St. Paul's Episcopal church was established in 1745, by Rev. Roger
Price, Rector of King's Chapel, Boston. He built a small edifice and
endowed it with a glebe of 180 acres, situated on Cordaville Road, the
most extensive gift of its kind to the church in this country.
The land is now of little value, some adjacent land inherited from
Rev. Roger Price, has been sold to the State Forestry Department for
$5.00 per acre.
This first church of St. Paul's society was blown down in the great
gale of 1815.
After officiating here three or four years, Mr. Price returned to
England and was succeeded by Rev. John Troutbeck.
Among the twenty members in 1752 appear the names of Sir Harry
Frankland (who lived nearby) as a vestryman of St. Paul's and Lady
Frankland (Agnes Surriage) who passed seven years in the parish and
was constant in her devotion to the church, also Patrick, father of
Daniel Shea.
In 1818, Bishop Griswold consecrated a new church, which was used
until 1865 when it was burnt to the ground.
These earlier buildings stood near the site of the four room school
building, corner of Main and Ash Streets.
Until 1892 there were services at rare intervals at various places,
then for about six years in a small hall in Bridges block.
Through the influence and exertions of the Rector, Rev. Waldo Burnett,
the present beautiful edifice was erected and dedicated in June,
1898 [ed. note: currently, the Hopkinton Library].
The land for this church, also for the building site for the public
library was a gift from Mrs. Sarah E. Whitin, a granddaughter of
Col. Joseph Valentine.
