Old Congregational Parsonage
Introduction
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Pleasant Street
Private - Not open to the public.
This house with its south-facing front door dates from the mid - 1850s. It was built as a private residence. In 1864 the Congregational Church, just down the street, bought the house for use as the church parsonage. Reverend Edward Clark was the first minister of the church to use the parsonage.
Images
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Reverend Clark and his family moved into the new parsonage in 1864 with their orphaned nephew, Francis Edward Symmes, whom they adopted. Francis adopted the Clark name. Religion was a pivotal part of Francis's life from his joining the Congregational Church at a young age to his education and eventual ordination. Called to lead the Williston Church in Portland, Maine in 1881 he formed the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor which he grew into a world-wide organization.
Reverend Clark wrote many books about Christian Endeavor, his travels around the world, as well as his autobiography--Memories of Many Men in Many Lands--in which he recalls his years in Claremont.