Part III. 



GAZETTEER OF VERMONT. 



19 



BENNINGTON. 



EKNNlNtiTON. 



his house over night. In the course of 

 the evening he contrived to ascertain 

 their religious views. If he found they 

 did not correspond with his, he persuaded 

 them to settle in Shaftsbury, of which he 

 was also a proprietor. By this means the 

 settlers of Bennington were nearly all of 

 one relisfious faith; and they continued 

 so, with some exceptions, to a late period. 

 This attempt to preserve uniformity of re- 

 ligious sentiment was doubtless designed 

 to promote the harmony and consequent 

 liappiness of the town. But it is questiona- 

 ble .whether it had that elfect. While but 

 a single church existed, it was often di- 

 vided into parties, sometimes of a most 

 bitter character, whose influence exten- 

 ded throughout tiie town, and produced vi- 

 olent animosities and heart burniaigs. 

 The party in the majority was generally 

 intolerant, and both parties bigoted and 

 uncharitable. Since other churches have 

 been established, more liberal religious, 

 as well as kinder, social feelings iiave 

 prevailed. The first pastor of tliis church, 

 as has been before stated, was the Rev. 

 Jedediah Dewey, who was settled in 

 1763, and died December 21, 1778. The 

 Rev. David Avery was settled May o, 

 1760. He had been a chaplain to General 

 Learned's brigade of the army, and re- 

 signed that situation when he received a 

 call from this church. He did not give 

 general satisfaction and was dismissed. 

 Slay •:J7, 17S3. The Rev. Job Swift was 

 settled February 27, 1786, and continued 

 in charge of the church till June 7, 1801. 

 The Rev. Daniel Marsh next became pas- 

 tor about 1806, and continued such until 

 April -25, 18-20. The Rev. Absalom Pe- 

 ters was ordained July 5, 1820, and releas- 

 ed from his charge December 14, 1825. 

 The Piev. Daniel A. Clark was pastor 

 from June 13th, 1826, to October 12, 1830. 

 The present minister, the Rev. Edvrard 

 W. Hooker, was settled February 22, 

 1832. The church, by the separation of a 

 portion of its members to form two other 

 churches, has become much weakened, 

 though it is still the largest, and has 

 the most numerous and wealthy con- 

 gregation of any in the town. One 

 of the academies in this village, was 

 erected in 1821, and the other in 1829. 

 They were for five or six yeurs rival in- 

 stitutions, and were in a flourishing -con- 

 dition ; but since 1837, permanent schools 

 have not been maintained in either. The 

 village is well situated for an institution 

 of this description, and Mr. Horace Fletch- 

 er has lately commenced a school in one 

 of the buildings, with a fair prospect of 

 Euccess. 



Bennington Eust Village, situated about 



a mile and a half east of the old village, 

 contains 140 dwelling houses and about 

 700 inhabitants. Its pub:ic buildings are 

 four churches and an academy. It has a 

 woollen factory, employing eight or ten 

 hands ; two wadding factories, which 

 manufacture from 70 to 80 thousand doz- 

 en sheets per annum, valued at 20 to 

 .'1^25,000; two cupola furnaces which 

 make from eight to ten tons of castings — 

 such aa stoves, mill-irons, ploughs, &c. — 

 per week ; three tanneries that prepare 

 for market 3000 hides annuall^^ ; a stone 

 and earthern ware factory, employing 

 from 12 to 15 hands ; and an establish- 

 ment for making fire bricks, which produ- 

 ces about .^5,000 worth per annum. The 

 fire bricks, for the composition and man- 

 ufacture of which a patent has been ob- 

 tained, are composed principally of kaolin 

 and pulverized quartz, which are found in 

 abundance in the east part of the town. 

 The bricks are used in blast and cupola 

 furnaces, glass ovens, and for other pur- 

 poses where a substance capable of resist- 

 ing a high heat is required. For uiost 

 purposes these bricks are preferred to 

 any imported. This village has also, be- 

 sides great numbers of mechanics' shops, 

 a grist-mill, saw-mill, oil-mill, 8 stores, 3 

 taverns, a printing oflice, and 3 law oflices. 

 The Baptist meeting house is a neat 

 wooden building, and was erected in 1830; 

 the church having been organized, April 

 11,1827. The Rev. Henry F. Baldwin 

 was pastor from June, J 828, to October, 

 1830. The Rev. Thomas Teasdale suc- 

 ceeded him and continued his labors till 

 February, 1832 ; when he was succeeded 

 by the Rev. Jeremiah Hall, who remain- 

 ed till 1836. The Rev. Mr. Willis came 

 next, and continued one year, wheii he 

 was succeeded by the Rev. S. Hutchins, 

 the present pastor. The Methodist meet- 

 ing house is a stone building, erected in 

 1833. Thechurch was organized in Ma}^, 

 1827. The following named clergymen 

 have been successively stationed here, with 

 the church since May, lc27, each for two 

 years, to wit : the Rev. Cyrus Prindle, 

 John M. Weaver, Wright Hazen, Henry 

 Burton, Henry Smith, — Hubbard, and 

 C. R. Wilki-ns. The present minister is 

 the Rev. Jesse Craig> An Episcopal par- 

 ish was organized here July 24, 1834, by 

 the name of St. Peter's Chinch, under 

 the ministry of the Rev. Nathaniel O. 

 Pi-eston, and a church edifice built of 

 brick in 1836, which wasconsecrated Ju- 

 ly 22, JS39. This church is still under 

 the pastoral care of the Rev. N. O. Pres- 

 ton, and though small, consisting of only 

 20 communicants, is regarded as ina pros- 

 perous conditioK. The Congregational 



