Some old time meeting houses of the Connecticut Valley . med in those days,and the preacher often pointed to the ceiling with hisbig worsted mitten, while the women used foot stonesand everybody else knocked heel against heel. The building of this third house of worship wasan important event in the ministry of Mr. Breck, whopreached from its pulpit until his death in 1784. Itwas while the congregation was worshiping in thishouse that the Rev. Samuel Osgood, began his pastor-ate of forty five years of active service and almost adecade more of pastoral relation. The beautiful Colonial structure,
Some old time meeting houses of the Connecticut Valley . med in those days,and the preacher often pointed to the ceiling with hisbig worsted mitten, while the women used foot stonesand everybody else knocked heel against heel. The building of this third house of worship wasan important event in the ministry of Mr. Breck, whopreached from its pulpit until his death in 1784. Itwas while the congregation was worshiping in thishouse that the Rev. Samuel Osgood, began his pastor-ate of forty five years of active service and almost adecade more of pastoral relation. The beautiful Colonial structure, which nowstands west of Court Square, was erected in Damon, the builder of bridges, who had a fewyears before designed and built in Northampton thelargest and most elaborate church in westernMassachusetts, was engaged as architect of thenew house in Springfield. The writer has beenunable to ascertain where Damon obtained his designfor the Springfield church. The exterior is very unlikethat of the church he built in Northampton, but bears 34. THIRD MEETING HOUSE. 1752 a striking resemblance to certain old houses ofworship, which were standing at the time in easternMassachusetts, and also to St. Michaels church,Charleston, South Carolina, which was built in 1761. The interior of the church was patterned afterthe interior of the Northampton house. DoubtlessDamon looked about and followed other designs, withmodifications of his own devising. It may be seenfrom the accompanying illustration that the house is afine example of the Colonial building. It is wellproportioned, a fact not true of the church in Charleston,South Carolina, which Damon may have had in portico, with its Ionic columns and other orna-mentations, is very beautiful, especially when seen inthe moonlight. The tower with its several forms is ofright proportions and makes an impressive would be more effective as a work of architecture ifit were more highly ornamented. A well knownarch
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherslsn, bookyear1911
