Chepachet Meeting House & Shed, Winter 2004 Click on photo to enlarge. Chepachet Meeting House, 1997 Click on photo to enlarge. E.W. Lane Pipe Organ, Chepachet Meeting House Click on photo to enlarge. Interior of Sanctuary Click on photo to enlarge. View of Sanctuary from Balcony Click on photo to enlarge.

The Chepachet Meeting House, in which the Chepachet Free Will Baptist Church holds Sunday services, was built in 1821. The organization known as "The Proprietors of the Chepachet Meeting House" was first organized by 36 subscribers, who initially pledged a total of $1135.50 to a fund created "for the purpose of building an house for the publick worship of God to be erected at the village of Chepachet."

In January, 1822, the Proprietors, by then 45 in number, were granted a charter of incorporation by the Rhode Island Legislature. This organization, composed of pewholders, still owns the edifice today, operating under the Charter of 1822. Under the Charter taxes were assessed on the pews to raise money for the upkeep of the building. Pew taxes are still assessed on occasion.

The Meeting House is a small federal-style edifice, designed by Elias Carter, the designer or builder of many surviving New England meeting houses, including ones in Templeton, Milford, Mendon, Granby, Holliston, and North Brookfield, Massachusetts; Putnam Heights, Connecticut; and Greenville, Rhode Island. His Templeton meeting house inspired the design of churches in Dublin, Fitzwilliam, Hancock, Ackworth, and Newport, New Hampshire. Almost unique in the New England meeting house tradition are Chepachet's large windows in the three front doors. These admit ample sunlight to make the church's vestibule a bright and welcoming space.

The building was constructed under the supervision of Clark Sayles, a master builder (who also built the Greenville Baptist Church and the old North Scituate Congregational Church). It was erected on land donated by Amherst Kimball, an original subscriber and proprietor, who owned the adjacent property east of the Meeting House. For a more extensive discussion of the church's architecture and construction, see the history pages in this website.

The original bell, which still hangs in the belfry, was cast by George Holbrook of Medway, Massachusetts, in 1822. It is hung in a heavy wooden cradle, on the same principle as the Liberty Bell, and is rung manually with a bell rope (see the Holbrook Bell pagel). The weather vane, which also serves as a lightning rod, is original.

The carriage shed, built in 1828, was paid for by a tax assessment on the pews. Originally it is believed to have had doors in front and windows in the back. Many of the posts and beams of the existing structure are original. The vestry was added to the church in 1892, built by William H. Wellman.

The Meeting House is in excellent condition today. Its beams and joists are made of oak, resting on a stone foundation. There have been no major repairs to the main body of the Meeting House in more than 180 years, and virtually all of its woodwork is original. In 1978, however, the steeple and belfry underwent a major reconstruction. Great care was taken to duplicate the original structure as closely as possible. During the course of this reconstruction, the spire was removed to the ground and then later replaced on the belfry.

The interior structure of the Meeting House is largely original. The only major modification occurred at the turn of the 20th century when the platform supporting the high pulpit was removed to make way for the installation of the Lane tracker pipe organ, whose 100th birthday was recently celebrated in 2002. This organ, installed at a cost of $800, underwent a major restoration in the late 1990's. For many years it was operated by bellows. The Bulfinch palladian fan, which was behind the high pulpit, remains behind the organ and is visible above the pipes. What we believe to be the original pulpit now rests on a lower platform. The pews originally had doors, and before the days of furnaces, parishioners brought hot stones, bricks, or warming pans to provide heat in winter. These were placed under the foot rests or "crickets" which are still in many pews.

The sanctuary underwent a major restoration in the summer of 2001. Wall paper was removed and the walls and woodwork painted, a new carpet was installed, new pew cushions were purchased, the ecclesiastical chairs were reupholstered, new shades were obtained, and a plain wooden cross was placed to the right of the organ on the front wall.

© Copyright 2004-2008 Chepachet Free Will Baptist Church. All rights reserved.
1213 Putnam Pike - PO Box 148 • Chepachet, RI 02814 • (401) 568-3771
All photographs, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of Marilyn J. Brownell. All rights reserved.