| The loss of
the church caused significant problems for the existing
programs to continue. The small Chapel, located where
the parking lot now is, became the center of activity
and was woefully overcrowded. There were two rooms upstairs
and a damp basement below. Five Sunday school classes
were jammed into the Chapel Room while a class of adults
met in the kitchen and two Kindergarten classes met
in the Basement. Some parents refused to bring their
small children as the basement was just too cold and
damp. One class moved over to the Town Hall (now the
Community Hall).
Immediately following
the Church schools, everything was re-arranged in order
to make room and prepare for the adult worship service.
There simply was no room to conduct both at the same
time.
REBUILDING
The rebuilding Committee
began working on the plans for the new Meeting House
and, after the congregation agreed that rebuilding the
former meeting house would not meet the needs of the
church with a growing town, the committee did a thorough
study of the population trends and their own membership
numbers and desires.
The firm of Sellow and Ryder of Deep River was hired
as the architectural firm that would design the new
Meeting House.
At a meeting on
July 27, 1950, the church membership approved the plans
and, on August 6, 1950, Ground Breaking ceremonies were
held.
In the fall of
1950, a number of documents were placed in a copper
box which was soldered closed and placed inside the
cornerstone. Ray Bentley and Elmer Drake put the Corner
Stone in place with its valuable contents inside
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