Concord, New Hampshire.
��289
��For over fifty years, since it moved down from the north end, the business centre of the town has been fixed. Numerous fires have removed old land- marks, but stores have replaced stores. On the site of the Eagle Hotel formerly stood the Eagle Coffee House, built in 1828, with an eagle before its entrance, and with a wide piazza of two stories extending along its whole front. It long had the reputation of being the best hotel in the State, and was a favorite stopping-place for stage passengers to and from Boston. It took all day to make the passage then from Concord to Boston, and competition occasionally reduced the fare to one dollar. The Eagle had then, as now, a pretentious rival in the Phenix, kept in early days by Abel and Ephraim Hutchins ; and in Gass's Hotel, which stood on the site of White's Opera-House block. Since then each hotel has been burned to the ground, the Phenix twice. Its site be- fore the fire of 1 8 1 7 was occupied by a large three-story house, the residence of Albe Cady and Abel Hutchins. It was rebuilt, and became a hotel, in 18 19. Where the New - Hampshire Savings Bank is erecting its new block, formerly was Deacon William Gault's apothecary store.
The State House was completed in 1 8 1 6. Before Capitol Street was opened in recent times, back fences and stables bounded the State House "yard" on the south. Jacob B. Moore lived just south of the building, in what is now the street.
From the first settlement of the town, the Church has received the attention due it in a Puritan borough. The first meeting-house was of logs, forty feet long, and twenty-five feet wide, situated on the site of the store of William P. Ford & Co. In the course of twenty
��years this was replaced by a frame structure at the north end.
After a ministry of fifty-two years, Rev. Timothy Walker was succeeded by Rev. Israel Evans, who married a sister of William A. Kent. Mr. Evans remained eight years with the church at Concord; his successor being Rev. Dr. Asa McFarland, whose ordination was celebrated by a ball at Stickney's Tavern. The latter was followed by Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Bouton. Before and during Mr. McFarland's ministry, the town constituted the parish ; the salary was assessed, and collected as part of the town expenses under the name of the " pulpit tax." Under Mr. Walker's ministr)^, only two families are known to have separated from the parish.
According to a new law of the State, the First Congregational Society was formed July 29, 1824; and Rev. Dr. Bouton was ordained the following year. In 1833 the West Congregational Church was formed ; in 183 7, the South ; in 1842, the East, — all having been separated from the parent church. During the latter year the First Church built a new meeting-house on the present site, which was burned in 1873. The next year, 1874, the comer-stone of their present edifice was laid. Rev. F. D. Ayer, the fifth minister, was settled in 1867.
In early days the Orthodox meeting- house, which stood on the site of the Walker Schoolhouse, was evidently the centre. Within it were held several sessions of the Legislature, the Constitu- tional Convention of 1791, and numer- ous forensic contests celebrated in the annals of the State.
To the east of its site is the old Cofifin house, now the residence of Rev. Sullivan Holman, still overtopped by a magnificent elm-tree, the finest in seven cities. To the north is the Abiel Walker
�� �
