In 1864 or 1865 Episcopal Church services were held by clergymen
from St. Paul's School in school houses in the west part of the town,
afterwards in the Hope house. In the summer of 1866 the corner stone
of the church was laid on land given by the Misses Stark. The money to
build the church was collected by their grand niece, Miss Mary Stark, a
devoted churchwoman, who died in 1881. The church is a lasting memorial
of her. It is a beautiful building with a seating capacity of 110. The
fine chancel window was given by the father of the Rector of St. Paul's
School. The church was consecrated in 1868, and named the Church of St.
John the Evangelist. For about fourteen years the services were in
charge of Rev. Joseph H. Coit, the present rector of St. Paul's School.
He was succeeded by Rev. Edward M. Parker, a master of the school,
who with the assistance of Mr. William W. Flint, lay preacher, holds
services in Dunbarton and East Weare. In 1890 the church was taken down
and re-erected in North Dunbarton on land given by David Sargent south
of the school-house, in front of a beautiful pine grove. A service of
re-dedication was held December 15, 1890. Frank B. Mills was organist
and leader of the singing with only a short interval until his removal
from town in 1895. The organist at the present time is Miss Sara E.
Perkins.
After the removal of the church, a brass tablet in memory of the Misses
Harriet and Charlotte Stark was placed therein by Rev. Joseph H. Coit.
Dunbarton has had many fine musicians within her borders. Col. Samuel
B. Hammond led the singing in the Congregational Church for a long term
of years, resigning in 1875. The choir was formerly large and numbered
among its members Mrs. Elizabeth (Whipple) Brown, her daughter, Mrs.
Agnes French, Olive Caldwell, now Mrs. Morrill of Minnesota, the
daughters of the late Deacon Parker, Mrs. Harris Wilson, Nathaniel T.
Safford, William S. Twiss, and others.
Before the advent of the cabinet organ instrumental music was furnished
by a double bass viol played by Harris Wilson, a single bass-viol
played by Eben Kimball, a melodeon played by Andrew Twiss, and one or two
violins. When the church was remodeled the organ and choir were removed
from the gallery to a place beside the pulpit. Mrs. Mary (Wilson) Bunten
is now organist. For several years a quartette, consisting of William
S. Twiss, Frank B. Mills, Horace Caldwell, and Frederic L. Ireland sang
most acceptably on many occasions, especially furnishing appropriate
music at funerals, until the removal from town of Mr. Twiss in 1884.
At various times singing schools were taught by Eben Kimball, Joseph
C. Cram of Deerfield, "Uncle Ben" Davis of Concord, and at Page's Corner,
by Frank B. Mills.
The first School houses in town were few and far between, with no free
transportation as practiced at the present time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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