A Union of Faith on Butler Hill

After the decline of the First Baptist Church in the northeastern section of Wilbraham, organized religious life in that part of town gradually faded. By 1807, the church was reported to have “lost its visibility,” and its meetinghouse was ultimately destroyed by fire in 1833. The establishment of a new Baptist congregation at Colton Hollow in 1794 likely contributed to this decline, drawing members away from the earlier church. For many years afterward, no permanent house of worship existed in the area. Religious gatherings during this period appear to have been held only occasionally in private homes.

A renewed effort to provide a place for worship came on April 18, 1868, with the formation of the Christian Union Society. That same year, a meetinghouse was constructed on land donated by Colonel Benjamin Butler. The site, located on what was long known as Butler Hill, today identified as 3181 Boston Road, offered a prominent setting overlooking the surrounding countryside. The church was formally dedicated on the afternoon of July 22, 1868, as the Christian Union Church Society of North Wilbraham.

The Christian Union Church Society of North Wilbraham. Paul J. Meagher

The Christian Union Society was founded on principles of openness and inclusion. Handwritten records from April 1868 name Colonel Benjamin Butler, Dr. A. M. Higgins, and Dwight W. Ellis, founder of the Ellis Mills along Twelve Mile Brook off Crane Hill Road, as a standing committee authorized to act on behalf of the Society. Its guiding principles welcomed members of all Christian denominations who believed in the divine inspiration and authority of the Scriptures. Seating in the church was free to all, and membership was open to individuals of good moral character who subscribed to the Society’s preamble and by-laws.

Colonel Butler, who lived just west of the church, not only donated the land but also provided the lumber used in its construction. His son, James K. Butler, became clerk of the Society on April 9, 1870, and served in that role for many years. His records indicate that regular worship services continued until about 1917. The final meeting recorded in the Society’s book took place on April 17, 1923.

Throughout its active years, the church was served by ministers of various denominations, including those of the Advent faith. In later years, services were conducted at times by the pastor of Grace Church in North Wilbraham, reflecting the cooperative spirit that had long defined the Christian Union Society.

After regular services ended, the building continued to serve the community in other ways. The Ladies’ Auxiliary, working in cooperation with the American Legion, used the church for meetings and social events without charge, as documented in a paper signed by Legion Commander James E. Keefe. Boy Scouts also met there, with use of the building extending into the early 1940s. Eventually, however, the church fell vacant. By the late 1960s, the structure itself was gone.

As a child growing up in the early 1970s, I remember exploring the site where the church once stood. The scattered foundation stones and partially buried relics hinted at a time long past. To us, those quiet ruins, and many similar places in the northern part of town, were sources of wonder, making us feel like explorers uncovering forgotten chapters of Wilbraham’s history. They remain vivid memories of my childhood.