Barnston Baptist Church
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Many of the early settlers of Barnston were Baptist. About 1812 they would gather to worship. Visiting ministers from the New England states would occasionally preach and in their absence, the Deacons and elders would conduct the meetings. This would be the foundation of the Baptist Church of Barnston. In 1833 the Church was organized and accepted by the Danville Association. In 1835 its members began construction of the church on land given to the church by the Cushing family. In 1837 the building was completed and they held a dedication ceremony. In 1874 the interior was renovated. In 1890 the interior was redone in woodwork.
About the year 1990 the congregation disbanded and members attended church elsewhere. In 2003, it was vandalized, stained glass windows were smashed, items stolen and a small fire was set. A small group called Heritage Barnston was formed about 2003 to restore this historical site.
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TO THE GLORY OF GOD
This church was organized Jan. 9, 1833. The honor under God, for this belongs to Deacon Bellows and Deacon J. Merriman. The names of those who banded themselves to-gether are Simeon White and wife, John Bellows and wife, Mrs. (Dr.) McKeech, and daughter, Mary Ann Fellows, Daniel Sutton and wife, John Sutton and wife, Grandma Sutton, John P. Sutton, James May, Joseph Parker and wife, Sally Parker, Alpheus Parker and Susan Crooker.
In June 1833, Deacon Bellows and Joshua Parker rode on horseback to St. Johnsbury, Vermont, to attend the Danville Association. There they succeeded in having the church recognized by and identified with that body. In 1835 they began like David to prepare material for a chapel, and like Israel’s king, they wished to have the best. Some with their own teams and sledges hauled granite from Barnston mountain for the foundation; others went to the woods and hewed out a frame from the finest pine. The lot was, by Deacon Cushing, deeded to the church for so long as it should exist as a Baptist cause.
In Aug., 1837 the building was completed and free of debt, was dedicated, amidst general rejoicing, to the worship of God only. Rev. Albin Sabin, D. D. preached the sermon from Ruth 1: 16 & 17.
The self sacrifice and determination in thus displayed in thus providing for the worship of God shows the sturdy christian manhood of those early disciples. They built wisely and well. Let us not be behind our fathers.
D.W. Terry
Presented by
Sarah Bellows Buckland
In loving memory of her father
John Bellows Died Aug., 21, 1869 Aged 88
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
"Among the early settlers of this town were the Bartlett, Griswold, Bellows, Sutton, Jewett, Parker, Smith, White and Hibbard families. These were Baptists. They were occasionally supplied with preaching by minister from the New England States, but their meetings were generally conducted by their deacons - among whom were J. Griswold, P.J. Sutton, and J. Bellows.
About the year 1812, Elder Roswell Smith settled in the north part of the town, but after preaching four or five years, left the country. A church had been organized about that time, but after the lapse of a few years, it disbanded. In 1833, a new church was formed, consisting of some twenty members. In the meantime, preaching had been occasionally supplied by Elders John Idle, Harvey Clark, Marvin Grove and others."