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A Detailed History of the St. Josephs Catholic Church in Bartlett, NH --The Beginning -- Assembled by Phil Franklin Bartlett Historical Society, Board of Directors December 2016 Mission While we have been very focused on the project to transform St. Joseph Church into the Bartlett Historical Society Museum, we have also been working to assemble the history of the church. To do this, we have had to rely on different sources of information (i.e. people and documents) as we have found that there is no one source for this history. Also, in doing the historical research, we have identified some discrepancies in things such as dates for events and there are gaps in the history as we cannot seem to locate any documentation about the history for the majority of the 1900’s. To the best of our efforts, we have tried to clarify the discrepancies as either typographical errors or in some cases interpretation of handwriting from the 1880’s and 1890’s which was not always clear. The bottom line is that this history is a work in progress and we welcome any help from people in the community with documents, pictures or recollections. This article will focus on the beginning years of the church – 1888 - 1891. Sources for this information include: * “Bartlett, New Hampshire … in the valley of the Saco” by Aileen M. Carroll, Phoenix Publishing, 1990 * Correspondence from Father J. N. Plante to Bishop Dennis Bradley from 1888 – 1891 copied from the archives at the Offices of the Diocese of Manchester as well as other documents from the Diocese * Correspondence from Littleton Savings Bank, June 16, 1890 An Idea for a Church is Born From 1856 to 1888, the Catholic community in Bartlett was organized as a mission of the All Saints Church in Lancaster, NH. From 1888 to July 14, 1902, the affiliation of the Bartlett Catholic community fell under the mission of St. Matthew’s Church in Whitefield, NH. During these years, it appears that the Catholic community in Bartlett and the surrounding towns was growing. This is where Father J. N. Plante of St. Matthew’s Church enters into the picture. The idea for a Catholic church in Bartlett started out of a need seen by Father Plante while he was stationed at St. Matthew’s Church. Before there was a church in Bartlett, people from this area needed to travel to Whitefield for services, the sacraments and any other spiritual needs. Remember, travel in those days was only by rail, horse, horse and buggy or, in the winter, sled so it was quite a journey to get to Whitefield. In a letter to Bishop Dennis Bradley on May 17, 1888, Father Plante wrote of several St. Matthew’s church related items (on St. Matthew’s letterhead) and at the very end of the letter, almost as a footnote, added, “I shall write to you soon concerning the building of a Chapel to Bartlett this summer.” We presume that the reference to “this summer” is when Father Plante intended to write more about his idea for the Bartlett church not that he planned to build in the summer of 1888. In a follow up letter to the Bishop dated November 22, 1888, Father Plante again mentions the Bartlett church writing, “I am glad to let you know that I have bought a church lot over to Bartlett. The payment thereon shall be made some time in January next and a Warranty Deed shall be made to your name.” At this point, the ground work was laid for the new Catholic Church in Bartlett. Land Acquisition, Financing and Initiation of Construction Records go on to show that the closing for the land did not occur until May 13, 1889. On that date, Emily A. Meserve sold a parcel of land on Carrigan Street to “Rev. D. M. Bradley” for a sum of $125.00. The land totaled “twelve thousand five hundred square feet more or less.” The lot dimension were 125’ x 100’. Carrigan Street is now known as School Street in Upper Bartlett or Bartlett Village. Plans for building the church were in motion but no documentation has been found to describe the steps being taken until a letter, again on St. Matthew’s Church letterhead, dated June 20, 1890 outlines a series of steps taken and concerns raised. We know from other documents that the actual construction started with the digging of the foundation hole on May 15, 1890 and that the stone work for the foundation was completed on June 1, 1890. Father Plante’s June 20th letter to Bishop Bradley reveals several things. First, he tells the Bishop that he “gave out the job of the stone work to a man from Berlin Falls. His name is Louis Rodrique.” The letter goes on to say that Mr. Rodrique was contracted to build a “good stone wall three feet in the ground and 1½ above - built with good land and lime and cement mortar … the thickness of the wall will be 2½ feet.” This contract for the foundation was written for $325.00 and the dimension of the church based on the foundation size will be 36’ x 58’. Father Plante continues in the June 20th letter by turning his attention to the money needed for the building. He says that he can raise the money to pay for the “wall” (foundation) but cannot go on further this year without help from the Bishop. The “help” requested is in the form of having the Bishop provide backing for loans that Father Plante was securing for the building effort. In the next paragraph in this letter, Father Plante outlines his plans for borrowing the money needed for construction. He mentions two sources of money. First, he notes a man in Whitefield who is known to the Bishop. He identifies this man as John O’Neal. Father Plante feels that Mr. O’Neal “could accommodate us very well with $1200 or $1500 and would take your note for security.” The second source of money is the Littleton Savings Bank. A letter from Mr. O.C. Hatch at the Littleton Savings Bank dated June 16, 1890 concludes with the statement “we can furnish the money, 1,000 $ [sic] or 1,500 as you prefer. They [bank directors] will waive the rule that we have if the Bishop makes the [unreadable word].” As a side note, the Littleton Historical Society, Curator Dick Alberini identified Mr. Hatch as Oscar Cutler Hatch, born in Newbury, VT on November 11, 1848; Mr. Hatch’s occupation was listed as “Banker” among other civic titles. Back to Father Plante’s borrowing - A note on a statement listing construction costs shows that the bank note was written for $1,300. With his financial “burden” (referencing the money) presumably secured, Father Plante awarded the construction job to a “Mr. Dana.” In the same June 20th letter, Father Plante also outlines the start of his plan to pay for the building. He says that he plans to hold a “fair in the building as soon as the frame be up, boarded and shingled.” He concludes this information packed letter by writing “The families are few in number in Bartlett, but still in their number and poverty, I believe that they can pay in time for their church.” From this one letter we learn a great deal about the character of Father Plante and his determination to build this church. A letter on August 1, 1890 from Father Plante to Bishop Bradley reveals that there must have been some discussion about using Mr. Dana for the building work versus two other men from Berlin Falls. In this letter, which provides some detail on the construction materials to be used, Father Plante states that Mr. Dana has provided an estimate of $3,300 for the building cost. The other men, identified only as “Turgeon and Biland,” provided a similar but slightly lower cost estimate ($300 less). While we do not have any documentation that provides a final statement of the contractor who was awarded the work, Father Plante writes very favorably about Mr. Dana so we will presume that Mr. Dana continued as the contractor. We will continue to look for evidence of who actually built the church. Building Completion and the Bishop’s Blessing We do not have any documentation of the actual construction but from the dates by which the construction was started to the point at which the first mass was celebrated, the building process must have been an all-out effort. The first mass was celebrated on November 9, 1890, making the construction effort a mere 179 days from start to finish. At that first mass, the choir from Whitefield sang the hymns. In yet another letter to Bishop Bradley dated October 2, 1890, Father Plante invites the Bishop to Bartlett writing “I wish you would come over sometime in October to see the beautiful little church of Bartlett. St. Joseph has granted our prayers for now the church is standing and shall be soon ready for worship.” (The reference to St. Joseph is presumed to be because Joseph, the father of Jesus, was a carpenter.) Bishop Bradley finally came to the church on August 30, 1891 to bless the building and officiate at the first communion of seven children plus 20 confirmations and one faith conversion where Thomas Colbath of Albany was baptized. As it was opened, St. Joseph was the first Catholic Church in the Mount Washington Valley. The church served the spiritual needs of people from Upper Bartlett plus Livermore, Redstone and Intervale. This was a regional church in its early years. St. Joseph Church was originally named Sacred Heart Church but in 1937, the name was changed to St. Joseph. We have not found why this name change occurred but a reference in the diary of Bishop Bradley dated August 30, 1891 states that he “dedicated the church to St. Joseph.” Completion Cost With all of Father Plante’s concerns about money, the church was built for the total sum of $2,732.28. The largest expense was the carpentry with a price of $1,725.28. The total cost included the lot, construction costs, furnishings, three years of insurance and loan interest. In the first year of the church’s life, the parishioners raised $1,253 toward payment of this debt through concerts, suppers and a fair. Observations about Father Plante Obviously, Father J. N. Plante played a central and critical role in the building of St. Joseph Church and the formation of the Catholic community in the area. While we have not discovered any biographical information about Father Plante, we can deduce something of his character from his letters to the Bishop. For example, Father Plante seems to have been one who acted without necessarily getting permission. We reach this conclusion by his 1888 and 1890 letters where he tells the Bishop of progress and his intentions relating to the building of the church rather than asking permission. In other letters in 1891, Father Plante makes two separate references to a troubling illness that has overtaken him. In a letter dated May 21, 1891, he writes to the Bishop reminding him that he had written earlier saying that he could not attend a conference sponsored by the Bishop and was expressing his dismay saying to the Bishop “I am sorry that to see that you have condemned me by not replying.” He later blames his illness on “the hardship of the mission.” In another letter on September 3, 1891, Father Plante again makes a direct appeal to the Bishop for support from two other priests because he is too sick to attend to his duties. He writes “I have seen already three physicians and they all agree in saying that unless I have complete rest, my health would be injured for life.” In this letter, he requests a three week vacation to recuperate. We have not found any follow up reference to his recovery or otherwise but again, we’ll keep looking. On another topic, Father Plante makes reference in his September 3rd letter to a “piece of land I own in Bartlett.” He describes land which is now the soccer field and school park between the church and railroad tracks and says that he has an offer of $225 for this property that he is contemplating selling. Finally, again, a reference from the Bishops diary on August 31, 1891 shows the Bishops private admiration for Father Plante as he writes “He is a most excellent priest.” Summary and A Request for Your Help We now have some detail on the beginnings of St. Joseph Church. The research we’ve done on the church has shown that there are many gaps in the documentation that we have uncovered so far. We will continue our search for records through the Diocese of Manchester and possibly through Our Lady of the Mountains but we could use the help of anyone who has knowledge of the history of St. Joseph Church. Below are some things we would like to know: * Were there maintenance records kept and, if so, where are they now? * Pictures of the church show a bell tower as recently as the 1960’s but in the 1990 Centennial picture the tower is gone. When was it removed, why and where is the bell? * Pictures of the church from the early 1900’s show a tall structure attached to the back of the church. From reading some other documentation, a passing reference is made to a priest’s apartment in the church but that reference is not identified as the tall structure; does anyone know what this structure was and when and why it was removed? * Does anyone have pictures of the interior of the church prior to Vatican II when the altar was moved from facing away from the congregation to facing toward the congregation? If you have them, can we please borrow them to scan into a computer or are you willing to donate them? * Was there ever a renovation done to the church? In an earlier picture, we see a dormer on the north side of the church near the back of the building. That dormer is gone now but, again, we would like to know why it was there (possible for the priest’s apartment?) and when it was removed. As we learn more about the history of St. Joseph Church, we will add to this narrative and publish new information on the history of this historic building. PO Box 514 - Bartlett, NH 03812

I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. school reunions 2008 All Classes Reunion Recap I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Early in 2007, Bartlett Historical Society members agreed that the society should host a reunion of Bartlett school classmates to commemorate the last class to graduate from and subsequent closing of Bartlett High School in 1958. It was agreed to invite everyone who ever attended a Bartlett School to join us. Later in the year the society contacted 60 individuals to enlist their assistance in collecting current addresses for school alumni. The following responded and collected classmate addresses for the project: Mikell Chandler Perry; Ruth Ward Abbott; Nancy Pettingill Hayes; Lisa Saunders Dufault; Donna Ward Iovino; Evelyn Sanborn Bailey; Carol Ainsworth Saunders; Ellen Sanborn Hayes; John & Judy Ludgate; Jim Howard; Elois Henry Sullivan; Virginia Liberty Lewis; Raymond Hebb; Jane Burdick Duggan; Louise Ludgate Merrill; Barbara Smith Denhard; Jean McGraw Ainsworth, as well as many family members in town. Then in February 2008, the invitations were mailed to those who had attended Bartlett schools throughout the years asking them to come home and celebrate their educational heritage at a reunion in August. Next came months of planning under the direction of Norman Head, chairman of the reunion committee. Finally late August arrived. The timing was right and after weeks of rain, the weather was absolutely perfect, an omen of good things yet to come. Former Bartlett school students arrived from far and near. They came from California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Connecticut, Vermont, Kentucky and from several towns and cities throughout New Hampshire. They brought with them their anticipation of the reunions with classmates with whom they hoped to share their school days memories and photos. They also brought genealogical information on their families to share with BHS and the library history files. The reunion was underway on Friday, August 22nd at 6:30 p.m. The Bartlett Recreation Department under the direction of Annette Libby had arranged for a special presentation of their popular concert in the Park with Kevin Dolan and Simon Crawford. The guests of honor arrived amid hugs, kisses, and squeals of delight on meeting their classmates. A sidelight to the evening was a mini family reunion, of sorts, as Jim and Jan Clemons presided over the gathering of several of the Clemons cousins and their spouses. Also, among those present were many other family groups. All were heard to be exchanging memories and enjoying the refreshments made available by the V.F.W., the Congregational Church and others, for several hours. All too soon it was time to leave this picture-perfect setting and promises of we’ll get together again tomorrow” were heard throughout. Another wonderful day arrived on Saturday and thanks to Joe Voci, principal of the JBES, Earl Mederois, and the entire staff at the school who were so accommodating and helpful, we were ready and at 9 a.m, the doors of the Josiah Bartlett Elementary School were opened and the library was staffed with volunteers ready to greet the guests of honor and to direct them to check-in with the historical society volunteers. After check-in they spent time enjoying the many displays of the historical society and the library. Soon the activities of the day were underway and those present were treated to presentations with a historical flavor: A Century of Railroading with Ben English, former teacher at Bartlett Elementary school; an Update on the Flying Yankee and its Restoration Project with George Howard, 1953 graduate of Bartlett High School; River Driving on the Saco River and Molly Ockett, Indian Doctress presented by Carol Foord of the Tin Mountain Conservation Center; The Construction of Stoney’s Sugar House under the direction of Valerie Ford, with Bartlett School students Lisa Carper, Lily Brennan, Aslyn Dindorf, Quinn Duffy & Matt Shaw; and, Songs of Old New Hampshire with Jeff Warner of the New Hampshire Humanities Council on the Arts. "The staff at the Attitash Grand Summit Hotel at Bear Peak made the honored guests welcomed as they arrived at the entrance. Once inside the resort, the Grand Summit staff, under the direction of Tracy Albert & Jen Albert greeted everyone with a selection of cheeses , and fruits to enjoy with cocktails. And throughout it all classmates continued to reminisce! As they sat down to dinner, George Howard lead the pledge of allegiance to the flag and David Gosselin gave the invocation. During dinner Norman Head and Bert George presided over the drawing of raffle prizes and special recognitions donated by the following Bartlett Artisans and Merchants: Bartlett Schools Afghan, BHS; hand painted plate with a Bartlett scene, Greta George; Print, Lisa Saunders Dufault; Afghan and pillow, Evelyn Sanborn Bailey; Framed Photo, Ellen Sanborn Hayes; Breakfast Basket, Carol Ainsworth Saunders; Replace the Turf from Whence it was Hacked’’ by Kathi L. McGraw; Gift Certificate, Fresh Start Restaurant; Gift Certificates, Trails End Ice Cream Shoppe; Gift Certificate, White Mountain Cider Co.; Gift Certificates, Settler’s Green; NH Lotto Scratch Tickets, Patch’s Market; T-Shirts, Langdon’s Mercantile; Golf Foursome, Linderhof Country Club; Maple Syrup, Stoney’s Sugar House; Wine Basket, Austin & Debbie Ferland; Paintography, Carol Saunders; framed print, Dolley/Emerson, and a Hand-crafted Bird House, Wanda Allan. After the raffle, Norman celebrated the following individuals with special recognition: ⇒ Jean Garland, was presented with flowers donated by Brian Hill. of Hill’s Florists. Gene Chandler, Selectman and Bartlett School classmate, recalled her more than 55 years as the town librarian. ⇒ Edith Chandler, at 90 years old, was the oldest person (by two years) in attendance and was presented with flowers also given by Brian Hill along with town histories given by the Bartlett Library. ⇒ It should be noted here that BHS members, Donald Clemons, 87, and Barbara Denhard, 84, were also in attendance. Carol Saunders, member of the last class to graduate fromBartlett High School, which closed in 1958 upon their graduation, presented her classmates and favorite teacher, Mr. Sal Manna with tee shirts prepared by her daughter, Lisa Saunders Dufault to remember the event. Then Carol recalled growing up in Bartlett in the 1950’s in rhyme. The recollection she titled, “The Class of 1958” was most entertaining. After dinner it was time to enjoy the entertainment provided by Jonathan Sarty and the White Mountain Boys which, we understand, was very much enjoyed by everyone. And, once again it ended all too soon. On Sunday morning, classmates gathered again, this time at the Red Fox Pub & Restaurant on Route 16 in Jackson, for an Until We Meet Again Breakfast. And, once again, the reunion guests received special treatment from Paul Ciamillo and his staff at the Red Fox with a private room where they could enjoy the scrumptious breakfast buffet and continue to reminisce with old and new friends. One last time it was over much too soon. This time the classmate partings were bittersweet as now it was time to say good by. Each left wishing that it could have lasted “just a bit longer,” and, leaving a small piece of their heart in their “old home town.” However reluctant, they did leave and they took with them the memories t hey brought on Friday, in addition to the new memories of those three glorious August days. Those memories are certain to last until they gather again one day. In addition to those mentioned in this diary of the Bartlett School Reunion 2008, the Bartlett Historical Society reunion committee wishes to thank the following for their contributions to this event: Dave Eliason for adding event info to his Bartlett website ; Bob “Homer” Holmes and Kathleen Sullivan Head for recording the oral history conversations, Ruth Ward Abbott, who gave her permission for us to copy her compilation of photos, programs and memorabilia chronicling the history of Bartlett High School; Jean Garland and the library staff for always being willing to help us out; Bev Shaw and Kelly Gilinas of T.D. Bank, North for the welcome bags; Marcia Burchstead, for keeping us in her column; Kathi McGraw for coming through when we needed to get out member emails and information posted to the website; Resort Rentals Realty and Hannalore Chandler, for welcome bag donations; Settlers’ Green Outlet Village, and to all of those who helped in the many ways too numerous to mention. Thank you for a fantastic production one and all. Bartlett School Reunion committee members: John Ludgate, Carol Saunders, Bert George, Marcia Dolley, Leslie Mallett and Chairman, Norman Head I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.