Charlemont — Charlemont Methodist Episcopal Church Extracted from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879.       The Independent Congregational Society (Unitarian) Of Charlemont was formally organized March, 1825, with the following officers: Joseph P. Allen, Moderator; Anderson Mayhew, Clerk; Samuel Rice, Treasurer; Holmes Mayhew, Joel Hall, George Mayhew, Assessors; Samuel Potter, Collector; Joseph P. Allen, Anson Mayhew, Joel Hall, Committee on Membership; and Anson Mayhew, Thomas Mayhew, Eugene Field, Committee on Preaching.       In 1830 the society had sixty-four contributing members, among them being       Roswell Rice, Samuel Ford, Erastus Rice, Samuel Potter, Nathaniel Hammond, Joel Hall, Nicholas Graves, Gershom Howes, Amos Avery, Elihu Avery, Eli Thayer, David Clements, Seth Nichols, Chester Rice, Washington Hill, Hart Rice, John Mayhew, Samuel Rice, Eugene Field, John Steel, Constant Field, John Nims, David Smith, Isaac Allis, Rufus Barber, Pardon Haynes, Josiah Judd, O. Bingham, Josiah Pratt, John Pike, Jonathan Howard, Moses Cole, Luther Parker, George Winslow, Chester Marsh, Benjamin Allba, Matthew R. Fuller, Calvin Johnson, and Aaron C. Hammond.       About this period (1830) a house of worship was erected near the cemetery, in the centre of the town, in which meetings were held with greater or less regularity until about 1850. After that it stood unoccupied until the summer of 1861, when it was sold to the Methodists of Charlemont, who moved it to the village for the use of their denomination. Since that period a few Unitarian meetings have been held, but the organization of the society is no longer maintained. The last regular meeting was held July 27, 1869, and was presided over by Eugene Field Henry Bassett was chosen clerk.       Among the clergy who have ministered to the society have been the Revs. Joseph Field, C. Nightingale, William Cushing, Benjamin Parsons, George F. Clarke, R. Bacon, Hervey, and Emerson. The clergymen of this faith, natives of Charlemont, have been the Revs. William Barber and Joseph Barber. | Previous Page | Contents | Next Page | | Charlemont Page | History of the CT Valley in Mass. | | Franklin County | Western Mass History & Genealogy | These pages are © Laurel O'Donnell, 2005, all rights reserved and cannot be reproduced in any format without permission This page was last updated on 15 Jul 2005