Happily, blog-writing, instead of book-writing, allows the possibility of adding new information and photos. Since I began this project in 2012, I’ve written seventy posts. While I continue researching and exploring from a long list of subjects, I’m pausing here to post a few updates or photos on topics covered earlier.
Since I began, the Wellfleet Historical Society and Museum has organized and made available a trove of historical photos. A group of Wellfleet supporters has started a FaceBook site where memories and photos are shared. New sources of information are also available from a growing number of historical newspaper databases. All of these are my sources for these South Wellfleet updates.
My original post is available with this link
The Church’s Organ is stolen, a tale of crime in Wellfleet
In late October and early November, 1872, both The Monitor of Chatham, Mass. and The Barnstable Patriot covered the story of the stolen organ of the South Wellfleet Congregational Church. The story begins with a young man named Charles Brown who had taken the packet boat from Boston to East Dennis. As he left the ship, he told the captain, Orrin Sears, that he had some furniture to bring back, goods that he would be picking-up in South Wellfleet where he worked. The packet boat was due to sail again on October 24th, and, as arranged, he arrived in a dory with the goods: four barrels, he said contained furniture, plus a wrapped ice chest. The items were loaded.
The wind wasn’t favorable, so that the packet boat was delayed in sailing for an extra day. Meanwhile, The Yarmouth Register reported the theft of the South Wellfleet church organ, which aroused the suspicion of Captain Sears, who went to his packet boat to look over the goods. He telegraphed the “authorities” at South Wellfleet, who then came to Dennis and arrested the young man. The goods were found to be cranberries stolen from South Wellfleet’s Isaiah Hatch and the organ, wrapped in cloth—most certainly not an ice chest. Meanwhile, in Dennis, Mr. Brown had stolen fish from the firm of Kelley & Sears.
The report ends with a warning: “It is well known that the good church fathers of South Wellfleet keep the key to their church under a certain brick in the churchyard. For the safety of the organ we would advise them to put said brick elsewhere.”
Now, here are some updated images:
Charles F. Cole tells the story of the movement of the South Wellfleet Church to Wellfleet in his booklet The History of Colonial Hall. The booklet displays this chart of the church pews and their owners:
SW Congregational Church Pews from Charles Cole’s booklet “Colonial Hall”
Finally, here are other images from the late 19th and early 20th Century showing the demise of the church.
from the Wellfleet Historical Society collection
from the Wellfleet Historical Society collection
from the Wellfleet Historical Society collection
Commemorative plaque for the Church
South Wellfleet, Massachusetts 