Forest Hills Methodist Episcopal Church

This church building is still present at Wachusett and Patten streets, reborn as... what else? Condos. The developer was required to keep some of the external appearance, so the building still kinda-sorta looks like a church. I wonder if they fished out the time capsule mentioned below when they did the rebuilding.






Boston Daily Globe December 26, 1899


Laying Of The Corner Stone.

Notable Day in the Annals of the Forest Hills Methodist Episcopal Church.


Christmas time was a memorable one with the members of the Methodist Episcopal church, Forest Hills, for yesterday afternoon they laid the corner stone of their pretty little house of worship at the corner of Wachusett and Patten sts, Forest Hills. The beautiful afternoon brought together a large number of the workers of the society.

The exercises were opened by an introductory address by Rev W.T. Perrin, presiding elder of the Boston district, followed by a hymn sung by those present. Prayer was then offered by Rev J.H. Mansfield, DD, presiding elder of the Cambridge district. The responsive reading was led by Rev J.D. Pickles, PhD, pastor of Tremont st M.E. church, Boston.

An interesting portion of the program was the historical sketch of the society, given by Rev George B. Dean, pastor of the church. He spoke of the commencement of the society a little more than five years ago, when Rev F.N. Upham, who died a short time ago, came to Forest Hills, got together a number of residents interested in the movement and commenced to organization of the society which was now laying the foundation of its own home.

He alluded to the first meetings in Columbian hall and how year after year the members had labored earnestly to accomplish the very thing they were now doing.

He spoke of the leaders of the church in the past. Rev F.N. Upham, the founder; Rev Robert Clark, pastor from 1893 to 1895, and Rev Benjamin Rist, immediately preceding him. He thanked all for their assistance in the work of the past three years in the raising of the necessary money for the erection of the church, and predicted many happy, useful years for the society.

Addresses were made by Rev J.H. Mansfield, Rev J.D. Pickles and Rev W.T. Perrin.

W.H. Whitcomb, chairman of the building committee, then exhibited the box to be placed in the corner stone, and announced the contents. This box is of unusual interest and is highly prized because it is made of copper taken from the tower of Faneuil hall, presented to the society by E.B. Badger.

Inside was a Bible, a copy of the discipline of the Methodist Episcopal church, names of the officers and members of the committees of the society, a topic card with the names of the officers and members of the committees of the Young People's society of Christian Endeavor, the names of the building committee, a photograph of Rev G.B. Dean, pastor of the church, a memoir of Rev Rev F.N. Upham, the first pastor of the church; the title pages of the following Methodist publications; Christian Advocate, Zion's Herald, Christiche Apologete (German), title pages of The Globe and other Boston daily newspapers, and the Jamaica Plain News, clippings of the account of the death and sketch of the life of Dwight L. Moody, manual of the Boston city government of 1899, a calendar of 1899, a United States coin of 1899, a Spanish coin, a cartridge captured by an American during the Spanish-American war,various other coins and a handbill announcing the first meeting held by Rev Mr Upham.

The ceremony of the laying of the corner stone was conducted by Rev W.T. Perrin. The exercises closed with the singing of a hymn by the gathering and the benediction.

When finished the church will be an attractive one, ad decided addition to the section. It will be a mixed English, gothic and Italian renaissance. There will be one gallery in the rear. The entire seating capacity will be about 250. At the front of the auditorium, back of the platform at the left of the congregation, will be the organ and the choir, and on the right will be a room for the choir.

The ceiling is to be 12 feet from the floor. On the left of the auditorium will be the Sunday school room, connected with the main church room by rolling doors. The entrance to the church will be at the Wauchusett and Patten sts corner, the entrance to the Sunday school from Patten st and by a fireproof staircase.

On the second floor are to be three classrooms and a woman's parlor. In the basement there will be a hall and adjoining it a kitchen.

A feature will be a parsonage, which will face Patten st and be connected with the church itself, an entrance leading from the auditorium to the reception parlor of the parsonage. There are to be nine rooms in the parsonage.

The exterior appearance of the building will be attractive. Stained shingles will be used. The windows will be of stained glass. The outside measurements will be 74x66 feet.