George Church was the 9th descendant of the Church family whose American story began with the arrival of Richard Church in Plymouth in 1632 where he became known as a skilled house builder. It wasn’t until the 4th generation of Churches that another Richard came to Rochester in the 1720’s. He purchased 350 acres along the Mattapoisett River in 1725-6. Known as both a house carpenter and boat builder, he found work as a carpenter and owned and worked the 1st sawmill on the Mattapoisett River beginning in 1748.
The family successfully settled into Rochester with many offspring both building houses and boats, while one was a famous Indian fighter and others led seafaring lives. The owning and working of the sawmill (though several were built in the same spot) through the years, made this stretch of the Mattapoisett an early center of industry.
The last George Church was born and grew up in Rochester as did Katherine H. Hartley and the two married on February 22, 1958. George ran both the family mill and a building moving service. Katherine was a nurse who worked for 43 years as a public health and school nurse. The couple never had children but left a legacy of service to the town. They both shared a love of nature and open spaces and a concern for their protection.
George was a canny businessman who wanted none of his land developed. He also wanted money to endow a scholarship for area nursing students. Being land rich, but believing in preservation, he sold land at bargain prices to both the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game and the Rochester Land Trust. He gathered enough money to create the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts which continues to give out scholarships and Rochester is fortunate to have the Haskell Swamp Management Area, both Church’s Field, the Church River Trail and the Pony Pasture. All of these properties are along Mattapoisett Rd. and the last three are Rochester Land Trust Properties, as is the George E. and Katherine H. Church Wildlife Conservation Area off of Rte. 105. Everyone who appreciates Rochester’s fields and wooded spaces owes a debt of gratitude to George and Katherine Church and the organizations that helped them to cement their legacy.
We hope you will join us at the sunken garden in the Pony Pasture this Saturday, July 12th from 10-2 for a Rochester Historical Society Strawberry/Blueberry Bake sale to help support the Rochester Historical Society, another organization that has been helped out over the years by George.
By Connie Eshbach