As we learn the history of this small church, we have to understand the area in which this church is located. Will discuss the colonial and industrial periods which will help us have a better understanding of this section of town and the church itself.
Chapel Street, as you can guess, is why this small road in North Wilbraham was named as it was, but it did not always go by that name. In the early to mid-1700s, "the road that led to the mountain" is what it was called by many. As we know from reading the story about the Bay Path, the Bay Path went up, what is today, Maple Street and Mountain Road. So "the road that led to the mountain", Chapel Street, connected to the Bay Path and led up the mountain. In addition, this same small road in the opposite direction leads to the Chicopee River. This road crossed the Chicopee River at a ford, then into the town of Ludlow as it's known today. It was the route to the other part of the first and the beginning of the second division of the Outward Commons or Springfield Mountain. This shallow spot in the river made it a very convenient place to access these other granted lands. Not surprisingly, this area, north of the Chicopee River was the first settled area of Ludlow.
Tradition gives the honor to Aaron Colton, who was the first settler before 1751. His home, once a tavern, was situated on the bluff just above the Chicopee River at the intersection of Chapin and Miller Streets. This home still stands today. James Sheldon, Shem Chapin, and Benjamin Sikes are said to have been living in that area of town in the same period. The ford in the river was finally bridged at some point, the first bridge we have records of was built in 1852, but there may have been an earlier bridge. Ludlow's history states that the first bridge at Collins Depot, a pier bridge, dates before 1850, but was carried away by a flood.
In those early days, there was another tavern called Sykes Tavern, located on the northwest corner of the Bay Path, and "the road leading up to the mountain". Many years later in 1877, Henry Cutler built a home on the very spot where this tavern once stood. The Cutler home was built across the street from the church, which was being built at the same time.
Many new people were attracted to this area of town known as Collins Depot. The population grew, especially from the 1870s and later, mainly due to the relocation of the railroad station in 1851, Collins Paper Company, built in 1872, and Cutler Company, built-in 1876. This meant that workers in the mills at all levels moved to the area. Other businesses included a Cheese Factory, several stores, a hotel, blacksmith shops, and a livery stable. Just on the other side of the river, in Ludlow, that area was also being built up with many homes. The Athol and Enfield Railroad which was chartered in 1869 ran on the north side of the river in Ludlow. That railroad also had a station called Collins Station just across the covered bridge on the left side of the road. As you can see the Collins name was very affluential in both areas of the two towns.
Until the early 1870s, residents of the north end of Wilbraham and the nearby area of Ludlow attended Sunday worship at the First Congregational Church in the center village of Wilbraham, approximately three-plus miles away. Many of these new people were of high Christian ideals but limited income so maintaining their own horse and carriage to go to Sunday service was not obtainable.
In 1874, as the population continued to increase in the northern part of Wilbraham and Ludlow, church services were held in Liberty Hall, over the old cheese factory. This building was built in about 1867 and burned in the early 1890s. A new building was built about 1892 and still stands today at 2823-2825 Boston Road.
Reverend Martin S. Howard, the pastor of the Congregational Church at the Center Village, conducted the services most of the time. A Sunday school was organized at about the same time period. The Reverend's annual salary was three hundred dollars for conducting church services at Liberty Hall. Expenses of the society were to be paid by subscription and by "passing that hat" at the services.
On October 14, 1876, a group of eleven men who worshiped in the hall met with the hopes of forming a religious society. These men were: Deacon Phineas Knowlton, Erasmus B. Gates, George Dunn, T. G. Houghton, Frank Hollister, T. H. Hurlbert, H. B. Spencer, O. S. Houghton, James Bruce, William E. Brown, and Lyman Powers. Shortly after, a society was formed and they were called the Grace Chapel Parish of Collins Depot. Reverend Martin S. Howard continued conducting church services each Sunday afternoon in Liberty Hall.
Warren Collins, who was the first station agent and first postmaster at Collins Depot, donated land for a church to be built. Warren Collins owned much of the land in that part of town at the time. With the help of neighboring families, a church building was built. Dedication ceremonies were held on March 11, 1877, with a sermon by Reverend M. S. Howard, and assisted by Reverend J. F. McDuffie of Ludlow.
In 1886, the church was doing very well, the church community wanted to have its own resident pastor and decided to formally organize a new church. On November 22, 1886, the Reverend M. S. Dudley was chairman of the meeting which adopted the constitution and the creed of the newly organized church. It was voted yes by forty-eight persons, a unanimous vote. Officers were then elected in accordance with the newly adopted constitution. The new Grace Union Church represents Congregational, Methodist, Baptist, and other Christian denominations.
On December 8, 1886, a council of ministers and delegates from churches as far as New Haven, Connecticut, met in North Wilbraham to officially recognize Grace Union Church. This same month, Mr. H. Willias Cutler was elected as the first Sunday School Superintendent and continued his work until his death in 1955.
In 1887, Grace Union Church became part of the Congregational denomination, and in May 1890, Reverend Edward Wheeler became the second pastor of the church.
The Ladies' Benevolent Association arranged for the purchase of land in 1890, in order to build a Parsonage for the church. This home is located at 24 Maple Street, just down the street from the church. The following year this same association arranged for the addition of a belfry tower and vestibule to be added onto the front of the church. In November 1905, electricity was added to the church in order to modernize the building at a cost of $41.32. This association was very active in the church and many improvements were made due to their hard work. That association later became the Ladies' Aid Society.
When Wilbraham celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1913, Reverend W. L. Jennings was pastor. The church took a very active part in its celebration.
In 1919, a parish hall was added to the rear (east side) of the church, and hardwood floors were installed in the sanctuary. Two years later an electric blower was installed for the organ.
The Ladies Aid Society was instrumental in obtaining new pews for the sanctuary in 1922. During the next twenty-five years, other improvements were made such as the stained glass windows in the sanctuary. These new windows were the efforts of the families showing their loyalty and support and whose memory they were installed: the Collins-Mowry family, Edwin W. Wall, the Cutler family, the Bell family, Reverend Charles H. Gates, the Perry family, the Gates family, Deacon Reuben Sikes, Wright family, and the Fuller family.
In November 1956, the church incorporated the church and parish society into one unified body known as the Grace Union Church of Wilbraham. In the spring of 1961, the church voted unanimously to become a member of the United Church of Christ.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the men of the church did much work to improve the facilities by building a pine-paneled dining hall beneath the sanctuary and separate church school rooms beneath the parish hall. In the early 1960s, the remodeling of the kitchen took place along with adding a new entryway on the south side of the building to gain entry into the parish hall's main floor and basement.
I have many fond memories as a child growing up in the 60s and 70s next to this church. Looking out my bedroom window on the second floor facing the church and Maple Street, I would watch the milkman delivering his many products to awaiting customers. The many wiffleball games during the summer and in the winter, building snow forts in the back parking lot of the church. On Sunday morning it was also a delight to listen to the church bells ring out across the old neighborhood and my mother preparing our big Sunday breakfast. To only go back to those simpler times. I would imagine my older brother and sister would agree.
