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History of Holyoke's Churches
The Methodist Episcopal Church
(South Hadley Falls)
Rev. James M. Sutherland, Pastor
A Methodist Episcopal church of twenty members was organized at South Hadley Falls in the latter part of the year 1827. The first class was gathered in "The Brick Chapel" by Rev. Dr. Fisk, who ministered to the church for two or three years. He was succeeded by John Knight, a student at Wilbraham Academy the services being held in the "Old White Schoolhouse," and the organization of the church was the result of a revival which accompanied his preaching. When at length the schoolhouse became too small for the growing congregations, a larger room was secured in the Howard and Lathrop Mill. In the autumn of the year 1832 a meeting house was built on Gaylord street, which thereafter, until recent times, was called Methodist street.
Methodist Episcopal Church (South Hadley Falls)
The present officers are: Stewards, A.L. Blackmer, A.A. Miller, Charles W. Brown, Charles D. Eaton, Wallace Crooke, W.G. Reynolds, Ashfield Ashford, A. Evans, C.A. Bancroft, Wallace Graves, A. Sinclair, William Knopp, James Sinclair, James Mungall, and of these Charles W. Brown is recording steward, and Wallace Crooke is district steward.
The trustees are A.A. Miller, Thomas McElwain, William Frey, M. Madsen, Charles D. Eaton, W.E. Bancroft, David Mungall, W.H. Downs, William Fricker.
Rev. James M. Sutherland
This church has a long list of pastors. The names of the men that have had charge of this work and the dates of their pastorates follow:
Rev. Benjamin C. Phelps, 1833-1834; Rev. Paul Townsend, 1834-1835; Rev. Ebenezer Blake, 1836; Rev. J.O. Dean, 1837-1838; Rev. L.W. Blood, 1839; Rev. Thomas Marcy, 1840-1841; Rev. Christopher Mason, 1842-1843; Rev. E.A. Manning, 1844; Rev. J.W. Dadmun, 1845-46; Rev. Robert Kellen, 1847-1848; Rev. Cyrus L. Eastman, 1849-1850; Rev. Thomas H. Mudge, 1851; Rev. E.S. Best, 1852; Rev. Rodney Gage, 1853; Rev. Soloman Sias, 1854; Rev. C.E. Standish, 1855; Rev. Charles Noble, 1856; Rev. M. Emory Wright, 1857; Rev. Samuel Jackson, 1858-1861; Rev. Harvey Hitchcock, 1861-1862; (From 1862 to 1868 the church was closed.)
Rev. D.B. Merrill, 1868; Rev. Alfred Noon, 1869-1871; Rev. Joseph Candlin, 1871-1872; Rev. W.S. Jagger, 1873-1876; Rev. Eratus Burlingham, 1876-1878; Rev. J.B. Bigelow, 1878-1879; Rev. John Galbraith, 1879-1880; Rev. T.C. Martin, 1880-1883; Rev. George H. Mansfield, 1883-1884; Rev. W.H. Adams, 1887-1889; Rev. C.W. Hawkings, 1889-1891; Rev. J.H. Stubbs, 1891-1895; Rev. J.S. Yerks, 1896-1897; Rev. E.E. Albercrombie, 1897-1898; Rev. John Mason, 1898-1901; Rev. John Wriston, 1901-1904; Rev. H.G. Butler, 1906-1906; Rev. P.R. Stratton, 1909-1912. At present the pastor is Rev. James M. Sutherland, who recently came to this town after a successful pastorate at Worcester.
The present membership of the church is 133, and the Sunday school has a membership of 180, with an average attendance of 120.
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