Old landmarks and historic personages of Boston . ege. HollisStreet appears on a map of 1775, continued in a straight lineto Cambridge (Back) Bay. The growth of this part of Bostonhad, by 1730, called for a place of worship nearer than Sum-mer Street. Governor Belcher, who was then a resident inthe vicinity, gave the land for a site, and a small woodenmeeting-house, thirty by forty feet, was erected in 1732. Thefirst minister was Eev. Mather Byles. A bell weighing 800pounds was given by a nephew of the Thomas Hollis for whomthe church was named, and was placed in the steeple on itsarrival. Thi
Old landmarks and historic personages of Boston . ege. HollisStreet appears on a map of 1775, continued in a straight lineto Cambridge (Back) Bay. The growth of this part of Bostonhad, by 1730, called for a place of worship nearer than Sum-mer Street. Governor Belcher, who was then a resident inthe vicinity, gave the land for a site, and a small woodenmeeting-house, thirty by forty feet, was erected in 1732. Thefirst minister was Eev. Mather Byles. A bell weighing 800pounds was given by a nephew of the Thomas Hollis for whomthe church was named, and was placed in the steeple on itsarrival. This bell began the joyful peal at one oclock on themorning of the 19th of May, 1766, as nearest to Liberty Tree,and was answered by Christ Church from the other extremityof the town, announcing the Stamp Act Eepeal. The steepleswere hung with flags, and Liberty Tree decorated with banners. The church was destroyed by the great fire of 1787, but thesociety, nothing daunted, reared another wooden edifice in the LIBERTY TREE AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 415. HOLLIS STREET CHURCH. year following, of which we present an engraving. It waserected upon the same spot as the former church, but had, un-like it, two towers instead of a steeple. Charles Bulfinch wasthe architect, and Josiah Wheeler the builder. This buildingwas removed in 1810, to giveplace to the present edifice,and was floated on a raft downthe harbor to East Braintree,where it now stands as thechurch of Bev. Dr. Storrs,somewhat modified in appear-ance, but substantially thesame as when it was one ofthe chief ornaments of thetown of Boston. The steeple of Hollis Street reaches an altitude of nearlytwo hundred feet, and is one of the most prominent objectsseen from the harbor. This is the church of West, Holley,Pierpont, and Starr King. Singularly enough, the church haslost by death, while in the service of the church, but a singleone of its pastors (Dr. Samuel West) since its John Pierpont, one of our native poet
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidoldlandmarkshisty00drak
