More about Pulpit Rock in Pelham, New Hampshire

Earlier this month I blogged about this little known and often un-seen plaque along the side of Rt. 38 in Pelham, New Hampshire.
  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-roadside-plaque-you-have-probably.html

Here is another story about the plaque.  This undated news clipping is from the Pelham, New Hampshire Historical Society website:

PULPIT ROCK

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Rock Used as First

Pulpit in Pelham Is

Suitably Inscribed

By E. Harry Crockett

Perhaps one of the most obvious and yet least known spots along the old Bridge street route to Pelham, N.H., is the ancient "Pulpit Rock", Heading towards Pelham, the rock, with a duly engraved bronze plaque, is on the right hand side of the road, perhaps a mile and a half o the Lowell side of Pelham Centre.

The ancient and weather beaten lump of granite, when viewed from a distance has the general appearance of a natural pulpit.  Gazing upon it from below the turn in the road, one can well visualize an early pioneer preacher selecting it as the most appropriate place to stop and from which to preach his sabbath sermon to his stout hearted followers. 

In one's mind, the incident which gave the rock its name so many years ago, is clear and it is a real pleasure for those inclined to thought and who find romance and delightful diversion in delving into the secrets of a generation long past, to just stand at a distance and gaze upon the rock, recontructing the original scene.

The whole story of Pulpit Rock, so far as it is known to historians, is told in the inscription to which the bronze plaque, affixed to the rock in 1932 by the Pelham, N.H. Ladies Club, bears.

The inscription reads:  "Pulpit Rock marks the site where the first sermon preached in what is now Pelham, N.H. on a Sunday in April 1719, by Rev. James McGregor, when with other pioneers enroute for permanent settlement, stopped here to keep the sabbath".  

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This news clipping was found at the website for the Pelham Historical Society.  They have a fantastic website called the Hayes Genoter History and Genealogy on-line Library, which has many great features- vital records, town histories, photos, town reports, etc. If you have Pelham ancestors you are in luck!   One fun feature of this collection is called "Aunt Molly's Scrap Book".   Molly Edna Hobbs (born 1875) was the first librarian in Pelham, and she started a large scrap book in 1892 and kept it up for 65 years.  This is one of the scanned items from her on-line scrap book collection:

http://www.pelhamnhhistory.org/library/pdffiles/AuntMollysScrapBook/PulpitRockDedication.pdf

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "More about Pulpit Rock in Pelham, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 26, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/04/more-about-pulpit-rock-in-pelham-new.html: accessed [access date]).