west end, and is eight parts in number more. Also the travel is thirty-six miles farther to the common lot on the Hill, so called, than where it now stands, according to our computation. As those two places are the only ones picked upon by the committee, therefore we think the meeting-house ought not to be moved."
Three days after, the meeting-house having been destroyed that morning, it was decided at a meeting held at the public house of Mr. Babson, and adjourned to his "barn-yard," to refer the settlement of the local dispute to the select-men of Gilmanton, Linesborough and Washington. By this time several sites were proposed for the permanent location of a meeting-house. The disinterested committee of gentlemen from abroad reported verbatim et literatim as follows:
"To the Town of Hopkinton, Gentlemen:
"We, your Committee appointed to fix upon a Suitible Plac in your Town for you to build a meeting hous upon, do Report that we have Taken a View of the Principle part of your Town, and the Situation of Each Part of the Same, and have found it to be attended with difficulty Rightly to Settle the matter in such a way that Each part of the Town Should have theare Equality of Privileges. The Senter of a Town in a general way is to be attended to in these Cases, but we are informed the Senter of the Land in your Town Cannot be Regarded for the above purpose; thearefore we have taken a View of the other Spots of ground Nominated by the Several Parts of the Town; (viz.) the Connor near Mr. Burbank's, the Hill, the Spot by the School Hous, and the old meeting Hous Spot, and Considered them thus: it appears to us that the Spot by Mr. Burbank's will accomedate the Southwest Part of the Town only; as to the Hill, it appears to us that it will accomedate the Northwesterly part of the Town only; as to the Place by the School Hous, the distance from the old Spot is so small it is not worth attending to. Thearefore, we, the Subscribers, are uuanimus of the oppinion that near the Spot wheare the old meeting Hous Stood will be the most Convenient Place for you to build a Meeting Hous upon.
"Hopkinton, February 20, 1769.
PETER CLARK,
EZEKIEL HOIT, Committee."
JEREMIAH BACON.
The above report being accepted, the new meeting-house was erected promptly. It was 62x46 feet, and had a tower about twelve feet square at each end. It had seven entrances in all—two in each tower and three in front. It had the old-fashioned high pulpit, sounding-board, gallery, and square pews. A few of the front pews, according to custom, were of better finish. With the addition of a belfry and bell in 1811, the structure remained substantially intact till 1839, when it was remodeled into the form of the present church, which was dedicated on December 26th of the same year. A town clock was placed in the tower of the remodeled church.
The first church music was congregational. The hymns were often "deaconed" by some person whose superior musical attainments were popularly recognized. In time people began to desire something better. Musical societies, in different parts of New England were having their influence. The old "Central" society, organized at Concord, contained members from Hopkinton. At a town meeting September 8, 1783, it was voted that Thomas Bayley, Daniel Tenny, Jacob Spofford, Jonathan Quimby, Jr., Nathaniel Clement, and Isaac Bayley "should sit in the singing pew, to lead in singing and to take in such singers as they thought proper." With a proper social stimulus, progress in music advanced to a marked degree. The church choir sometimes included as many as fifty voices. Various instruments were used as accompaniments. In 1800, there were four bass viols, to say nothing of violins, clarinets, and other instruments, in the choir. There were notable singers, players and composers in the olden time. Among them were Isaiah Webber, Jeremiah Story, and Isaac Long. Orchestral music continued to be employed in the Congregational church till about 1850, when a seraphine was purchased and put in the gallery. In 1872, the seraphine was superseded by an elegant organ at a cost of $1800.
A Sunday-school was opened at Hopkinton in 1817, in the school house at Farrington's Corner. About 1821, another school was opened on Beech Hill. In 1822, a Sunday School was opened in the church. In 1848, a constitution was
