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Third meeting-house.
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Third meeting-house, 1770. |
The increase and prosperity of the town called for a new meeting-house; but the trying question was, Where shall it be placed?
As the majority of the inhabitants were east of the old meeting-house, it was but right to place the new one nearer the centre of population.
In 1768, it was proposed to build it “between the
Meeting-house Brook, so called, and the
widow Mary Greenleaf's.”
This was abandoned.
April 4 of the same year, it was voted by the town thus: “When the town builds a meeting-house, they will build said house upon the
widow Watson's orchard, before her dwelling-house, provided said land can be procured on reasonable terms.”
This proposition was no more successful than the last.
Aug. 22, 1768: “Voted to build a meeting-house on land bought of
Mr. John Bishop; the house to be of the following dimensions: sixty-six feet long, forty-six feet wide, with forty-eight pews on the floor, and eight in the gallery;
with a tower from the ground, without a spire; two ”