Hello,   Meetinghouses of the 1600's are not discussed on the Lists too often.    But they are mentioned on the MassMoments  e-mail this morning.   http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=296   As was said there, originally they were usually a very rustic building / house which was used for honoring the "Sabbath."     So, probably very few in New England still exist,  unless they were built in the 1700's.   I know a story about the original Meetinghouse in Billerica.     Turned out it kept burning down.     So, it was decided that there would no longer be allowed to have a fireplace in the building.    And, the early settlers were "REQUIRED"  to be at the meetinghouses from sun-up to sun-down -  year round.    So, sitting for 8 hours in a non-heated building during a cold, New England winter was not pleasant, and not healthy.     So, in early 1700's (?),  the residents of the town built the  "Sabbath Day House."    There the building was allowed to have a fireplace, and the church-goers were allowed to go there for coffee-breaks and lunch-break, etc.     That house still stands.    But, the only reminder of the original meetinghouse is a plaque mentioning it on the "Common."   Chelmsford was also founded in 1655,  and I don't remember reading about their first Meetinghouse.    Possibly there is a plaque mentioning it in their "Common."     I know there is a tiny building on the Common which I think honors the very first Schoolhouse.   One FYI is that the current Billerica Center where the Town Common is -  was the 2nd choice for creating a "Billerica Center."    That is at the top of the hill - with the Concord River at the bottom of one side of the hill.     The original location was at the bottom of another side of the hill - on the shore of the Concord River.    That neighborhood has the historic name  "The Corner."      Hmmmm.     I wonder if there was an original Meetinghouse at "The Corner."   Betty               (near Lowell, MA)     FYI:      The Billerica Historical Society used to have a web site with some good information on it.    Unfortunately the web-master for it died unexpectedly taking the .password.  with him.    So, other members of the Society didn't have any way to access that web site -  and copy it.     So, a new web site was developed.     They don't remember all the information and pictures which were on the original site.     I remember that there was a page offering brief-biographies of some of the early settlers.     I had contributed one for my ancestor, James KIDDER.    But, when I was ready to offer one for my other ancestor, Simon CROSBY,  I was no longer able to submit it.    :o(         But, while typing this morning,  I think there might have been a page on the site for discussing the "Sabbath Day House."      I visited Sydney and Carolyn ABBOT during the 1980's who owned that house for many years.    I believe their family still owns it.      They initially met while both were members of the "Nashua Symphony Orchestra."

Hi, I vaguely recall reading (on another Rootsweb list - could be one of the Bristol, England lists?) something about 'way back' - a site or means to access old sites? Sorry to be so non-specific, but it is a vague memory :) Marsha Stringer (nee MEERE) [email protected] USA www.bittonfamilies.com -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ms Betty Fredericks Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 7:01 AM To: [email protected]; MA List Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] Meetinghouses of the 1600's   Betty               (near Lowell, MA)    FYI:      The Billerica Historical Society used to have a web site with some good information on it.    Unfortunately the web-master for it died unexpectedly taking the .password.  with him.    So, other members of the Society didn't have any way to access that web site -  and copy it.     So, a new web site was developed.     They don't remember all the information and pictures which were on the original site.     I remember that there was a page offering brief-biographies of some of the early settlers.     I had contributed one for my ancestor, James KIDDER.    But, when I was ready to offer one for my other ancestor, Simon CROSBY,  I was no longer able to submit it.    :o(         But, while typing this morning,  I think there might have been a page on the site for discussing the "Sabbath Day House."      I visited Sydney and Carolyn ABBOT during the 1980's who owned that house for many years.    I believe their family still owns it.      They initially met while both were members of the "Nashua Symphony Orchestra."