HAVERHILL — Marjorie Brewer will never forget the image.
It was May 22, 1970, and from her house she caught a glimpse of the destruction of her beloved Riverside Memorial Church.
"I looked out the window and saw the steeple in flames," said Brewer, now 92, who is a deaconess at the church. She is the oldest member of the congregation, the person many refer to lovingly as the matriarch of their group.
After the fire, little more than a few handmade nails and a charred lightning rod were left from the building, which was built in 1884 on Groveland Street. But those items, along with plenty of faith and hard work, allowed the congregation to rebuild on the same spot.
Now they are celebrating their 125 anniversary as the first church in Riverside, the section of Haverhill nestled along the Merrimack River near Haverhill Stadium.
For the many members who have attended the church for close to 50 years and newcomers alike, Riverside Memorial has become a central part of their lives.
"It's my family and my faith," said church deaconess Barbara Beekler.
Sunday, the church will have an anniversary celebration, featuring a trip back in time. Photographs and literature created by the church throughout the decades will be on display, as well as other artifacts. They will include a quilt knitted by the church's Ladies Guild in the 1940s. Arranged in a floral pattern, each petal lists the name of a church member at that time. In total, more than 500 names adorn the quilt.
The number of names on the quilt provides stark contrast with the church's humble beginnings of 13 members.
In 1860, a small Sunday school was founded by the YMCA in Riverside, where no religious institutions existed. From 1860 to 1880, the school members increased from 20 families to nearly 200. In 1884, the Rev. Charles Colledge, who would become Riverside Memorial's first pastor, decided to organize the growing congregation into a formal church. By 1888, the church finally had its own chapel.
To remind members of the church's storied history, a short theatrical presentation titled, "Through a Minister's Eyes," is planned during the Sunday service.
During a meeting to oversee the construction of a new church, church moderator Kenneth Mooers, 76, recalled an inspired quote from the committee's chairman, Fred Baker.
"I see this church being rebuilt as a beacon in Riverside," Mooers remembers Baker proclaiming.
Within only two years, a new church was constructed. The cause of the fire that destroyed the original church was never determined.
Current interim pastor the Rev. Phillip Winders, who came to the church in 2005, has taken the message of rebirth to heart. Riverside Memorial has 135 members and Winders foresees the church sustaining itself long into the future.
"Our survival is not dependent upon cultural or market forces," he said.
Mooers sees Baker's original vision echoed in Winder's statement.
"It's a ongoing fulfillment,'' Mooers said. "We're still here. A lot of other churches aren't."
While Mooers' statement is true of Riverside Memorial's survival, it's also a reflection of several of Haverhill's churches. St. James Parish celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, while Sacred Hearts Parish celebrated its centennial.
If you go
What: 125th anniversary celebration service
Where: Riverside Memorial Church, 278 Groveland St., Haverhill
When: Sunday, 10 a.m.
Planned activities include: A potluck lunch, a historical presentation and performances by the church choir
