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Epsom Churches
Epsom Historian Gilbert Knowles (b. 1899) wrote several short papers and gave several speeches on Epsom's history. He was frequent speaker for Memorial Day observances and on many other occasions. The history of the Congregational Church given here come from some of his sources, one "Two Hundred Years of Congregationalism in the Town of Epsom" was given as an address for the special anniversary at the site of the first meeting house on Sunday, Aug. 20, 1961. This event organized by the Union Congregational Church, Rev. H. Franklin Parker, Pastor. A second paper, with much of the same material, is also used, though no specific reason for the paper is given. These two papers are edited here combined with dditional information on the Congregational Church from the John Dolbeer history of Epsom in the Hurd's History of Belknap and Merrimack Counties. Other sources are given in the text.

PART II - The Congregationalists

Epsom was incorporated in 1727, but the first minister did not come until 34 years later in 1761. That does not mean that the early settlers were without religion or religious leadership, but that the sparsely settled township was unable to support a minister prior to that time. There is good evidence that the quota of twenty settled families as required by the charter was not reached until 1750, and probably not more than thirty or thirty-five families within the boundaries of Epsom at the time the first minister arrived. As early as 1742 it was vote to raise 300 pounds to hire a preacher, but it was 19 years later that a pastor was actually settled.
The first minister's name was Rev. John Tuck, and fortunately many of Mr. Tuck's records are still in existence at the New Hampshire Historical Society. The records give the following: "April 18, 1761, I went to Epsom to preach. June 2, they gave me a call. August 14, they renewed the call. August 17, I accepted the call. September 23, I was ordained. My venerable father preached the sermon from 2 Timothy 2-1, and then gave me the most sacred charge. The Reverend Mr. Aaron Whittemore gave me the right hand of fellowship."
The church was organized on the very same day as the ordination and the covenant was signed by the fourteen original members, these were: Rev. John Tuck, John Blake and his wife Mary, Abraham, Isaac, Isaac Jr., and Reuben Libbey, Nathan Marden, Margaret (wife of Reuben Sanborn Sr.), Sarah Nason (a widow), and the wives of the two Isaac Libbeys and Joanna, daughter of Isaac Libbey Sr..
Just what building or buildings the Congregational Society held their meetings during the first three years is unknown. There is some basis for the idea that there could have been a small community meeting place on Center Hill as early as 1761 or earlier, or the meetings may have been held in a private home. There is also a strong indication that these first meetings were held at the McClary's Farm/Tavern. It was in 1764 that "the first meeting house" was built, a building fifty by forty feet. It is said to have galleries, square pews and an immense sounding board. It is interesting that a few years later when the town of Loudon voted to build a meeting house, it was specified that it should be built according to the same plan as the one at Epsom.
During the next ten or fifteen years following 1761 the settlement at Epsom increased much more rapidly than during the preceding period, and the church membership grew accordingly. At the close of Mr. Tuck's ministry the Congregational Church in Epsom had more than seventy members, including a few who were residents of Chichester and Deerfield. Churches had not yet been established in those towns and several families came on Sundays to worship with the Epsom group at Center Hill. Church membership included the families of most of the early settlers of Epsom; the Blakes, McClarys, Libbeys, Wallaces, Sanborns, Lockes, Mardens, Bickfords, and a little later the Casses, Grays, Chesleys, Browns and a few others. Mr. Tuck left records of one hundred and sixty seven baptisms of children and among them the following three adults; Mr. Tuck's servant Abraham; Phoebe, a young woman about twenty, no surname given; and Samuel Blake's man servant, who seems not to have had even a first name. (the census of 1773 found 2 slaves in Epsom)

At a meeting held January 3, 1774, it was
"Voted, that there should be a counsel called to Judge upon and settle the Difficulties Subsisting between the Rev. John Tuck and the Inhabitants of the Town of Epsom."
"Voted, that thr Should be a committee Chosen to act and transact in Behalf of the Inhabitants of said town, Relating to the Difficulties above menchoned, till there is a final Decision and Determination if the above controversies."
"Voted, Capt. Andrew McClary, Dr. Obediah Williams and Amos Morrill should be committee for that purpose."
At a meeting June 18, 1774
Voted, the Rev. John Tucke a Dismission from his Pastoral and Ministerial Relation, agreeable to the foregoing Notification."

When Mr. Tuck came to Epsom he was a young man about twenty-one. He was a graduate of Harvard College and he apparently got along splendidly for quite awhile, but after a period of ten years, dissatisfaction began to creep in. Small things became big things; mole hills grew into mountains; and a storm developed. It wasn't just a little storm, but a big roaring hallelujah storm!. The settlers set up investigating committees and they charged Mr. Tuck with neglecting his duty in not visiting certain members when desired and they censured his "hard speeches" with regard to some of the people. It all ended up with the dismissal of the minister in 1774. Feeling ran very high, so high in fact, that they not only voted to dismiss the minister but "that the meeting house shall be shut up till the town sees cause to open said house again." Rev. Tuck died about three years later while on his way to join the Revolutionary Army as a chaplain, probably of small pox in Salem, New York. He left a widow and at least six children who continued to live in Epsom until around 1790. Mrs. Tuck and her children deeded the Tuck property, then of Pittsfield, to Simon Heath who made the house into a tavern and carried on that business for some years. It is my feeling that some part of the building may have been built before Mr. Tuck came to live there in 1761.
After a time the old meeting house began to be used some more. There were several temporary preachers. Reverend Benjamin Thurston supplied for a time (1779) and was given a call, but for some reason he did not accept. There was no settled preacher on Center Hill until after the close of the Revolutionary War.

After the call had been given Mr. Thurston to settle in the town as their minister it was "Voted that there be a Parsonage house and barn builit upon the Parsonage lands, where it shall be though most proper, of the following Dimensions, viz.: the House to be 40 by 30 feet, and w story high; the barn to be 35 by 30 feet, and our elected Pastor to be consulted as to the finishing of the Parsonage House as to convenience."

Then came the long pastorate of the Rev. Ebenezer Haseltine - thirty years. He was evidently a fine man and was much loved by the people of Epsom. His wife was the daughter of Bunker Hill hero Andrew McClary. He died in office in 1813 and had his virtues pronounced in his funeral sermon. He lived in the first town parsonage, and probably the first to occupy it. Mr. Haseltine's grave is in the old part of the McClary Cemetery, and on the bottom of the stone is the inscription "An Israelite indeed, in whom was no guile." He did not leave as many church members as did Mr. Tuck, and his records are regrettably lost. Historian Moses once suggested that perhaps Mr. Tuck caught some of his members with guile. After his death the town "Voted to bear the funeral expense and also pay to his widow his salary for the remainder of the year, and the privileges of the parsonage."
The Rev. Jonathan Curtis followed Mr. Haseltine as pastor at the old meeting house., but the town refusing to unite, an organization was formed and chartered known as the "Congregational Religious Society of the Town of Epsom. "He had a ministry of ten or eleven years and was a respected and capable man. Mr. Curtis became interested in the early history of the town and there is a pamphlet he wrote "Topographical and Historical Sketch of Epsom, New Hampshire" published in 1923.
After 1820 other denominations had sprung up in the town and there was sometimes controversy over the way in which the various groups would share the use of the meeting house. The first meeting house had been built by the town rather than by the Congregational Society so it was natural for the new denominations to claim the right to use the building part time. At one period the controversy centered around the key to the building. The new groups had been using the building some and it had become quite a habit when the meetings were over, for the minister to lock the door and take the key away. The Congregationalists would come and not be able to get into the meeting house. After this sort of thing went on for a while one of the Chesley families decided to "take the bull by the horns" and have another key made for the door. At first they did not get the pattern quite right and the new key didn't fit; but finally they got a hold of the original key again and by comparison were able to adjust the duplicate key so that it too would lock and unlock the door. Having solved the problem they wrote up a little verse about it as follows:

"The clergymen, the cheaters,
They do as they please;
They lock up the door,
They carry off the keys!
But we are determined
They'll do it no more;
For we now have a key,
And we'll unlock the door!"

Accordingly, a meeting of the society was called April 10, 1820, at the house of Simon A. Heath, when a committee, consisting of Ira Sanborn,Thomas D. Merrill and James Brown, were appointed "to provide a suitable place to assemble for public worship the ensuing season. At the annual meeting of the society, held May 1, 1820, the above committee reported that "Capt. Heath's Hall is the most proper place for public worship for the present season. At the same meeting it was also 'Voted, that it is expedient to erect a meeting-house in the town of Epsom for the Congregational Society." At a meeting held the 7th day of May, 1821, the society chose Josiah Sanborn, Thomas D. Merrill and John Cate a committee to meet a committee appointed by the town to effect a settlement of the existing difficulties between the Congregational Society and the town.

The Rev. Jonathan Curtis remained with the church until January 1, 1825 [dismissed to Sharon, MA] when the Rev. A.D. Smith was employed as a stated supply for a year, respecting whose labors among them the society passed a vote of high recommendation. The Rev. A. Burbank was here for a short time in 1827, but on the first day of November, 1829, Rev. John M. Putnam was installed pastor of the church and sustained that relation some two and a half years, when he was dismissed at his own request. Following Mr. Putnam, the Rev. Abel Manning was here some two years { REV. ABEL MANNING (Lydia Richardson,5 Jabez,4 Pierson,3 John,2 Samuel1), only son of Capt. Israel and Lydia (Richardson) Manning, of Sterling, Mass.; born there 1788; married MARY LILLEY, of Goffstown, N. H.. He graduated at Brown University, Providence, in 1817; studied divinity with Rev. Nathaniel Emmons, D. D., of Franklin, Mass. He has preached in various places, and with a good degree of success. About 1819, he preached in Goffstown, N. H., to a small, feeble church, which had been nine years without a pastor. The Lord blessed his labors; a revival of religion commenced, resulting in nearly one hundred conversions. He did not settle there, but went to Vermont as a missionary. As such, he labored in Plymouth, in the county of Windsor, in that State, where a still greater revival took place, extending to other towns, especially to Ludlow, an adjoining town. He received ordination as the first minister in Plymouth, Nov. 20, 1823. He was a minister in Epsom, near Pembroke, N. H., in 1833, and in other places.} and the Rev. Francis R. Smith a little longer period, with occasional supplies by different ministers. { One of these was perhaps Rev. Enoch Corsor - from the Corsor Family Genealogy, is this story "A somewhat ludicrous incident is related as occurring on one occasion in connection with a pulpit exercise. He was preaching at Epsom, N. H., and announced for his text the words: "Up, get ye out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city!" casting his eyes at the same time up to the gallery, where sat a colored woman, who, construing the warning literally, instantly started and rushed out of the house, as if the alarm of Fire! had been sounded. (We have this on the authority of Mrs. N.S. Webster, whose father, Mr. Lord, player on the base viol, was at church on that occasion.)" }

January 1, 1837, Rev. Winthrop Fifield commenced preaching here, and so well was he liked by the church and the people that a call was given him to settle with them, which he accepted and was ordained the 10th of May, 1837. Mr. Fifield remained with the church nearly ten years.

In 1845 the Congregational Society built another meeting house; this time on their own. It was located down in the valley on "the turnpike, also called Slab City." The old meeting house that had played such a big part in the development of the town and in molding the lives of the people during a period of eighty five years, was sold and moved to Concord. The Center Historic Club erected a monument in 1902 marking the sire of the first house of worship in Epsom.

The new church that was built down in the valley, was, like the old building, nearly square, although probably not quite as large. [note: in one paper, Mr. Knowles says it was larger] It had a broad open platform across the whole front with about five steps leading down to the lawn. There were two front doors, a steeple, and inside a hall-way with stairs at either end leading up into quite a sizeable gallery (on the south, or front side only) which was where the choir used to be. The auditorium of the church had white-painted pews and a platform at the north end where the minister's desk or pulpit was. The Congregationalists used this second building for about forty years. For the first half or two thirds of this time the Church was a very active and thriving organization. The first minister came down from the hill, Rev. Winthrop Fifield, and left some 5 months after the new meetinghouse was dedicated. The Reverend Rufus M. Putnam was the second minister to hold forth in this building.

Rev. Rufus A. Putnam, a native of Sutton, Mass., and a graduate of Harvard College, was here from September, 1846 to May, 1852. The following two years the church was occupied only a portion of the time, Revs. M.B. Angier and C.C. Durgin being the supplies. R.A. Putnam and E.H. Blanchard then supplied the pulpit for one year each. February 22, 1856, a call was given the Rev. J. Ballard to settle with them, which he declined, and the Rev. Charles Willey was engaged as a stated supply. He remained about three years, and was succeeded by Rev. A.B. Peffers, who remained until 1866, and was followed by Rev. George Smith for three years. Rev. Charles Peabody was the next preacher, and his stay was but three years. During the following four years there was only occasional preaching, largely by students from the Theological Seminary. December 1, 1876, Rev. E.C. Cogswell, of Northwood, commenced preaching here Sundays and continued until June, 1881, since which time, with the exception of six months of the summer of 1882, when Rev. L.G. Chase supplied, the church has been without regular Sabbath services.

For quite a while they used to have meetings both morning and afternoon. It is said that Prescott Locke (of Lockes's Hill) used to lead the singing in this church. He used to walk down in the morning, and after morning service he would walk back home, take care of a barn full of cattle, and get back down to the meetinghouse in time to lead the singing in the afternoon service. After 1870 a decline in church membership began with a lot of other churches springing up in the surrounding territory and towns. Many of the older members had passed away and a lot of young people had moved to the cities and so there was a gradual dwindling of membership and lost of interest. There was rumor of some misappropriation of church funds - having been used to pay off some personal indebtedness. It is known that the situation became so acute that the members could no longer support a minister and it was closed. The last few years meetings were only held in the summer, and after that, before the building began to fall to pieces, was used for a singing school and once or twice for political rallies. By 1900 part of the roof had fallen in. In 1908,Mrs. Eudora Johnson, who had spent a number of summers in Epsom, bought up the various shares of the church property, had it taken down, and built a house in its place.
During this same time period, the Baptists had built their Free Will Baptist Church in the village of Gossville, and the momentum of the Congregationalists shifted to the Union Church, [Christian Society] which combined with the Congregationalists of Allenstown, and built a church in the section of New Rye. Two hundred years have passed since Mr. Tuck began his ministry on Center Hill, and we hope that one hundred years hence there will be another celebration. [Note: Gilbert Knowles lived in the Johnson house on the site of the second Congregational meeting house]

ADDENDUM: The fate of the parsonage building or parts thereof was addressed in a talk delivered by Gilbert Knowles to the Epsom Historical Association on July 17, 1975. It is as follows:

"After Rev. Winthrop Fifield left Center Hill in 1846 or 1847 there is a lapse of about thirty years during which period I have not thus far been able to pick up any records as to who occupied the 'parsonage house.' It may have been vacant for a while."

"Although I have found nothing written up about it, Mr. Luther Hall, who died in 1939, and lived in the beautiful house just west of here until it burned, told Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Nutter that an ell part of the 'parsonage' was sold and moved by oxen down the lane and then made into another house on the lot where Charles and Ruth Batchelder now live. Mr. Hall told that in turning the corner on the main road with the oxen that their load there was some damage to the grounds of the property of George Batchelder (now Watson Ambrose) and that Mr. Batchelder made quite a fuss about it. As Mr. Batchelder died in 1889 the date of the ell moving must have been a number of years earlier."

"Of course the town, or the Congregational Society, must have eventually deeded the 'parsonage' to some individual. A tracing back of the deeds would be the only way to determine when the transfer was made."

"We do know that Mr. and Mrs. George Piper came here around 1875. They were still living here when I was a small boy and I remember them very well. They used to drive down to the store with horse and wagon. Mr. Piper was a shoe worker and he had a room with a cobbler's bench, etc., upstairs in the front of this house (the east front room). He used to try to complete six pairs of shoes each day. Mrs. Piper's maiden name was Betsey Langley; she was a sister of Josiah Langley who lived where my brother George Knowles now lives. Mrs. Flora Sullivan's grandmother (Mrs. Chas. Henry Hall) was also a sister of 'Betty' Piper. As you know, the 'parsonage' property later came into the ownership of Mrs. Bernice Piper Cox. She is the granddaughter of George and Betsey Piper. She has vivid memories of the cobbler's bench and of her grandfather working there when she was a little girl."

"Mrs. Bernice Cox sold the property here to Edwin and Doris Jaquith; Jaquith's sold to Hughes, and now Dr. James Wells family has full possission, and we hope they will want to live here for a long long time. One 'Margaret' lived here in the beginning, and a little 'Margaret' lives here now!"