History of Fitchburg Part 42 Rufus Torrey 1st printed 1836


We left the good citizens of our town embroiled in debate
about the location of a new meeting house discribed in the
41st installment thus, "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."

In September, 1788, the subject of the new meeting house was
again brought before the town by means of an article in the
warrant -- "to see if the town will erect a meeting house in
the centre of the town, or receive any part of Westminster
that shall be willing to join with us, and then erect a
meeting house in the nearest convenient place to the
centre."  It appears that the people of the west were ever
determined to weave into the question concerning the
location of the new meeting house, the grand object of their
desires, viz. the establishment of a new town; and the other
inhabitants seemed equally determined that they should never
accomplish their designs.  At this meeting a committee was
chosen to examine and find the most convenient place on
which to erect the meeting house, so as to accommodate all
the inhabitants.  This committee consisted of Moses Hale,
Dea. Daniel Putnam, Jacob Upton, Asa Perry, and Oliver
Stickney.  Two of these were in favor of having it in the
west, two near its present location and one was neutral.  At
the next meeting their report was rejected.  A motion was
then made to place it on the site of the old one, which was
also negatived.  It was then voted, after much
consideration, as the record says to erect the new house on
the nearest convenient place to the centre.  It seems that
this was the only point on which the town could agree.  What
the value of this "much consideration" was, appears by the
next vote, which was to re-consider all votes hitherto
passed, relating to this matter.  At this point the meeting
was adjourned to 9 o'clock A.M. of the next day, for the
purpose probably of recruiting their bodily stength and
their several forces.

On the next morning the parties came on, and again proceeded
to business.  The first motion was to palce the new house
where the old one then stood.  This was negatived.  A motion
was then made to place the new house on the land of Ezra
Upton's heirs.  (Near to Daniel works' as already
mentioned.)  The house was divided in this motion "to find a
true vote," as the record says.  For the motions appeared
32, against it, 17.  So it was determined by a vote of
almost two to one, to place the house in the west.  A
committee was chosen to inform the people of the west of the
proceedings on the town, in placing the meeting house so as
to accommodate them.  The same committee was invested with
power to purchase the new frame erecting for a meeting house
in the northwest part of the town, if that should appear
best for the town's interest -- otherwise they had power "to
provide timber and materials for building a new meeting
house in the prudentest manner for said town on said plat of
ground."  They were instructed to make a report of their
proceedings at the next town meeting.

This was a sore discomfiture to the east, and so they
considered it.  They caused another town meeting to be
called immediately "To see if the town will comply with a
request of a number of inhabitants of the town of Fitchburg,
to grant that they, together with their respsective estates
and interests, may be set off from Fitchburg and annexed to
Lunenburg."

This shows that the people of the east were determined never
to travel over the hills to the place where the new meeting
house was to be erected. Those honest people who had before
voted with the west merely to preseve harmony and keep the
town together, now became alarmed lest they should lose the
east in their efforts to conciliate the west.  They occupied
an exceedingly unpleasant position.  If they said the
meeting house should be placed near the old one, the west
threatened to make a new town.  If they yielded to the west,
the east showed symptoms of returing to the arms of their
good parent, Lunenburg.  The request of the east was
promptly denied.

Meanwhile the committee above mentioned were busily employed
in the duties assigned to them, notwithstanding the squally
appearances in the east.  They made a bargain for the frame
which had been commenced in the northwest, and prepared a
site on the land of Ezra Upton's heirs.  Unluckily for the
west, in 1788, a town meeting was called to hear the report
of this industrious committee.  They came forth with
confidence, stating that they had purchased the aforesaid
new frame, and done many excellent things -- whereupon the
town gravely voted not to accept their report, and what was
rather uncivil, discharged them from any further service.
This was done by the peacemakers, who, becoming somewhat
frightened, once more threw their influence into the eastern
scale.

A committee was chosen to find the centre of the town.  They
made a survey for this purpose, and reported that they found
the centre, which they designated by a monument of stones,
to be about thiry rods northerly from the present
pound. (Ken's note: sketched by Bill Chittick in the Guide
Book to Fitchburg and Environs. Located in the woods off
Ashburnham Hill Road.  The lovely hand carved gate has
toppled having rotted where it entered the soil.  Does
anyone know whether the stone 'monument' still stands?) This
report was accepted; and at an adjourned meeting in December
it was voted to build the meeting house in "the nearest
convenientest place to the centre," as the record says.
Thomas Cowdin Esqu., Phinehas Hartwell, Oliver Stickney,
Daniel Putnam, and Paul Wetherbee were chosen to execute the
difficult task of finding the "convenientest place," and to
purchase the land of one Thomas Boynton, who then owned it.
They selected a place a little below the present pound, and
purchased 22 acres of land, giving $2.33 per acre for it
(The present owner of this land (1836) has been offered $100
per acre for it, which he has promptly refused.) -- and the
town approved of these proceedings.

(to be continued -- attempted secession)

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