The First Meeting House & The Old Common

The First Meeting House and The Old Common. Marlborough, Massachusetts. , Marlborough's first Meeting House, built here on the Old Common in 1663, may well be unique in all of Colonial history in that it was built on another “town's” property. A deed was subsequently brokered with the Praying Indians, the actual land owners, and the established peace continued until King Philip's War in 1675. , On March 26, 1676, hostile Indians were poised to attack the Meeting House with the town's residents gathered inside. It was reported that Reverend William Brinstead had stepped outside briefly and saw hostiles approaching the church. Remarkably, all escaped unharmed to the nearby Ward garrison save for one man who was wounded helping an elderly woman. , A replacement Meeting House was built after the war, followed by two others in 1706 and 1711. During the early years, and right up to the 1800s, all citizens of the town were taxed to pay the minister' salary. , In the early 1800's, a majority of the town voted to build a new meeting house in the area to the east where the First Church is now located and where retail shops had begun to thrive. Those who lived in the west of Marlborough objected and sought to create a new town. Although they were refused by the Massachusetts legislature, permission was granted to build a second meeting house for worship, and public meetings were held at a neutral site from then on. , This marked the beginning of Marlborough's East and West Villages. , The Old Common. After serving as home to different Meeting House structures from 1663 into the early 1800s, the Old Common sat vacant until Gates Academy, a private school, opened in 1828. For the next century and a half, this land would be used as a home for education. , Marlborough's first public high school was established inside the Academy building in 1851 and was replaced by a new wooden structure near Prospect Street in 1861. The wooden school was moved west in 1898, near was is now Rawlins Avenue, and a new brick school was constructed beside it that still stands today. , The wooden structure was demolished in 1924 when an addition was built onto the brick building which continued to serve as a school until 1975. Since then, the brick building, now known as the Walker Building, has been used for both public and non-profit uses. , In 1923, “The Doughboy” Monument was constructed directly in front of what was then the high school. The monument was dedicated to Marlborough citizens who served in World War I. It was moved in 1937, down the hill to its current location. , Once, a gazebo sat on the western edge of this property. The current gazebo on the eastern side was built in 1999 with funding support from the Chamber of Commerce. , A large time capsule was buried here on December 31, 1999. It contains newspapers, personal messages from some residents to their future descendants, a variety of items unique to the time, and even a television set. It is scheduled to be opened July 4, 2100. , [Captions (top to bottom)] , . Painting by the watercolorist Ellen Carpenter depicting the burning of the first meeting house. The Marlborough Public Library has a collection of over one hundred watercolors by Carpenter. It's the single largest known collection of her works. They was commissioned by Marlborough resident and historian Ella A. Bigelow, to illustrate her book, “Historical Reminiscences of Marlborough”. This collection is on display at the Marlborough Public Library. , . The common as it appeared around 1916. The wooden building has been moved to make room for the new brick structure and the first gazebo, or bandstand, can still be seen in its original location. , . Editorial staff for the “Orange and Black”, the high school yearbook, 1916. , . High school yearbook, 1916.