Rev. Horatio Wood (1835-1901)

Rev. Horatio Wood was the first minister of the Ministry-at-Large in Lowell. A free chapel organized in 1842 welcomed those who could not afford to rent a pew or to contribute to the collection plate – the practice at all other churches of the time. The ministry’s purpose was to do "religious, educational and charitable work among the workers of Lowell." The church was supported by textile corporations and other churches. Wood no only provided religious instruction, but also organized and ran an evening school, developed a library, and supervised the distribution of relief money to the "worthy poor." During the Civil War, when many mills closed, he and his wife were very active in collecting clothes and food for the impoverished.