Thank You

I'd like to thank the Rock Village Church and Pastor Brian Cook for sponsoring a wonderful Community Day at Rock yesterday - a celebration of history and community on the occassion of the 250th anniversary of the church's foundation.  The history of the Rock Church and its predecessors, the Third Baptist Society of Middleborough and the Independent Congregational Church of Rock, as well as that of Rock Village itself, was well represented in a fine historical display at the church as well as a walking tour of a portion of the village co-sponsored by the Middleborough Historical Commission.  The events were well attended and the large turn-out was gratifying.  The role of the Rock Village Church as caretaker of the community's history is much appreciated, and it is hoped that similar events may be held in the future. 

Lightning Strikes Twice, 1918

Rock Baptist Church, Highland Street, Rock, MA, real photo postcard,
early 20th century.  The view depicts the 1852 church which was constructed
on Highland Street and which burned December 4, 1918.  To the left of the
church may be seen the Ephraim Tinkham House (1767) and the Baptist
Parsonage (c. 1872) on Miller Street.

Contradicting the old adage that lightning never strikes in the same place twice, was the experience of the Third Baptist Church of Middleborough at Rock whose meetinghouse on Highland Street was struck by lightning twice - in 1905 and 1918 - ultimately burning to the ground following the second strike.

In August 1905, the building was able to escape destruction due to the fact that it was struck on Sunday when the janitor was still present to give alarm.  The fire, however, pointed up the need to insure the building against loss which was subsequently done.

During a storm on December 4, 1918, lightning struck the church roof "midway between the two rear windows.  Even while the roof and the walls were all ablaze the streak left by the lightning was plainly visible."

The lightning strike ignited the church and a call was made to the Middleborough Fire Department, with Combination No. 1 responding quickly.  Before the church was engulfed in flames, local residents were able to remove some of the church furnishings and "the piano [was] gotten out safely."

It was a spectacular fire, with the flames extending to the tip of the spire and lighting up for a long ways.  As the walls fell the firemen devoted their attention to prevent the horse sheds in the rear from burning, and although these caught a number of times the flames were quickly extinguished.

The community was devastated by the loss of its church which was held in high esteem.  "Seldom is a country church more beautiful than was Rock Baptist church", it was said.  Giving voice to the feelings within the community was the sermon delivered by Reverend Millard F. Johnson on the Sunday following the catastrophe which took as its text Isaiah 64:11, "Our Holy and Our Beautiful House, where our fathers praised Thee, is burned up with fire, and our pleasant things are laid waste."

This year, the Rock Village Church celebrates its 250th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, a walking tour, light cookout, concert and historical exhibit will be featured on Saturday, June 18, beginning at 11 a. m. at the Rock Village Church on Miller Street.

The Rock Churches Federate, 1921

Rock Village Church (1880, 1920-21), Miller Street,

Middleborough, MA. Photograph by Mike Maddigan,

May 20, 2006. 

Between 1879 and 1921 Rock was the site of two churches: the Third Baptist Church on Highland Street which had originally been established in 1761 at South Middleborough and the Independent Congregational Church on Miller Street which was founded in 1879.  The maintenance of two churches in such a small community was not without difficulty for several reasons and as early as 1895 the case for federation was made in the pages of the Middleboro Gazette: 

We think Rock would be a good place for some apostle of church unity to do a little missionary work.  There are enough people here, if they were united, to possibly raise five or six hundred dollars a year for the support of church services and a clergyman, but we have two church societies, both of which must have preaching.  And there are representatives of nine or ten different denominations among us.  We wonder what plan of action an advocate of church unity would recommend here.

While union services between the two churches were occasionally held with success, it was not until the destruction of the Third Baptist Church by fire in December, 1918, that serious consideration was given to establishing a single union church, an act that was finally accomplished in 1921 when the two organizations were federated and became known as the Rock Village Church or Rock Federated Church.  The successful venture was also curious, however, as noted in a 1937:

The Rock Village church though one of the smaller churches of Middleboro, has special features worthy of note.  The church is the only Federated Church in town.  The two churches federating were the 3rd Baptist and Independent Congregational.  The pastor is a Methodist; the organist, a Quaker.  It is the usual thing on Sunday morning to find in the congregation, Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, Quakers, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians, while occasionally a Unitarian will be present.

This year, the Rock Village Church celebrates its 250th anniversary.  As part of the celebrations, a walking tour, light cookout, concert  and historical exhibit will be featured on Saturday, June 18, beginning at 11 a. m. at the Rock Village Church on Miller Street.