Charlemont — Charlemont Baptist Church

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


      The exact date of the organization of this body cannot be determined from the society records. By some the time is fixed as early as 1791, but it is probable that it was a few years later. In 1800, Elder John Green is mentioned as the minister who agreed, three years later, to build a meeting-house. This was erected about a mile west of the village, and in 1819 was removed to its present location. In 1805, the church-roll contained the following names:
      Ichabod Packard, Wm. Williams, Fitch Comstock, Jonathan Comstock, Elisha Pike, Moses Barber, Ebenezer Williams, Ebenezer Montague, David G. Church, Phineas W. Hartwell, Jacob Hunt, Jr., Jason Fuller, Samuel Riddel, Hezekiah Hastings, Elijah Steel, Samuel Rathbone, Samuel Hale, John Frary, Edward Beckwith, Zenos Atwood, Jacob Hunt, Wm. W. Fitch, Andrew Smith, Ephraim Church, Edward Giles, John Giles, John Barber, Benjamin Comstock, Samuel Ford, Elihu Hawks, Giles Farrer, Silas Beckwith, Abigail Hastings, Wm. Williams, Jr., Asa Paine, Ephraim Hale, Joseph Hawley, Samuel Negus, Jr., Sampson Spaulding, Wm. Middleditch, Elihu Booth, Aaron Bass, Joseph Nast, Jonah Hill, Hannah Hawks, Nathan Lyon, Jr., Jonathan Crosby, Nathaniel White, Alonzo Reed, Wm. Green, Thomas Ault, Thomas Goodenough, Nathaniel Cobb, Timothy Stearns, Julius Willard, Rufus Hawks, Ezekiel Edgerton, Jonathan Hartwell, John Cobb, Jonathan Hawks, Silas Shirtlif, Moses Stanford, Wm. Hartwell, Uzziel Simons, James Briggs, Ebenezer Upton, Rodolfus Nichols, Martin Howard, Christopher Shippee, Jr., John Pike, Charles Winchester, Billey Johnson, Timothy Knowlton, Ichabod Hill, Samuel P. Nims, Nathaniel Rice, Silas Pratt, Noah Parsons, Isaac Cooper, Valentine Goodenough, Jonathan Thompson, Calvin Hawley, Nathan Shippee, Israel Hawks, Joseph Edgerton, Jr., Eliphalet Thayer, Benjamin Harris, Darius Edgerton, Benoni Flagg, Zebina Hastings, Orin Rogers, Bennet Edson, Reuben Farley, Jonas Leonard, Wm. Arms, Stephen Sprague, John Howes, John Fisher, Alpheus Clark, Jonathan Howard, Eliab Leach, Ruel Thayer, Caleb Hill, Valentine W. Rathbone, Rufus Hawks, James A. Riddle, Lot Cottle, Fairbanks Dart, John Giles, Ebenezer Beckwith, Nathaniel Green, Asa P. Church, Philemon W. Frost, Moses W. Ward, Isaac J. Hawks, Alvah Pike, Rufus Bardwell, Josiah Upton, David Harris, Jonathan Weston, John Luscombe.
      The aggregate membership of the church has been about 250. In 1819, when the meeting-house was removed, there were 60 members. In 1878 there were 73 reported. The Sunday-school had 60 members, and N. B. Ballard was superintendent.
      As near as can be ascertained, the first deacons of the church were Ebenezer Williams, Jonathan Hawks, and William Hartwell. The subsequent deacons have been David Harris, Jonathan Ballard, Edmund Hartwell, Jonathan Hartwell, Nathan A. Ballard, Chandler A. Brown, and N. B. Ballard.
      The first pastor of the church was the Rev. John Green, who remained until 1803. He was succeeded by Elders Wheeler and Palmer, and, in 1806, by Elder Ebenezer Hall. In 1807 the Rev. Rathbone preached, and soon after the Rev. Samuel Carpenter. In 1816 the Rev. Nathaniel Rice assumed the pastoral relation, and was with the church until April, 1824. For a time the pulpit was supplied by the Revs. Savory, Abbott, Goodnow, and Trumbull, but in October, 1827, the Rev. N. McCullock became the pastor, and continued until 1830. His successor was the Rev. D. Dunbar, and from 1831-33 the Rev. David Pease was the pastor. In 1836 the Rev. Amherst Lamb was installed, and was dismissed in April, 1845. Since that period the pastors and ministers of the church have been as follows: 1845-49, Rev. B. F. Remington; 1850-51, Rev. James Parker; 1852-54, Rev. Harvey Crowley; 1860, Rev. John Fairman; 1861, Nathaniel Chapman; 1864-65, Rev. C. Brooks; 1866, Rev. Washington S. Coburn; 1869, Rev. Alfred Free; 1872, Rev. James Monroe; 1873-77, Rev. H. V. Baker; 1877-78, Rev. J. H. Parmelee; and since Sept. 9, 1878, Rev. C. J. Wilson.
      In addition to the foregoing, the Revs. James M. Cooley, R. P. Hartley, S. Bentley, M. J. Kelley, Abijah Hall, and a few others have supplied the pulpit.
      The Rev. Philander Hartwell, a Baptist, was a native of Charlemont.


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