Frisians in Whitinsville
Friesland, historically known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northeast of North Holland and south of the Wadden Sea. As of January 2020, the province had a population of about 650,000.
The first of many Frisians arrived in Whitinsville almost by chance in 1886.
These first migrants arrived with a herd of Holstein-Frisian cattle purchased to populate John C. Whitin's Castle Hill Farm.
The forces that bound the Frisians together before they left the Netherlands continued to influence the social patterns established in Whitinsville after settlement.
They soon organized their own worship services in the basement of the Presbyterian Church and in 1896 the congregation completed its first sanctuary, on Willow Street. Later, a new Christian Reformed Church was built on Pleasant Street.
Founded in 1958, Fairlawn Christian Reformed Church was organized in response to overcrowding at the Pleasant St Christian Reformed Church. By January of 1960, the current church building on Goldthwaite Road had been completed (by a largely volunteer crew) and was ready for use. Sixty-six families and thirteen individuals formed the new congregation.
By 1910, the Dutch-born populace throughout all Massachusetts numbered 1,589. Whitinsville lodged the remarkable number of 987.
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1926 Boston Globe Article by Louis M. Lyons January 17, 1926
"1000 Dutch Families in Bay State
Show Us How To Use the Land -
Blackstone Valley community has
-sermon in Dutch,
-wooden shoes at General Store,
-came over to tend Holstein cows,
-children with discipline."
Excerpts from article:
The Dutch came to Whitinsville and conquered the new Friesland in the Blackstone Valley. Here they build their church.
The church is the keystone of the Dutch community. Their community life is built upon it.
The minister preaches one sermon in English and one in Dutch. There is a service at 10am and one at 3pm and Sunday school before the afternoon meeting.
They bought farms that would not yield to their Yankee predecessors.
The Dutch farmers buy everything at wholesale and sell everything at retail.
Many work in the Shop and operate sizable farms before and after hours. The children help.
Reverend Leonard Trap says he expects to start a Christian School. Mr. Trap is not satisfied with the influence of the public school, or rather the lack of influence upon the younger generation of the faithful.
“The all-embracing objective of the school is to promote the glory of our covenant with God…To accomplish this great task, the teacher must have the fear of God in his heart and the determination to live it out in his profession”, declares a statement of principles from the Christian Schools of America.
*********************
Click on links below to learn more:
Article 1 about Frisian immigrants in Whitinsville.
Article 2 about Frisian immigrants in Whitinsville.
Source of articles:
ORIGINS
The Archives-The Hekman Library
Calvin College and Theological Seminary
3207 Burton St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
S.J. Buma
Friesland, historically known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northeast of North Holland and south of the Wadden Sea. As of January 2020, the province had a population of about 650,000.
The first of many Frisians arrived in Whitinsville almost by chance in 1886.
These first migrants arrived with a herd of Holstein-Frisian cattle purchased to populate John C. Whitin's Castle Hill Farm.
The forces that bound the Frisians together before they left the Netherlands continued to influence the social patterns established in Whitinsville after settlement.
They soon organized their own worship services in the basement of the Presbyterian Church and in 1896 the congregation completed its first sanctuary, on Willow Street. Later, a new Christian Reformed Church was built on Pleasant Street.
Founded in 1958, Fairlawn Christian Reformed Church was organized in response to overcrowding at the Pleasant St Christian Reformed Church. By January of 1960, the current church building on Goldthwaite Road had been completed (by a largely volunteer crew) and was ready for use. Sixty-six families and thirteen individuals formed the new congregation.
By 1910, the Dutch-born populace throughout all Massachusetts numbered 1,589. Whitinsville lodged the remarkable number of 987.
***************************
1926 Boston Globe Article by Louis M. Lyons January 17, 1926
"1000 Dutch Families in Bay State
Show Us How To Use the Land -
Blackstone Valley community has
-sermon in Dutch,
-wooden shoes at General Store,
-came over to tend Holstein cows,
-children with discipline."
Excerpts from article:
The Dutch came to Whitinsville and conquered the new Friesland in the Blackstone Valley. Here they build their church.
The church is the keystone of the Dutch community. Their community life is built upon it.
The minister preaches one sermon in English and one in Dutch. There is a service at 10am and one at 3pm and Sunday school before the afternoon meeting.
They bought farms that would not yield to their Yankee predecessors.
The Dutch farmers buy everything at wholesale and sell everything at retail.
Many work in the Shop and operate sizable farms before and after hours. The children help.
Reverend Leonard Trap says he expects to start a Christian School. Mr. Trap is not satisfied with the influence of the public school, or rather the lack of influence upon the younger generation of the faithful.
“The all-embracing objective of the school is to promote the glory of our covenant with God…To accomplish this great task, the teacher must have the fear of God in his heart and the determination to live it out in his profession”, declares a statement of principles from the Christian Schools of America.
*********************
Click on links below to learn more:
Article 1 about Frisian immigrants in Whitinsville.
Article 2 about Frisian immigrants in Whitinsville.
Source of articles:
ORIGINS
The Archives-The Hekman Library
Calvin College and Theological Seminary
3207 Burton St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
S.J. Buma
