Bernardston — The Orthodox Church

Extracted from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879.


      The Orthodox Church was revived in 1824 by the organization of the Second Congregational Church, but no church building was erected until 1833, previous to which time the church worshiped in the Baptist meeting-house. The first settled pastor was Rev. Vincent Gould. Among his successors were Revs. Bancroft Fowler, Frederic Janes, Chas. Kendall, W. Brigham, H. Greenough Park, T. J. Clark, D. H. Rogan, A. B. Foster, T.A. Merrill, and L. M. Pierce. Mr. Pierce, the present pastor (1879), entered upon his charge in November, 1873. The church building now occupied—enlarged and improved in 1844—was built in 1833 by Mr. Job Goodale, and presented to the society. The parsonage belonging to the church was the gift of the heirs of Mr. Goodale. The church has a fine organ, bought in 1870 for $900. Joseph P. Hale, a native of Bernardston, now residing in New York, donated to the religious societies of Bernardston $1000, the interest of which is to be expended for an annual picnic of all the Sunday-schools of the town.



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