The first regular minister was the Rev. J. C. Waldo, whose term of service commenced on the first Sabbath after March 15, 1841. On April 12, following, the Society voted that he be installed. He remained as minister till 1847. On Sept. 20, of that year, the Rev. Willard Spaulding was invited as pastor; and he was followed by the Rev. George Hill, who was first engaged to supply the pulpit on Aug. 27, 1849, and invited to become the minister of the Society on Feb. 5, 1850. After a ten-years' pastorate his resignation was accepted Jan. 16, 1860. He was succeeded by the Rev. William E. Gibbs, who was invited to become pastor on May 28, 1860. Mr. Gibbs remained minister until Oct. 1, 1866, when his resignation took effect, and he was followed by Rev. J. W. Keyes, who was invited Dec. 7, 1866. On Aug. 30, 1869, the resignation of Mr. Keyes was accepted, to take effect Oct. 1, that year. Rev. William H. Ryder was invited March 20, 1871. He resigned May 20, 1873. The present minister is the Rev. William F. Potter, who began to preach to the Society on the first Sunday in July, 1876.2Orthodox Congregational Society.—On the evening of June 8, 1842, several members of Orthodox churches, residing in West Cambridge and its vicinity, met at the residence of Miss Anna Bradshaw, for religious worship. Miss Bradshaw, the grand-daughter of the Rev. Samuel Cooke, the first minister of the Old Parish of the town (1739-1783), resided in the old parsonage of her grandfather on Pleasant Street, next the burying-ground. The Rev. Dr. Albro, of Cambridge, was present on the above evening, and addressed the meeting. A weekly meeting for conference and prayer was at this time established. July 10, following, a sermon was preached under a large tent, erected on the grounds of Miss A. Bradshaw, for the celebration of national independence. An appointment was made for
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West Cambridge.1 The meeting-house was accordingly built in 1840, and dedicated on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 1841.
On Feb. 21, 1848, the Society voted to petition the General Court for an act of incorporation.
1 The ‘subscribers to a fund for building a Universalist meeting-house in the town of West Cambridge,’ who petitioned for a warrant for a parish meeting on Aug. 3, 1840, were Henry Frost, Jefferson Cutter, Joseph Locke, William L. Clark, Francis Russell, William Whittemore, Ammi C. Teel, Kimball Farmer, John Fowle, John Jarvis, Jesse P. Pattee, Josiah H. Russell, and Moses Bacon, clerk.
2 Thanks are extended to Mr. Arthur W. Peirce for assistance in preparing this sketch.
Boston: David Clapp and son. 564 Washington Street, 1880.
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