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First Congregational Church
Former: 504 S Fourth, Now home of First Brigade Band
and D/JCGS
New:
1858 Ladies Festival, effort towards payment of
the small remaining debt 07 22
1872 Extensive repairs
having become necessary, it has been decided to improve and enlarge the whole
edifice. 08 08 WD
1904
The
matter of a Men's Sunday Evening club at the Congregational church is being broached.
These organizations are becoming very popular, and wherever they exist have
proved to be conducive to interesting young men especially in church
attendance. That there is ample fuel for such movement in our midst is a fact
not to be denied and it is hoped something may materialize of this project. 10 10
1908
10 02 New Woodcraft
Indians club met and elected officers
1909 Corner
Stone of New Congregation Church Laid
Last
Sunday afternoon the corner stone of the new Congregational Church, corner of
Fourth and Wisconsin streets, was laid with impressive ceremonies. There was a large number of people present to
take part in the proceedings, including the various church societies, people of
other denominations and quite a number from out of town. The weather was ideal
for the services and everything passed off in a most excellent manner. 07 16
The
corner stone was laid at the southeast corner of the building, it is of Bedford
sandstone and has inscribed on it "1909." A brief history of the church, copies of the
local newspapers and a number of other documents were placed in the stone. Rev. H. W. Carter, D. D., of Beloit,
superintendent of the missionary department, Congregational societies of
Wisconsin, laid the stone, and Rev. Charles Parker Connolly, pastor of Plymouth
Church, Milwaukee, delivered the principal address. His remarks were eloquent
and interesting, and thoroughly appreciated by all present. The program in full
was as follows:
Sentences from Scripture ........Rev. H. C. Rehm
Doxology ........................Congregation and
Choir
Invocation ......................Rev. H. C. Rehm
Vocal Quartette .................Mr. and Mrs. Wm
Sproesser, Edw. L.
Schempf,
Mrs. C. R. Feld,
Reading of report ...............C. A. Skinner
Address .........................Rev. P. C.
Connolly, Milwaukee
Song ............................Choir
Reading of contents of stone ....Rev. H. C. Rehm
Laying of corner stone ..........Rev. H. W. Carter,
Beloit
Hymn,
Blest Be
the Tie That Binds ..Congregation and Choir
Benediction
The initial step in the movement
leading to the building of the new Congregational Church was taken in January
1908, at meeting of the Clover Club. It was voted at that time that the club
pledged itself to raise $1000 for a church building fund. This action and the heroic way in which the
members and officers of the club at once went to work encouraged the church to
look forward to larger things. It has
long been realized that this church was in need of extensive repairs. It was
also felt that this would at least require a complete remodeling of the
building.
At a
meeting of the church and congregation held
This
committee was empowered to decide for a remodeled or a new church. After
considering the matter all summer this committee decided to submit the question
to the trustees, the Sunday school superintendent and the president of the
Clover Club, which organized itself as a joint committee with the original
committee. This joint committee decided
to recommend building a new church on condition that $7000 including the Clover
club pledge be raised. It was also voted
to build according to plans drawn by Van Ryn & DeGelleke of Milwaukee, for
the Two Rivers Congregational church.
The
$7000 was soon pledged and at the annual meeting of the church and congregation
on
The
building committee consists of the Rev. H. C. Rehm, chairman, R. Achtenhagen,
E, A. Pratt, A. D. Platz, Mrs. L. L. Parks, and Chas. A. Skinner. The cost of the building will be about
$12,300 which includes price of the memorial windows donated by C. A. Skinner,
Mrs. W. C. Stone, Mrs. C. Berrymann, Lee Skinner for the late C. B. Skinner and
wife, and also by Mrs. G. B. Lewis for the late G. B. Lewis, by Mrs. H. Donner
for a Bennett memorial, by Mrs. Jesse Stone for former Lient-Gov. Jesse Stone,
by Mrs. F. M. Piper for a Piper Memorial.
Mrs.
Katherine and Lucy Hall have also contributed $400 each which will be used in
payment on the $2,150 Kimball pipe organ purchased for the new church. This instrument will be a Hall memorial.
The
first Congregational church in Watertown was organized by Rev. Stephen Peet,
agent of the home missionary society, July 13, 1845, or just sixty-four years
ago. The first meeting was held in the only schoolhouse up to that time within
the city limits of Watertown. The
society was composed chiefly of Presbyterians, but an organization was effected
in accordance with the Congregational faith.
The first communicants were George Breakenridge, Wm. Dunlavey, O. K.
Coe, Nancy Breakenridge, Jane A. Dunlavey, Mary J. Scott, Paulina S. Coe, Maria
Shears, Harriet Montgomery.
A
church edifice was erected in 1850 on the site of the proposed new church at a
cost of $1500. It was enlarged twice
since, the first time in 1858 and again in 1872.
The
first pastor was the Rev. B. F. Parsons, and during his pastorate services were
held in the old Cramer block,
In
1883 a cosy parsonage was built, which is still the home of the minister
attending the charge.
The
present church now under construction is being built at a cost of $12,500, and
with an organ costing $2,100, will cost the congregation the sum of $14,600.
The
pastor, Rev. H. C. Rehm, is entitled to the credit of initiating the move for
the building of the new church, and he has labored incessantly and hard to
bring about the success of the movement, and every member of his congregation
gave him encouragement in his good work.
1920
Rev.
George C. Weis, formerly pastor of the Congregational Church in this city, died
at Firewater, Oregon, on Dec. 6, where he was pastor of the Congregational
Church. He is survived by his wife and
two daughters, also by one son by a former marriage. His many Watertown friends learned of his
death with much sorrow. After leaving
Watertown he published a newspaper for a time at Waukesha, and then went to
Alaska, where he did well in gold mining, and then located in Washington. WDT
1924
Last
Saturday afternoon Rev. N. Carter Daniell the esteemed pastor of the First
Congregational church of this city for the past 13 years, passed
to his eternal reward at his home,
1926
Watertown Daily Times 08
1926
(Picture)
FINAL SERVICE BY REV. FOSTER
Next
Sunday, August 22, will mark the last service to be conducted here by the Rev.
Earl Ware Foster, pastor of the Congregational Church, before he leaves to
assume the pastorate of the Olivet Congregational church at Merriam Park, St.
Paul, Minn.
Rev.
Foster has chosen for his subject “The Last Call”. There will be special music with Mrs. Inez
Mansfield, soprano, and the Buell instrumental trio on the program. The public is invited.
Rev.
Foster’s leaving is much regretted, not only by members of his parish, but my
many acquaintances and friends in every walk of life in this city. He had his
family have made many friends here. His
services to his congregation and to the community has been great and his
influence for the best in the community has been a factor in local circles.
Rev. Foster and his family have the best wishes of their fellow citizens of
Watertown.
1956
The
first of two church mergers affecting four of the city's present Protestant
congregations, first announced in the Times in 1955, will take effect on June
1, 1957, when Watertown will have only one Methodist Church. Announcement of
this date was made here today by the Rev. William V. Stevens, minister of First
Methodist and Wesley Methodist Churches.
04 05 WDT
The
other merger, which is also scheduled for next year, will involve the First Congregational Church and the First
Evangelical and Reformed Church. Details on the merger are still pending.
Image
Portfolio
Click to enlarge
1908 1919 Stained Glass 2002
Cross-References:
No 1: 1905, Church minister, Thomas B. Thompson,
beneficiary, Fannie Lewis' will
