A chapel was built with a bequest from George E. Hutton.[11] As of 2001, it is a nursery school.[11]

Good Shepherd[edit]

Main article: Church of the Good Shepherd (Dedham, Massachusetts)

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.[13] Out of their efforts grew the Church of the Good Shepherd , which was dedicated in 1876.[13] One of the early members was William B. Gould.[14]

Ministers[edit]

Anglican Church Minister Years of service Notes
William Clark 1760–1777 [15]
William Montague 1794–1815 [15]
Samuel B. Babcock 1834–1873 [11]
Melanie McCarley 2016-present [16]

The first minister, Rev. William Clark, held controversial Tory views.[5] By March of 1777, Clark announced that he would cease preaching; such an action was easier to swallow than eliminating prayers for the king.[8][7] Two months later, he was charged by the Board of Selectmen in Dedham of being a traitor to the American Revolution.[17][5]

After being denied bail, he was brought to Boston to stand before a military tribunal.[18][19] He refused to pledge allegiance to the Commonwealth, and so was sent onto a prison ship for 10 weeks.[19][20] In June 1778, Fisher Ames obtained a pass for him and Clark was allowed to leave America.[19][21]

In 1791, the congregation regrouped and called William Montague away from Old North Church.[22] Montague received a salary of £100 sterling.[23] He remained in the Dedham church until 1818.[24][f]

Samuel B. Babcock served as rector in three buildings from 1834 to 1873.[11]

Burials[edit]

When Bishop Alexander Viets Griswold died in 1843, he was interred in Trinity Church on Summer Street in Boston.[25] In 1876, the bodies of Griswald and his family were removed to the churchyard outside St. Paul's.[25] Bishop Manton Eastburn is also buried outside the church.[25]

Poet Anne Sexton's funeral was held at the church.[26]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Colburn was a descendant of Nathaniel Colburn and John Hunting.[2]
  2. ^ It was known at the time as New Street.[2]
  3. ^ Norfolk Street was originally known as Cross Street, and School Street was originally Back Street.[2]
  4. ^ Mann lived on Court Street. He also played at the First Church and Parish in Dedham and at the Baptist Church in East Dedham. He learned the trade of a printer and in his later years he was a bookkeeper at the Maverick Woolen Mills.[3]
  5. ^ Thayer was the son of postmaster Elisha Thayer and a cashier at the Dedham Bank.[4]
  6. ^ Burgess has his departure as being in 1815.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Hanson 1976, p. 136.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hanson 1976, p. 165.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Clarke 1903, p. 10.
  4. ^ a b c Clarke 1903, p. 13.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 27.
  6. ^ Hanson 1976, p. 166.
  7. ^ a b c Worthington 1827, p. 70.
  8. ^ a b Hanson 1976, p. 157.
  9. ^ a b Hanson 1976, p. 194.
  10. ^ a b Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 27-28.
  11. ^ a b c d e Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 28.
  12. ^ Parr 2009, p. 19.
  13. ^ a b Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 32.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ a b c Burgess 1840, p. 515.
  16. ^ "MELANIE MCCARLEY, RECTOR". St. Paul's Church. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  17. ^ Hanson 1976, p. 155-156.
  18. ^ Worthington 1827, p. 70-71.
  19. ^ a b c Hanson 1976, p. 158.
  20. ^ Worthington 1827, p. 71.
  21. ^ Hurd 1884, p. 56.
  22. ^ Hanson 1976, p. 164.
  23. ^ Burt, Sally (January 2008). "Church History". St. Paul's Church. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  24. ^ Slafter 1905, p. 89.
  25. ^ a b c Worthington 1958, p. 26.
  26. ^ "James Joyce Ramble coming up next weekend". The Dedham Times. Vol. 32, no. 16. April 19, 2024. p. 7.

Works cited[edit]

  • Parr, James L. (2009). Dedham: Historic and Heroic Tales From Shiretown. The History Press. ISBN 978-1-59629-750-0.


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

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