History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1737.] NEW MEETING-HOUSE. 73
standing during praj'er or while singing. In some houses
the pew rail was supported by a row of short balusters,
which gave an ornamental appearance to these pen like
structures. It is not certain that any kind of adornment
prevailed here.
Galleries.
Tliese werc reached by stairways in the corners
of the room, on both sides of the main
doorway, and the galleries extended along three sides of the
building. There w^as a passageway from the gallery to
the steeple, but no stairs in the belfry. On the plan
already referred to, five pews only are indicated in the gal-
lery, and those were on the side opposite the pulpit.
"Women were seated on the left of the pulpit and men on
the right.
Four other Houses Four mecting-houses, situated respectively
like this one. j^ Bostou, Springfield, Hatfield and Longmeadow,
resembled this one. They were
nearly of the same dimensions, and similar in style of
architecture. A picture of either of them would sufficiently
well represent the Northampton edifice. The steeple of
each was surmounted by a weather-vane, intended to coun-
terfeit chanticleer. ^ All had bells much alike.
Seating the New When the uew liouse of worship was nearly
Meeting-House. completed, the problem of seating the congregation
in it assumed special importance,
and in connection therewith arose the question of allowing'
the sexes to sit together. Public opinion in this respect
was growing more liberal, but there was still a strong sentiment
in opposition to seating men and women side by
side on the Sabbath. During the closing months of the
year 1737, a series of votes was passed relative to these matters.
The first, in November, provided that males should
be at the south end of the new meeting-house, and females
at the north ; that the men should sit at the right of the
pulpit and the women at the left. A proposition to appoint
1 It is stated that the cocks used for weather-vanes were all imported, and were
composed of two thicknesses of copper, which were spread about three inches apart
at the center. When the new meeting-house was built in 1812, the fowl weather-vane
was omitted.