A Universalist society was formed in 1830 by Nathan Gutterson, Joshua F. Hoyt, Silas Burnham, Alexander Gilchrist and others and services were held in the old Congregational Church. Rev. Nathan R. Wright preached here for four years and lived in a house near the late John C. Ray's which was burned about 30 years ago. It was afterwards known as the Hope house from Samuel B. Hope, one of the owners. Mr. Wright was the father of Hon. Carroll D. Wright who was born in 1840. The family removed from town when he was three years of age.
In 1864 or 1865 Episcopal Church services were held by clergymen from St. Paul's School in school houses in the west part of the town, afterwards in the Hope house. In the summer of 1866 the corner stone of the church was laid on land given by the Misses Stark. The money to build the church was collected by their grand niece, Miss Mary Stark, a devoted churchwoman, who died in 1881. The church is a lasting memorial of her. It is a beautiful building with a seating capacity of 110. The fine chancel window was given by the father of the Rector of St. Paul's School. The church was consecrated in 1868, and named the Church of St. John the Evangelist. For about fourteen years the services were in charge of Rev. Joseph H. Coit, the present rector of St. Paul's School. He was succeeded by Rev. Edward M. Parker, a master of the school, who with the assistance of Mr. William W. Flint, lay preacher, holds services in Dunbarton and East Weare. In 1890 the church was taken down and re-erected in North Dunbarton on land given by David Sargent south of the school-house, in front of a beautiful pine grove. A service of re-dedication was held December 15, 1890. Frank B. Mills was organist and leader of the singing with only a short interval until his removal from town in 1895. The organist at the present time is Miss Sara E. Perkins.
After the removal of the church, a brass tablet in memory of the Misses Harriet and Charlotte Stark was placed therein by Rev. Joseph H. Coit.
Dunbarton has had many fine musicians within her borders. Col. Samuel B. Hammond led the singing in the Congregational Church for a long term of years, resigning in 1875. The choir was formerly large and numbered among its members Mrs. Elizabeth (Whipple) Brown, her daughter, Mrs. Agnes French, Olive Caldwell, now Mrs. Morrill of Minnesota, the daughters of the late Deacon Parker, Mrs. Harris Wilson, Nathaniel T. Safford, William S. Twiss, and others.
Before the advent of the cabinet organ instrumental music was furnished by a double bass viol played by Harris Wilson, a single bass-viol played by Eben Kimball, a melodeon played by Andrew Twiss, and one or two violins. When the church was remodeled the organ and choir were removed from the gallery to a place beside the pulpit. Mrs. Mary (Wilson) Bunten is now organist. For several years a quartette, consisting of William S. Twiss, Frank B. Mills, Horace Caldwell, and Frederic L. Ireland sang most acceptably on many occasions, especially furnishing appropriate music at funerals, until the removal from town of Mr. Twiss in 1884. At various times singing schools were taught by Eben Kimball, Joseph C. Cram of Deerfield, "Uncle Ben" Davis of Concord, and at Page's Corner, by Frank B. Mills.
The first School houses in town were few and far between, with no free transportation as practiced at the present time.
Hon. Albert S. Batchellor, of Littleton, in searching the columns of a file of old newspapers recently, came across the following which will be of interest to Dunbarton people:
"Dunbarton May ye 15, 1787.
We the subscribers Promise to pay to Mrs. Sarah Ayers Young three shillings per week for five Months to Teach school seven or Eight Hours Each Day Except Sunday & Saturday half a day, to be paid in Butter at half Pifterreen per lb. flax the same or Rie at 4 shillings, Corn at 3s. Each. Persons to pay their Proportion to what scollers they sign for Witness Our Hands. Thomas Hannette 2 Scollers Thomas Husse 1 Jameson Calley 2 Andrew foster 1 John Bunton 3 John Fulton 2."
Before 1805 Dunbarton had three school districts. The first house was at the Center. Rev. Abraham W. Burnham, of Rindge, in response to the toast, "Our Early Inhabitants," at the Centennial, said: "My brother Samuel, when so young that my mother was actually afraid the bears would catch him, walked two miles to school." This same boy was the first college graduate from town, in the class of 1795. Robert Hogg, called Master Hogg, was the first male teacher, and Sarah Clement the first female teacher.