March 7. The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz was installed as 12th rector with the Rt. Rev. Thomas M. Shaw presiding. See The Musical Intelligencer‘s interview with John Harbison, in which he discusses the history of Emmanuel Music, its founder Craig Smith, The Rev. Alvin L. Kershaw, Pam’s musical background, and her dedication to our music program.- September. Bishop Shaw presided at our celebration of the 150th anniversary of the church’s founding.
- Vintage Books published Mary Catherine Bateson‘s Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom, in which she discusses the influence of our 9th rector, Al Kershaw (pp. 171-2 & 1979-80). See also Timeline: 1963 & 1969.
Tag Archives: founders
Founding of This Blog
While our rector Pamela Werntz traveled on her 2013 sabbatical, we also had opportunities to explore Spirituality and the Arts at Emmanuel (thanks to the generosity of the Lilly Foundation). A collaboration with Lesley University’s Expressive Arts Therapy program seemed like a perfect means of enriching the church’s mission for using the arts as vehicle for healing and spiritual growth. On April 7, 2013, faculty from Lesley joined us for the service and offered a stimulating presentation about their program and ideas for working with Emmanuel.
In order to build upon this exciting beginning, a group of Lesley University faculty met with representatives from Emmanuel to discuss our future collaborations. Between these two meetings, the bombings at The Boston Marathon resulted in feelings of pain, loss, fear, and anger. The group decided its first event should involve the healing power of creativity in addressing these wounds, and we called it “When Words Are Not Enough.” Over the years since then our Expressive Therapy Interns have recorded their thoughts about their experiences at Emmanuel in this blog.
The Rev. Susan Ackley, our Sabbatical Priest/Artist-in-Residence, and participants in “Words Are Not Enough” carry prayer flags down Newbury Street to the Boston Marathon bombing memorial site in Copley Square.
1882
Our first organist and music director, Silas Atkins Bancroft (1823-1886), retired after two decades of faithful service. He is buried in Lot 2607 on the Mistletoe Path of Mt. Auburn Cemetery.
B.S. Rotch (1817-1882) at time of our foundation. Photo courtesy of Boston Athenaeum.
Senior Warden Benjamin Smith Rotch died in office. A founding vestry member and warden since 1880, he was later memorialized with his wife Anne Bigelow Lawrence (1820-93) in our sanctuary’s reredos. They are buried in Lot 3004 on Bellwort Path in Mt. Auburn Cemetery. His epitaph from Revelation 2:10 reads: Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
1874
Our second rector, The Rev. Dr. A.H. Vinton, presided at the funeral of Benjamin Tyler Reed, a founder and early vestryman, who had served as warden from 1863-72. Pallbearers included John Cummings; founding vestryman and early warden Enoch Redington Mudge; our first senior warden, Edward Sprague Rand; Henry Winthrop Sargent; and Amos Adams Lawrence. Among the many in attendance were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Josiah Quincy, and Robert Charles Winthrop. According to the April 3 Boston Evening Transcript, the cortege to Mount Auburn Cemetery comprised some twenty coaches.
1873
Several famous botanists were connected with our church.
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Rhododendron “Edward S. Rand”. Photo credit: Tijs Huisman
When Benjamin Tyler Reed retired as senior warden, Edward Sprague Rand served again as warden until 1875. His son E.S. Rand, Jr. (actually III) wrote many botanical works. An orchid and a rhododendron are named for him (or perhaps his father).
- Henry Winthrop Sargent (1810-1882) became junior warden. In 1859 and 1875, he published supplements to Downing’s reference work, A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening (1841).
- Dec. 2. Winthrop Henry Sargent (1840-1916, son of H.W. & Caroline Olmsted S.) married Aimee Rotch, daughter of Emmanuel charter members Benjamin S. and Annie Bigelow Rotch. They lived at 207 Commonwealth Avenue. Winthrop served for 30 years as warden of St. Luke’s Chapel, Fishkill-on-Hudson, NY, where the Sargents summered. See also:
- Rotch Reredos
- Henry Winthrop Sargent and His Family
- Register of the Mass. Society of Colonial Dames of America: 1893-1905, (p. 83, #144) lists some of Aimee’s ancestors including Emmanuelites Amos & Nathaniel Lawrence.
- The Rev. Dr. A.H. Vinton officiated at the wedding of Mary Allen Robeson (1853-1918), daughter of charter members Andrew (1817-1874) and Mary Allen Robeson (1819-1903), and Charles Sprague Sargent (cousin of H.W. S.), who founded the Arnold Arboretum and wrote many botanical works. Andrew and his wife Mary Allen Robeson lived at Holm Lea across from Fairsted in Brookline. They were memorialized by their daughter Alice Robeson (Mrs. Stephen Van Rensselaer) Thayer in our windows depicting Simeon and Anna. See also:
- Register of the Mass. Society of Colonial Dames of America: 1893-1905, (p. 48, #41) lists Mary’s ancestors who served the Commonwealth.
- Register of the Mass. Society of Colonial Dames of America: 1893-1905, (p. 57, #66) lists even more of Alice’s ancestors.
Simeon (Andrew Robeson, 1817-1874) & Anna (Mary Allen Robeson, 1819-1903) by Harry Eldredge Goodhue
1861
March 24. The Rev. Dr. Frederic Dan Huntington (May 28, 1819-July 11, 1904) was ordained and became Emmanuel’s First Rector. See also the chapter on him in Emmanuel Church, 1860-1960: The First Hundred Years.
June 17. Cornerstone laid for the church on Newbury St.
- Alexander Esty (18 October 1826 – 2 July 1881) architect.
Dec 15. First service in the church
1860
- March 17. The first meeting held at William R. Lawrence’s house, 98 Beacon
The Rev. Dr. F. Dan Huntington
Street. A committee was formed to secure Dr. Frederic Dan Huntington (1819-1904) as rector, although he had yet to be ordained an Episcopalian priest. Richard Sullivan. Fay, Jr. (1833-1882) was chosen as Chairman of the Committee of Subscribers.
- April 9 (Easter Monday). At their foundation meeting the name Emmanuel Church was formally adopted and these officers elected:
- Edward Sprague Rand (1809-84), senior warden until 1864
- William Richards Lawrence (1812-1885), junior warden until 1863
- John B. Alley (1817-1896), clerk
- Jere E. Bridge, treasurer
- Sept 12. Dr. Huntington was ordained a deacon at Trinity Church, then on Summer Street.
- Sept 16. The first service was held at Mechanics Association Hall, at the intersection of Bedford and Chauncy streets.
- Proprietors of the Corporation were:
- Benjamin Franklin Burgess (1817-1909)
- Col. John Jeffries, Jr. (1823-1897)
- William Richards Lawrence (1812-1885)
- Edward Sprague Rand (1809-84)
- Henry Sigourney (1831-1873)
- Henry Timmins (1800-1863)
- George Phineas Upham (1826-1901)
- Foster Waterman (1805-1870)