On Thursday, Rev. O. E. Denniston, founder of the Bradley Memorial Church, celebrated his fortieth anniversary as pastor of that Baptist church in Oak Bluffs. Mr. Denniston is the oldest minister in the service of the Massachusetts Baptist Convention.
“I’m not the oldest minister in service in Massachusetts,” he hastened to say, “but the oldest member of the convention, because I have stayed in the same place while other ministers have moved from state to state.”
On Monday ground was broken for the new Mission Chapel in the southwest part of the town. The lot, 80 by 81 is located on Masonic avenue between Circuit avenue and Dukes County avenue. The building is to be 26 by 40 feet. The lot comprises a shaded lawn which will be well adapted for open air gospel services, such as were held near the same spot last summer. The building is for the accommodation of the Sabbath school and sewing school which has been established by Mrs. S. C. Bradley and her band of faithful helpers.
It seems likely to be a lively week at Oakland Hall. Last Sabbath a delegation from the New Bedford corps of the Salvation Army held three services. They arrived on the last boat Saturday and marched with flag, drum and tambourines to their temporary barracks. On Sabbath they marched the streets previous to each service, and held short open air services. A large audience, numbering not less than two hundred, attended the 8 o’clock service at the Mission. It was held on the lovely lawn, the Army using the spacious piazza for their platform.
On Thursday, Sept. 3, a special message was received at Oak Bias, announcing that Susan Clapp Bradley had passed away at her late residence, 82 Green street, Brockton, Mass. Mrs. Bradley was well known in Oak Bluffs (Cottage City) as an earnest, active christian worker, one who had the interests of the people as well as the community at heart. Mrs. Bradley was born at Stoughton, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of the late Benjamin Clapp and Ruth (Drake) Clapp and was a direct descendant of Roger Clapp, who came from England in 1632, and settled in Dorchester.
A large number of our most honored citizens assembled at the new mission building at Cottage City last Sabbath afternoon to join in the exercises of dedicating the new and beautiful chapel which has been erected since March 18th, under the super vision of Mr. Timothy S. Swift. The outside of the building is painted in light drab, with white trimmings. The inside of the chapel has window and door casings of natural wood, with sheathing of cherry, capped with imitation of black walnut. The painting has been done by Appleby and Francis. The walls are eleven feet in height.
The student of Vineyard history, at least such history as has been published, will recognize the fact that it was largely through the clergy that things were accomplished during the first hundred and fifty years of the Island’s existence as a colony and province. Not only did they preach the word of God to whites and Indians, but they worked energetically to promote various industries and acted as advisors in settling all manner of disputes which arose, besides writing wills and other legal documents and keeping records, in many cases, being the only ones now existing.
Rev. Oscar E. Denniston, founder of the Bradley Memorial Church, Oak Bluffs, and pastor for the past forty years died at Martha's Vineyard Hospital early Tuesday morning, following a brief confinement which came at the end of some nine years of gradually failing health. He would have been 67 years of age on April 5. He had devoted his life to religious teaching.
Members of Bradley Memorial Church, Oak Blufs, are greatly distressed over the report which has circulated to the effect that their church building has been condemned as unsafe. Mrs. Mabel Hughes, one of the extremely active members of the church, approached the Gazette this week with the request that this might be publicly denied. Mrs. Hughes was furnished with official statement signed by all three members of the board of selectmen of Oak Bluffs, .which stated that the building has not been condemned for this or any other reason.
The old Oak Bluffs Baptist church, lately re-purchased by the New England Baptist Convention from the Vineyard Lodge of Odd Fellows, has been officially transferred to the new owners, and will be occupied by the Bradley Memorial Church of Oak Bluffs, as soon as some slight changes can be made to the interior.
Representatives from the convention were on the Island over the weekend, attending to the final arrangements, and services will start in the church before summer, according to the announcement.
