by quoting part of an editorial from "The Federalist," May 24th, 1820 " . . . . It is a settled principle with us never to suffer subjects of local interest to occupy a place in our paper." So we may safely conclude that the first Episcopal Service held in Springfield created considerable stir, for it is given unusual space in "The Federalist," May 15th, 1817. The article reads, "Dedication :—A spacious chapel in the building lately erected on the Public Ground in this town was dedicated to the solemn worship of the Almighty God on Tuesday last. The Rev. Titus Strong, Rector of St. James' Church, Greenfield, delivered an impressive and highly appropriate discourse on the occasion from Matt. 18, 20, 'For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.'"
         Old letters, diaries, and other historic papers bring this picture before us. We see an unadorned room fitted with simple seats, a plain desk, and a small organ. We see the beloved Dr. Strong, "a tall man of stately bearing, with a smooth shaven, kindly face," wearing a simple black gown, reading the service with his splendid voice to the small congregation of workmen and their families, augmented by three or four Episcopal families from the village. Curiosity, no doubt, drew other rural folk, for that human weakness seemed to have drawn even stern Puritans to hear the Episcopal service first read in Boston as early as 1638. There were very few Prayer Books in Springfield in 1817. Possibly the responses were read by the clerk only, from a cherished copy of the Prayer Book, for such was the custom of that day. We see the tall, dignified, gentlemannered Colonel Lee, his heart full of joy and gratitude, as he worshipped for the first time in this "spacious" Chapel whose walls and simple furnishings owed their existence to his conscientious resourceful efforts. Dr. Samuel Osgood, the village parson, may have been present, for at the dedication of St. James' Church, Greenfield (1814), "Several of the Dissenting Clergymen in the neighborhood were present to witness the solemnities of the day."· We know, too, that Dr. Strong and Dr. Osgood were on friendly terms, for they officiated at the

14

These pages are © Laurel O'Donnell, 1999 - 2005, all rights reserved
Copying these pages without written permission for the purpose of republishing
in any format or posting to mailing lists is strictly forbidden
This page was last updated on 27 Jul 2005