http:\/\/www.ourherald.com\/News\/2001\/0823\/Front_Page\/f03.html gives the following
\nstory of the Congregational Church of Rochester which mentions Ebenezer
\nSPARHAWK:<\/p>\n
Church of Rochester Celebrates Two Centuries ‘Built on the Rock’<\/p>\n
Just 20 years after Gov. Thomas Chittenden granted a charter for the township
\nof Rochester on July 31, 1781, the Congregational Church was organized Sept.
\n11, 1801. Two centuries later, now known as the Federated Church of Rochester,
\nit’s gearing up for a gala bicentennial celebration.<\/p>\n
With Articles of Faith drafted by Daniel SHAW, Enoch EMERSON and Ebenezer
\nSPARHAWK, the church initially had 30 members. There was no settled minister
\nthen and the group relied upon traveling preachers or supply ministers from
\nother towns, meeting in private homes.<\/p>\n
When the Methodists were organized in 1803, both churches held their services
\nin the “Pot Ash” meeting house on the “common” (now known as the “park”), with
\nthe Methodists meeting after the Congregationalists were done.<\/p>\n
The Congregationalists’ first choir director, Jeremiah Ingalls, was a talented
\nman who became a famous composer. His music book, “The Christian Harmony,” was
\npublished in 1804 and choirs still sing some of his works.<\/p>\n
In the first decade of the 1800s, Rochester saw a “mini” industrial revolution
\nwhen a carding machine and leather tannery were added to the gristmills already
\nin place. More people came to settle and the congregations of both churches
\ngrew along with the town.<\/p>\n
In 1811, the Congregational church site was leveled on the hill just across the
\nroad from the common and one observer noted that “a more beautiful site for a
\nmeeting house is not to be found in any village in the state.” Perhaps
\nsymbolizing the solidity of their faith, the congregation built their church on
\na ledge of rock, which can still be seen today jutting out into the Federated
\nChurch furnace room. A simple structure with one floor and high galleries on
\nthree sides, it was completed in 1813.<\/p>\n
The congregation purchased the first parsonage on the northeast corner of the
\ncommon in 1822, where the present parsonage (built in 1866 at a cost of $1,600)
\nis located today.<\/p>\n
A belfry and steeple were added to the church building in 1825, with the funds
\nraised by subscription. This first steeple was adorned with a gilded dome that
\nwas a landmark for many years, and the 702-lb. bell was cast at the Paul Revere
\nFoundry in Massachusetts. A later steeple, erected in 1895 on the northeast
\ncorner of the church, was 108 ft. high and visible from many parts of the
\nvalley for nearly 50 years.<\/p>\n
In 1849, the galleries were removed and the building remodeled so that the
\nupper floor could be used for church purposes and the lower floor leased for
\nTown Meetings, a practice that continued until 1937.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Universalists had organized in 1822, meeting at the home of
\nEphriam Dean Briggs, who lived on the site of the present Park House. They
\njoined forces with the Methodists to erect a church building (now a private
\nhome on Main Street just south of the Park House) in 1827, and shared quarters
\nfor two decades, before the Methodists bought out the Universalist share in the
\nbuilding in 1848 to accommodate their rapidly growing congregation. The
\nfollowing year, the Universalists built their own church, holding services
\nthere for 85 years.<\/p>\n
During the Civil War, W.W. Williams, who would later write the first history of
\nRochester, read war news to anxious townspeople from the front steps of the
\nchurch.<\/p>\n
Women’s suffrage was becoming an important issue nationwide; and locally,
\nwomen’s names began to appear on the church rolls as clerks and committee
\nmembers. The Ladies Aid of the Rochester Universalist Church was formed in 1867
\nwith the goal of raising funds and working to help out the church and the
\ncommunity in any way they could. This mission is carried on today by the
\nFederated Church’s very active Women’s Alliance.<\/p>\n
1898 saw both the Congregationalists and Methodists deciding to have their
\nchurches wired for electric lights by the Rochester Electric Light & Power Co.<\/p>\n
In 1901, the Congregational Church celebrated its centennial with the
\npublication of a 72-page history of the church and four days of activities,
\nincluding a sermon given by Rev. Willis L. Sparhawk, (great-grandson of
\nEbenezer Sparhawk), social events, and music, including a centennial hymn
\ncomposed for the occasion by Electa Webber Morse.<\/p>\n
During the 1920s and into the 1930s, there were many discussions regarding
\nuniting the three congregations. When they finally federated in 1934, the
\nUniversalist Church became the home of the Rochester Public Library. The pews
\nwere removed from the Methodist church building and it became a gymnasium for
\nthe school. Classrooms for grades 1-4 were also located there until the present
\nelementary school opened in 1956.<\/p>\n
Trial by Fire<\/p>\n
The most traumatic event in the history of the church took place just ten years
\nafter the valley’s three Protestant denominations decided to band together as
\nthe Federated Church of Rochester. On Saturday night, Dec. 30, 1944, the church
\nwas destroyed in a dramatic fire.<\/p>\n
The custodian had built up a fire in the furnace to warm the sanctuary for
\nSunday services and thinking everything was fine, went on home. Unfortunately,
\nthat wasn’t the case. Volunteer firefighters from both Rochester and Hancock
\nbattled the blaze, and although the church building itself was a total loss,
\nthey were successful in saving nearby residences.<\/p>\n
94-year-old Lillian Marsh recalls standing in dismay that night in the kitchen
\nwindow of the Marsh farmhouse, a mile or so north of the village, watching the
\norange glow coming from the village.<\/p>\n
“When the steeple burned, it looked like a huge candle,” she remembered. Other
\nonlookers, watching the fire from the south side of the church, told of seeing
\na huge timber fall with a shorter crosspiece attached. It toppled onto the
\ncement porch and came to rest leaning against the belfry: a perfect cross,
\nuntil it was consumed by the flames.<\/p>\n
Many older church members tell the story of an elderly lady, Lilla Baker, who
\nlived in the village and was very hard of hearing. She had obviously missed the
\nnoise and excitement the night before, and since she had a habit of walking
\nwith her eyes focused on the ground, got quite a shock when, after trudging up
\nthe hill to church the next morning, she raised her eyes to find it had burned
\nto the ground!<\/p>\n
Services were held the next day at the library, and continued there for the
\nnext seven years, while the people of the church worked together to rebuild the
\nphysical symbol of their faith.<\/p>\n
Rebuilding was a defining moment in the life of the church, foreshadowing the
\nsuccess of the federation. It became a community effort. Permission was
\nobtained to cut spruce and hemlock logs from the Green Mountain National
\nForest, and three local companies cut and sawed the lumber free of charge. Hall
\nBrothers of Randolph and Strafford were the building contractors and the men of
\nthe valley worked before and after their regular jobs to carry out the plans
\ndrawn up by architect John C. French, Jr. of Burlington, an expert on Colonial
\nchurches.<\/p>\n
The women of the church took on the responsibility of finishing and furnishing
\nthe interior of the new structure, planning a series of “fun and fund-raising”
\nevents that eventually raised over $11,000.<\/p>\n
Perhaps most memorable among these were the four Lord’s Auctions, presided over
\nby well-known auctioneer Arthur Osha. Donated attic treasures, household goods,
\nfarm animals, homemade food, farm produce, and even a pair of dueling pistols
\nwere sold to benefit the church. Other events included art exhibits, hobby
\nshows, band concerts, home talent plays and church suppers, where for 50 cents,
\nhungry diners enjoyed a meal of meat loaf, potato salad, Harvard beets, rolls
\nand homemade cake.<\/p>\n
The corner stone of verde antique marble from the Rochester quarry was laid
\nJuly 16, 1950, and although the interior of the building was unfinished, Rev.
\nMyron Wilder had performed the first wedding in the church (uniting Caroline
\nTrask and Lawrence Tilden) the previous day. At the first regular church
\nservice in the building, also conducted by Rev. Wilder exactly five months
\nlater, he noted that the Federated Church was “set upon the Congregational
\nrock, the Methodist bell rings out a welcome from the belfry and the
\nUniversalist hand forged weathervane points direction from the spire.”<\/p>\n
The evening before the dedication ceremony in July 1953, a pageant entitled
\n“T’other Town,” written by Mildred and Worth Shampeny from a story told in the
\n“History of Rochester” by W.W. Williams, depicted life in Rochester from
\n1780-1813. The 50 people in the cast included many playing the roles of their
\nown ancestors. (Excerpts from “T’other Town” will be performed at the Federated
\nChurch’s 200th anniversary re-dedication ceremony Sunday, Aug. 26).<\/p>\n
At first the congregation sat on folding chairs, but soon they were notified by
\nLura Williams Wheeler, granddaughter of Rochester historian W.W. Williams, that
\na church near her home in Massachusetts had old pews that could be cut down to
\nfit the Rochester church. Wheeler and her brother and sister also gave $500
\ntowards chimes for the church, in memory of their grandfather (the man who read
\nCivil War news to the townspeople from the old church steps).<\/p>\n
Growth and Change<\/p>\n
The 1950s and ’60s were a time of great growth in membership for the church and
\nSunday School. In 1961, the Congregational part of the church voted to accept
\nthe constitution of the United Church of Christ. The church also sponsored
\ngroups such as a Girl Scout troop with over 40 girls.<\/p>\n
After a series of relatively short pastorates that followed the departure in
\n1953 of Rev. Wilder, who had led the church for nine years through the
\nrebuilding after the fire; Rev. Allan Bond, fresh from seminary, arrived for
\nwhat turned out to be another successful nine-year pastorate from 1965-74.
\nThose were years of turmoil with civil rights and the Vietnam War, and locally
\na total of four murders. The church gained an office, raised money for three
\nSunday School rooms and installed a new electric organ. Social action became an
\nincreasing theme at church meetings.<\/p>\n
It was during the pastorate of Rev. Ken Fuller (1975-79) that what many think
\nof as the “town clock” was installed in the church steeple. The funds had
\noriginally been raised in the early 1920’s by holding two successful minstrel
\nshows. The money was set aside and finally a clock was set in place June 11,
\n1976.<\/p>\n
During the 1980’s the church struggled with what to do about a deteriorating
\nparsonage, eventually deciding to keep and upgrade it. Funds were raised, work
\nand materials donated, and the result was what the trustees proudly called “a
\ntransformation from a costly liability into a pleasantly renovated and economic
\nresidence for our pastor.”<\/p>\n
Moving into the parsonage in the fall of 1983, was the Rev. John Pinder, who
\nhas the distinction of serving the church’s longest pastorate of the 20th
\ncentury (1983-93). Rev. Pinder, who was active in the community and
\ninstrumental in founding Rochester Community Care, which became the Park House,
\nwas followed by the church’s first husband and wife pastorate team, the Revs.
\nMark and Judy Kennedy.<\/p>\n
The church’s present pastor, Rev. Bill Daniels, who arrived just a year ago,
\nhas been working with Mary Davis of the Rochester Historical Society on a
\nchurch history book (which will be published later this fall) with assistance
\nfrom Eileen Daniels and church historian Royce Gage. During their research for
\nthe book, they were fascinated by the many old letters and other documents,
\nsome dating from the latter part of the 1700’s, that were found in the church
\nrecords.<\/p>\n
At the dedication of the new church almost a half century ago, it was noted
\nthat “when you build a church, you never stop; you keep on building.” As the
\nFederated Church heads into its third century, the members will be keeping that
\nin mind.<\/p>\n
By Martha Slater<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
* * * * * * * * * *<\/p>\n
Windsor County was formed 1781 from Woodstock County.<\/p>\n
ROOTSWEB gives this background on Rochester:<\/p>\n
The town of Rochester was brought into existence by an act of the Vermont
\nlegislature passed on November 6, 1780. In August of 1780 and again in October
\nthe Indians attacked the towns of Barnard and Roylaton. These two events put
\noff the settlement of Rochester until 1781 when John Sanger, Joel Cooper,
\nTimothy Clements, James Guggin and John Emerson came to the town. In 1782
\nDaniel Emerson and David Currier settled in town. Davids’ twin sons, Frederick
\nand William, were the first born children in the town of Rochester. In 1786 and
\n1787 Enoch Emerson built the first saw and grist-mills in town and Ebenezer
\nBurnham donated four acres to build a meeting-house, church-yard and commom. In
\n1790 Dr. Retire Trask, the first physician, came to town. In 1793 Ebenezer
\nMorse , the first blacksmith, also settled in Rochester. The first town meeting
\ntook place on May 15, 1788 at the house of Ebenezer Burnham. Lt. David Currier
\nwas chosen twon clerk; Capt. Timothy Clements, selectman; Timothy Clements,
\nEnoch Emerson and Aaron Wilbur, highway surveyors; Moses Currier, constable;
\nand Joseph Boice, collector.
\nProminent families of Rochester: Truman D. Austin, Thomas Bailey, Henry
\nChaffee, Major-General Artemas Cushman, Benjamin F. Hubbard, Dr. Daniel
\nHuntington, Fayette A. Keezer, Messer Family, Chester and Rev. Daniel Sparhawk,
\nGideon W. Angell, Oren L. Beckwith, Emerson Family, Hubbard Family, La Roy
\nMartin, Calvin Morse, Francis T. Mosher, Robinson Family, Wyman Family.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
++++++<\/p>\n
The Sparhawk genealogy was supplied to Dorothy McClure by Mr. Howard Sparhawk
\nof Billings, Montana. Compiled by Cecil Hampden Cutts Edward.<\/p>\n
* * * * * * * * *<\/p>\n
Sparhawk Journals Return Home<\/p>\n
Over two centuries after they were written in the neat and elaborate script of
\nthe day, the journals of Ebenezer Sparhawk Jr. have been returned to Rochester
\nby one of his descendents.<\/p>\n
The journals, which were handed down through Sparhawk’s family, first came to
\nthe attention of the Rochester Town History Committee 38 years ago, in 1966,
\nwhen a letter of inquiry came to the town postmaster. That led the committee to
\nhave access to material from the journals and thus, the Rochester Town History
\nbook, published in 1975, included many interesting entries from those
\njournals.<\/p>\n
The owner of the journals at that time was Albert McClure, a descendent of
\nEbenezer Jr. Albert’s wife, Dorothy McClure, transcribed many of them and Jane
\nSparhawk, another relative, typed up the transcriptions.<\/p>\n
Dorothy valued the journals greatly and thought they should be returned to
\nRochester after her death. After celebrating her 100th birthday this past
\nOctober, she developed pneumonia and died Dec. 8, 2003. Her daughter, Betty
\nKirby, sent the journals to the Rochester Historical Society, causing great
\nexcitement among its members.<\/p>\n
“What a treasure!” said Mary Davis. “We are so grateful to have them.”<\/p>\n
Sparhawk History<\/p>\n
The journals, which span the years 1789-1822, are about 3 1\/2 inches by six
\ninches, made of folded paper hand-sewn with thread. They are brown with age and
\nvery fragile.<\/p>\n
Davis explained that Ebenezer’s father, Ebenezer Sparhawk Sr., was one of the
\nsigners of the charter issued for the town July 30, 1781. His intention was to
\nprovide land for his sons, Ebenezer Jr. and Henry.<\/p>\n
Born May 28, 1764 in Templeton, Mass., Ebenezer Jr. was a teacher, surveyor,
\ncarpenter and farmer. A prominent citizen, he was active in church, school, and
\ntown affairs. According to his journal, 20 year-old Ebenezer Jr. first arrived
\nin Rochester in the fall of 1784 to view his father’s land.<\/p>\n
This was at a time when traveling in the area wasn’t easy. For example, there
\nwas only a bridle path through the woods from Royalton to Rochester. North of
\nRochester, and through to Warren and Waitsfield, the only guide for a traveler
\nwas a series of marked trees. However, for the next five years, Ebenezer Jr.
\ntraveled back and forth frequently between Templeton, Mass. and Rochester,
\nworking his own land and working for others. Finally, in October of 1789, he
\nbegan framing his house and became a Vermont resident.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t until almost 10 years later, on June 23, 1799, when he was 35, that
\nEbenezer Jr. married. His bride’s name was Azuba Jefferson. Their first child,
\nGeorge, was born in May 1800, followed by a second son, Samuel, in 1802, and
\nthree daughters: Priscilla, born in 1803, Polly in 1805, and Naomi in 1807. A
\nthird son, Ebenezer III, arrived in 1809, and a fourth, Joseph, (who died at
\nthe age of two) in 1811. Two more daughters, Martha, born in 1814, and Louisa,
\nborn in 1816, also joined the family.<\/p>\n
Ebenezer Jr. died Oct. 31, 1836, at the age of 72. His widow, Azuba, died in
\n1847 at the age of 68.<\/p>\n
Sparhawk’s diaries provide a fascinating look at the everyday activities and
\nspecial occasions in the early days of a rural Vermont town. They cover births,
\ndeaths, marriages, and other family news; farming issues, the building of
\nhouses, his work as a surveyor, the weather, the establishment of stage routes,
\nchurches and town organizations; trips out of town, business deals, local court
\ncases, state news, the War of 1812, and various milestones for the town.<\/p>\n
Historical Society<\/p>\n
The Rochester Historical Society Museum, located on the second floor of the
\nRochester Public Library building, is closed during the winter months, but will
\nhave a number of the journals on display when it re-opens June 1.<\/p>\n
The historical society members are currently working on plans for their display
\nat the Vermont History Expo at the Tunbridge fairgrounds June 26 and 27. Their
\nsubject this year is “Wash Day Circa 1900,” and anyone who has artifacts,
\nphotos, etc. they would be willing to share, is urged to contact Mary Davis at
\n767-4759. New members are always welcome.<\/p>\n
By Martha Slater<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nSources<\/p>\n
1. Cecil Hampden Cutts Howard, “Materials for a Genealogy of the Sparhawk
\n Family in New England”, compiled by Cecil Hampden Cutts Howard.
\n2. Internet search.
\n3. Vermont, Windsor County, 1800 U.S. Population Schedule – Vermont, Windsor
\n County (Images at Ancestry.com).
\n4. Vermont, Windsor County, 1810 U.S. Population Schedule- Vermont, Windsor
\n County (Images at Ancestry.com).
\n5. Vermont, Windsor County, 1820 U.S. Census – Vermont, Windsor County (Images
\n at Ancestry.com).
\n6. GenForum.
\n7. Vermont, Franklin County, 1850 U.S. Population Schedule (Images at
\n Ancestry.com).
\n8. Agnes Crockett’s family genealogy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ebenezer SPARHAWK Jr., son of Rev. Ebenezer SPARKHAWK Sr. and Abigail STEARNS, was born 29 May 1764 in Templeton, Worcestor Co. MA., and died 31 Oct. 1836 at Rochester, Windsor Co. VT. 23 June 1799, in Rochester, Windsor Co. VT., Ebenezer married Azubah JEPHERSON, daughter of Joseph JEPHERSON and Ruth EMERSON. Azubah was born 1779 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1],"tags":[1677,1684,1676,1678,1683,1686,1685,1681,1682,1680,1088,1679,714],"class_list":["post-9921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mitchell-line","category-uncategorized","tag-azubah-jepherson","tag-ebenezer-sparhawk","tag-ebenezer-sparhawk-jr","tag-george-sparhawk","tag-joseph-sparhawk","tag-louise-sparhawk-terry","tag-martha-sparhawk-alling","tag-mary-sparhawk-tucker","tag-naomi-sparhawk-tucker","tag-polly-sparhawk","tag-priscilla-sparhawk","tag-samuel-sparhawk","tag-sparhawk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9921\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evermore.imagedjinn.com\/blg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}