History of Fitchburg Part 41 Rufus Torrey 1st Printing 1836


Accordingly, early in the year 1785, an article was
insetedin the warrant for a town meeting -- "To see if the
town would take into consideration the request of Jacob
Upton and others to see if the town will set off the
inhabitants of the north-westerly part of Fitchburg, with
their lands and privileges, free and clear from said
Fitchburg, to join the extreme part of Westminster, with the
north-easterly part of Ashburnham, to be incorporated into a
town, to have town privileges, as other towns.  "If this
request had been granted, the people of the new town wuld
have erected a meeting house not far from Upton's tavern.
The effect of this was well understood.  The rise in the
value of real estate in that vicinity, and the impulse that
would be given to business by making it the middle of the
town, conspired to awaken the energies of those interested
in such a consummation to bring about the desired object.
But it encountered many difficulties.  It was too local in
its nature -- and notwithstanding all the energy with which
it was urged in town meeting, not only the east, but every
part of the town not included in the limits of the proposed
new town, set their faces against it.  They could not see
the propriety of setting off that flourishing part of the
town, and taking upon themselves the whole burden of
maintaining the minister, bridges, etc.  So they promptly
voted that the article should be dismissed.

But the petitioners, acting with that zeal which is not
quenched by a single repulse, but rather gathers force from
opposition, made another attempt in the following May, but
in a different form.  This was to see if the town would
"receive about a mile or more in width of land, with the
inhabitants thereon, of the northerly part of the town of
Westminster, bounded on the northwesterly part of Fitchburg,
to be annexed thereto , to be convened with others of the
inhabitants of said town, for the public worship of God, and
to be vested with all other privileges with said town in
public matters, to join with the inhabitants of said
Fitchburg to build a meeting house on Ezre Upton's
land,"etc.  (A few rods to the southeast of the house of
Daniel Works.)  This was an essential modification of the
original plan; and instead of taking any thing from the
territory of the town, would add considerable to it.
Another point was conceded by proposing to place the meeting
house on Ezra Upton's land, which, with the new territory,
would not be far from the centre of the town.  But the wise
men of the east were not to be deceived by this artfully
contrived plan.  They well knew that if this pint was
conceded, it would throw so much power into the hands of the
west, that they could, if they should choose, have it set
off into a separate town.  This article was accordingly
dismissed.

These two defeats only made the people of the west more
anxious to carry their point in some shape.  They began to
consider it an intolerable grievance to be compelled to
travel over such hills and to such a distance, to attend
public worship; and accordingly in March, 1786, they
requested of the town, "that Rev. Mr Payson have liberty to
preach some part of the time in the year, in the westerly
part of the town."  This modest request was also denied --
the town probably thinking that by yielding an inch, they
would open a door through which they might unwillingly be
thrust a mile.

In September of this year a more important movement was
made.  It was voted to build "a new meeting house in the
centre of the town, or in the nearest convenient place" to
the centre -- all being aware that the old meeting house in
the Old City was not in the centre.  All seemed to
acknoledge the necessity of building a new meeting house,
although the old house had been standing but twenty years.
It had never been throroughly finished, and the winds and
weather found their way into it in such a manner as to
render it uncomfortable.  It had rather a shabby appearance,
and was too small to accommodate all the inhabitants.

It being voted to build a new meeting house, the grand
difficulty now arose, to ascertain "the nearest convenient
place to the centre."  Strong feelings on this subject had
been already excited; but before going further into this
sugject, it will be proper to consider what the people in
the westerly part of the town, and the adjoining part of
Westminster, were doing at this time.  Jedediah Cooper and
Jacob Upton, the two innkeepers, and of course men of great
influence, together with some of their neighbors, determined
to have a meeting house among themselves at any rate.
Accordingly they bestirred themselves with sufficient effect
to erect a frame for such a building, opposite the road
which leads from Flint McIntire's to the county road on a
small plot of ground just within the limits of Fitchburg.
It was subsequently covered, and public worship was
occasionally held there, but it was never sufficiently
finished to be worthy the name of a meeting house.

Respecting the building and locating the new meeting house.,
the town, like many other public bodies, moved slowly.
Private interests were enlisted on both sides, and all
parties seemed inclined, if they could not gratify their own
wishes, to defeat those of every one else.  All seemed
willing that a new meeting house should be erected, but when
the discussion respecting its location commenced, a magazine
was sprung, and the confusion of tongues in one of our town
meetings bore some faint resemblance to that of Babel.

(to be continued)

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