William Miller's 238th Birthday and Adventism's Presence in Pittsfield, MA (Miller's Hometown)

William Miller was born in Pittsfield, Mass. on 15 Feb 1782, the first of sixteen children born to Captain William and Paulina (Phelps) Miller.  Only the first three children were born in Pittsfield.  Captain Miller was active in the American Revolutionary War and his wife, Paulina was the daughter of a Baptist minister.  The family moved to Low Hampton, NY in 1786.  His birth here is obviously the reason for the naming of the Advent Christian Church in Pittsfield even though William was no more than four years old when the family left the state.

“The William Miller Memorial Advent Christian Church at 56 Fenn St. will be finished in Dec. 1890 and will be dedicated 1 Jan 1891.   The building is 40’ x 60.’  It is thought by some to be “the most expensive, and in many respects, the finest of which we have any knowledge in the Advent body.” J. E. Cross is the pastor.  He began his ministry here in April 1888.  By 1892 there were more than eighty members.  The building is centrally located at the juncture of two fine streets [Fenn and Willis].  Well proportioned, and with two commanding towers at the front, between which, above the gallery, is placed the Miller Memorial window, the church has a pleasing and substantial appearance without.  Within it is especially attractive, and its main auditorium is one of which the most fastidious congregation might be proud.  The church has quite a debt on it, but has it so placed, that it gives them no cause for anxiety.  The pastor, J. E. Cross, lives at 14 Adam St.” 

So wrote F. L. Piper in The World’s Crisis, 3 Feb 1892, p. 3.

By 1896 the pastor was T.A. or W.A.Tuttle. 

Rev. Charles H. Sweet left Sugar Hill, NH Aug. 23 1896 and began ministry in Pittsfield, Aug. 30.  He was installed as pastor 22 Oct 1896.  From Oct. 1897 funds were being solicited to pay off the debt with Eld. Luther Boutelle writing a major World’s Crisis article.  $732.34 was raised at that time.  In early winter 1898, Miles Grant presented his lectures “from the chart.”  The opening service, “in a driving snow-storm,” was presented before a congregation of about 200.

Toward the end of 1899 there was held a reunion of pastors with Little of Westfield, J. E. Cross and the present pastor, Cornelius T. Pike.  Still there in 1902 when his father died in Pittsfield and apparently left Apr/May 1904 with a church split.  Pike, preaching a “holiness” doctrine, took forty-two members to worship in a hall.  The church was left with about forty-five members and soon re-organized.

Pike was followed by Enoch Phelps, 1904-1906; George L. Young, 1906-1909; and H. E. Young, 1909-1910

Joseph Miett was the pastor in 1911 and remarked on the memorial window: “In the front of the church is a splendid memorial window, containing a likeness of the monument which marks the resting place of [William Miller.]  Miett left in 1917 and was followed by L. M. Spaulding, 1917-1920 [the Spauldings went to China as missionaries in 1920] and R. S. Carleton, 1920-1921.

Walter Scott Bezanson began a ministry in Nov. 1921 and in 1924 was able to report that “for the first time in its history the church was free from debt.”  $3,296. was paid.  Shortly after a rededication of the building and evangelistic services were held, by Feb 1924.  Bezanson’s pastorate was to end 27 Jul 1924.

By 1926 the building had been sold to the Jewish Temple Anshe Amonim. The Jewish folk dedicated an addition in 1951 and in the mid-1960s “the entire block was razed to build the city’s new post office.”

A residential property was purchased and “fitted up for worship.”  It is not presently known if this became the church or if another church building was built or purchased, nor who the pastors may have been.  Rev. George H. Stone became pastor about March 1928 and resigned as of 26 Apr 1936 having served as pastor for eight years and a month.

By 1938 a baptismal tank was installed and the church remodeled.  The pastor was Rev. Clarence Baker.  Merrill Barth, who helped with the work, is the son of Joseph Barth “who built the former AC Church of this city.  Rev. Frank M. Fellows began his ministry in Dec., 1940

In 1945 another attempt to save the work was made and Rev. Dwight L. Campbell, with a team of workers came.  Campbell was the National AC evangelist. He writes:

Concerning Pittsfield

We came to the city of Pittsfield on Oct. 3.  We printed signs, advertised in the paper, wrote news items, preached, prayed, sang and labored, night and day for twenty-five days.  I usually rose about six and retired after eleven.  We had 26 radio broadcasts in 25 days and 18 public services.  Brother W. F. Jamison of Georgia was a grand helper.  He made many contacts and did a great service with his fine voice, on the air daily, and in the hall.  Miss Lottie Record did calling and put out advertising material.  Miss Rubie Richardson was of much assistance at the piano in the public services and over the air.

We found a very small remnant of the former Advent Christian Church, which had owned two fine places of worship in the city, but now is homeless.  Our attendance went as high as fifty or sixty local folks plus visiting Adventists, which brought the attendance near the eighty mark at times.

‘Jamie’ had to leave us on Oct. 25 to attend his Conference in Georgia.  I carried on the last Saturday with the aid of Miss Richardson, with Percy Lock of Springfield leading the singing, and Stan Carey our local Radio announcer singing.  We finished the crusade Sunday Evening, Oct. 28.  There is a great need for a sane, spiritual Gospel work in Pittsfield.  People of different denominations attended and expressed their deep regret that we were to conclude the services.

 I left there with a burden for the faithful few, and a feeling that there is a great need in the Berkshires; a need which should be met.  I trust you will hear of further activities in that lovely city.

Evangelist D. L. Campbell
Messiah’s Advocate, 21 Nov 1945, p. 10

This appears to have been the end of our work in Pittsfield.

In September 1958, the first freshman class to enter Berkshire Christian College in Lenox, Mass. as part of Freshman Orientation, was taken on a bus tour of the area.  Our tour guide was Professor Harold Wilson. One of the stops on our tour was the Jewish synagogue at the corner of Fenn and Willis Sts. in Pittsfield. My only real memory is of looking at a stained glass window featuring an anchor.  I thought then that the only reason the window had survived was that the anchor did not mean to the Jewish congregation what it meant to Christians. A cross would not have survived.