In 1873 Sayles Memorial Chapel was built, a memorial erected by the Sayles brothers to their deceased children. Built of Westerly granite in Gothic style, many lovely stained glass windows enhance its beauty.
Moshassuck became Saylesville, an attractive community with school, library, and nice housing, all built by William and Frederick Sayles.
For many years the Sayles family and later the Sayles estate owned and completely maintained the chapel, Parish House and surrounding grounds. But in the 1950s the Parish House was turned over to the congregation and later the same was true of the Church, as well. Sayles Finishing Plants had grown into one of the largest plants of its kind until the textile industry declined in New England and what was left of the local plant finally closed in 1960. By that time the surviving members of the Sayles family had little or no interest in the Chapel and long since moved from the community.
In 1962 our new Parish House was completed, then destroyed in a devastating fire in 1964, but in our typical fashion we picked ourselves up and rebuilt almost immediately.
Sayles Memorial Church is active in the community with various groups meeting in our Parish House. The many cars parked on Chapel Street every Sunday morning will attest to our good attendance at services.
Our name has been slightly changed from time to time and is now officially Sayles Memorial Congregational Church (UCC) as of January 24, 1999.
Timeline
(from the 125 Anniversary Celebration Program)
(Sunday, October 18, 1998)
(Updated Ministers List Nov 17, 2006)
June 1860 Friends District Union Sabbath School is organized by William C. Sayles
1873 Sayles Memorial Chapel built in memory of children of William & Frederick Sayles (cost $30,000)
1877 Tower and magnificent steeple added in memory of
another Sayles child, William Clark Sayles, a student at Brown
University who died at age 21
1886 Christmas party held in recently completed Fireman's Hall on Chapel Street
1892 Sunday School Christmas Festival held in recently completed Sayles bleachery
1895 Sunday School meets in Fireman's Hall
1896 Congregation celebrates Children's Day celebration (long before Children's Day became popular elsewhere)
1917 Sayles Memorial Bowling Team started at Sayles Finishing Company and continues for more than 60 years
December 1917 Flag presented to Congregation, representing 13 members of Sayles Memorial Church who served in World War I
1919 Three Day celebration of founding of Congregation including Worship on Sunday morning, Monday Reception and Tuesday banquet
1920 Mr Frank Sayles (son of William) had planned to
build a parish house, attached to the Chapel and built of Westerly
granite, that would have had Sunday School rooms and recreations
facilities. Mr. Sayles' untimely death, on March 9, 1920 put an end to
these plans
1932 Church and Sunday joined as one body (they had previously existed as two separate entities)
1935 Week long celebration of founding of Congregation
February 1942 Thirteen young men from Sayles Memorial Church lauded for serving in World War II
1956 Steeple removed due to hurricane damage
1959 Chapel given to Congregation by Sayles family (until this time the Sayles family assumed all building and repair costs)
1960 Three day Centennial Celebration of founding of Congregation
September 1961 Construction of new Parish House (attached to Chapel) begins
May 1962 Construction of Parish House completed
December 1964 Fire, caused by arson, destroys new
Parish House. Fortunately, the Chapel was spared. Congregation received
tremendous outpouring of support from the local community and from
Houses of Worship throughout the State. Worship and Sunday School moves
to the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Smithfield Avenue
May 1965 Parish House rebuilt, refurbished and rededicated
1982 Remaining tower removed due to structural damage, restoring Chapel to its original 1873 appearance
1990 Interior of Chapel refurbished
1991 Reverend Dr. Laurene Beth Bowers called (first woman Pastor)
April 1996 Historic weathervane restored
1998 Sayles Memorial "Web Page" posted on the Internet. Sayles Memorial has entered the computer age of the new millennium
October 18, 1998 125 Year Celebration of Faith, Community, Friendship, and Love
January 24, 1999 By vote at the annual meeting the name was officially changed to Sayles Memorial Congregational Church (UCC)
The Ministers Who Have Served At
Sayles Memorial Congregational Church
| 1877 - 1879 | Wheeler, E. S. |
| 1879 - 1882 | Lyon, James H. |
| 1882 - 1883 | MacColl, John A. |
| 1883 - 1884 | Woodruff, W. L. |
| 1884 - 1889 | Northrop, Henry H. |
| 1889 - 1893 | Watjen, Herman W. |
| 1894 - 1895 | Tuthill, Julian C. |
| 1895 - 1896 | Lambert, Joseph |
| 1896 - 1900 | Balcom, Frededic A. |
| 1900 - 1902 | McCord, Archibald |
| 1903 - 1904 | Walcott, Gregory D. |
| 1905 - 1907 | Pitts, Edgar T. |
| 1908 - 1916 | Crane, Charles D. |
| 1917 - 1921 | Bryant, Seelye |
| 1922 - 1924 | Crockett, David |
| 1925 - 1927 | de Villiers, Francois J. |
| 1927 - 1929 | Bromley, Norman I. |
| 1930 - 1942 | Sherberg, Albert N. |
| 1942 - 1953 | Reynolds, Albert B. |
| 1954 - 1960 | Bell, Robert P. |
| 1961 - 1968 | Brush, Stuart C. |
| 1968 - 1976 | Einerson, Richard J. |
| 1977 - 1981 | Erickson, David M. |
| 1982 - 1990 | Cabell, William Jr. |
| 1991 - 1998 | Bowers, Laurene B. |
| 2000 - 2005 | McCarthy, Barry |
| 2006 - Present | Peters, George E. |