Mr. Chilson died in 1877. He left a sum of money to the church and left his house to the minister at the time. That minister was Rev. Clarkson Russell.  The next minister  of the church was Rev. Lewis Pope. He was the brother of Col. Albert Pope who owned a bicycle company in Boston, MA. He manufactured bicycles including the  “High Pope Bicycle”. He was kind enough to give his brother Lewis one of these bicycles and Rev. Pope was often seen riding this bicycle around Mansfield.

 

In 1880, a choir platform was built in the front of the sanctuary. Before this time the choir stood in the back of the church. In 1885 a baptistry was built in the sanctuary thus eliminating the use of Fulton’s Pond for baptisms. The first person baptized in the new baptistry was Mary McAlpine who became Mrs. W. C. Fuller.

Around the turn of the century, the church was well known for its musical programs under the direction of  Mr. William Robinson. In 1908, during the pastorate of Rev. Edward Shaw, Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson  left a sum of money to the church for the purchase of a bell. This bell was purchased in memory of Mr. and Mrs. William Robinson. This is the same bell we now have in our bell tower. The inscription on the bell reads:

            God of the living, in whose eyes,

            Unveiled Thy whole creation lies;

            All souls are Thine; we must not say

            That those are dead who pass away;

            From this our world of flesh set free

            We know them living unto Thee.