Chapter 6 - First Baptist Church of Bellingham

The Church had a second need. Meetings were held in the homes of its members. If they were to lure a minister, they must have a meeting house. Even then, although only 20 years old, the town meeting house was in disrepair. It was used by the Parish and the Town for meetings. The Town, after 1738 had several proposals to move its site until it was finally torn down in 1774.
 

The Wight's, father Joseph and son Elnathan, early settlers in Bellingham, were signers of the first covenant of the Church and their heirs would be prominent for the next century in the Church. From 1740 to 1760, their roles were pre-eminient. No move or decision of the Church was made without their input, Joseph as head of the Church and Deacon and Elnathan as minister.
 

The meetings of January and February 1744 established the physical foundation of the Church. Elnathan Wight donated land to the Church on which the first Baptist meeting house was to be built. Set on a knoll on the Wight land near Elnathan's own home, the meeting house was "thirty feet wide and five and thirty feet long and nineteen feet post". The location of the meeting house is noted today by a stone marker on High Street, just off North Main Street, dedicated in November 1912, on the one hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary of the signing of the covenant.
 

Eliezer Hayward, Joseph Wight, Jr and Jonathan Thomson were chosen to manage and carry on the work. On March 20, 1744, the first Baptist meeting house was "raised". A second committee of Samuel Hayward, Eliphelet Holbrook and Peter Thomson was chosen on April 30 to work toward "enclosing and covring" the meeting house.
 

By December, the meeting house was erected. The formal transfer of the deed was made from Elnathan Wight to Jonathan Thomson, Eliphelet Holbrook and Joseph Wight, Jr. as trustees of the church in February.
 

"I Elnathan Wight of Bellingham in his Majesty's Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England Yeoman for Divers good Causes & Valuable Considerations, and for five Shillings paid by Jonathan Thompson, Eliphalet Holbrook and Joseph Wight all of Bellingham Yeoman, have granted unto them as Feoffees in Trust, land......near the road to the Second Bridge River, to the Public use, benefit and behoof of that Church or society of Baptized Believers whereunto the said Elnatham Wight and the others do now stand related as members, for and so long a time as the said church shall hold to and walk in faith which they now possess....but in case they Apostatize and decline from the said Faith and Practice or in case of Annihilation, then the said land hereby Granted to Revert and Remain to the only proper use, benefit and behoof of the next & right heir of the said Elnathan Wight....Feb 22 1744."
 

The Baptist Church has never actually owned its own building even through this day, ownership always being placed in a trust. The early church was not allowed to own land because of colonial regulations. There is no record of when the building was first used except that a meeting was held in the building in December 1744.
 

It would be another six years before a permanent minister would finally be settled. During this time, as before, ministers from other areas preached from time to time.
 

The record of the layout of this structure is sparse. It was likely a very austere, clapboard building, rectangular in shape with a minimum of windows. Pews were wood benches without padding except that which came with the worshipper. Seating was assigned, perhaps pews were sold to raise money as was the tradition of the day. Families sat together.
 

By decree of the colonial legislature, the Town's parish was dissolved in 1747. Unable to find a minister, the Congregational members petitioned to be split off to parishes in Medway, Mendon and Wrentham. The Baptist Church was the only church remaining in Town, but was still without a minister.