Site of the Meeting House 1635.

Site of the Meeting House 1635.

Monuments -- Watertown -- Massachusetts.; Memorials -- Watertown -- Massachusetts.; Historical societies -- Massachusetts -- Watertown.; Historic sites -- Watertown -- Massachusetts.; Watertown (Mass.) -- Social life and customs.; Church history -- Watertown -- Massachusetts.; Meeting Houses -- Watertown -- Massachusetts.; Carnes, William W. -- 1905-1991; Phillips, George --1593-1644.; Gibbs, Henry -- 1668-1723.; Bailey, John -- 1644-1851.; Knowles, John -- c.1600-1685.; Carnes, William W. -- 1905-1991; Sherman, John -- 1613-1685.;

Site of the Meeting House 1635 -- 1725. Pastors George Phillips, John Knowles, John Sherman, John Bailey, Thomas Bailey, Henry Gibbs. Here the Town Meetings were held. Located between 45 and 47 Hillside Road. Granite slab voted by Town Meeting of 1906 providing $50 to be erected under the direction of the Historical Society on private property in the retaining wall at the edge of the sidewalk on Hillside Road, Photo by William W. Carnes. George Phillips was a strict Congregationalist. John Knowles was very liberal in his views. John Bailey had been imprisoned for his beliefs in England. After the death of his brother and later his wife, he became "very melancholy" but he preached "like an angel." Henry Gibbs served 27 years during troubled times of discourse over the location of the Meeting House, Salem witch trials and potential changes in beliefs. John Sherman arrived in 1634. He was dismissed in 1635 to Wethersfield, then went to Milford in 1841 and returned to Watertown in 1647.He was made a freeman in 1669. He was supposed to have lived on the east side of Grove Street on the forty acre meeting house lot between Mount Auburn and Belmont Streets.

Carnes, William W.

Watertown Free Public Library

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