Let's Talk About Henning

So, fun fact: My sister and her Canadian husband got married a little over 11 years ago in a civil service up in Boston, but their post-ceremony celebration that evening also had George Takei (oh my...) at the same bar.  

That summer, they had a get-together up in Boston with all the family and friends from far and wide.  The last activity we did the Sunday before we returned home was a visit 311 Broadway in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Why, you might ask?

I get the distinction of having my most famous relative headlining a Supreme Court case, Jacobson vs Massachusetts, a case where the Justices ruled compulsory vaccinations were constitutional because "the police power of the state may be allowed to constrain individual liberties through reasonable regulations when required to protect public safety."

So just to clear the air, Henning Jacobson, was not some wild anti-vaxxer by today's standards, or even the early 20th Century.  After two horrible experiences with the antiquated 19th century vaccinations in routine circumstances that left family members dead or maimed in both Sweden and the United States, and decided to hold his ground when Cambridge instituted compulsory vaccination 1902 during an outbreak in the community.  His case through the judicial process was paid for by prominent anti-vaxxers for the day.  

In hindsight, the new manufacturing process and administration of the vaccine at the turn of the century had been completely changed, with miniscule reactions compared to the prior methods, but to quote George W. Bush, "Fool me twice, won't be fooled again."  I'll also note that no family member who has taken the modern versions of the vaccine has come down with any reactions in the last 120+ years.  (I'm almost disappointed that smallpox was removed from the in processing inoculations for US Military between 1983 and 2002, so I didn't get it when I was in the military.  I'll gladly take it today, if needed, though I might pass if it still involved a live virus.)   Very similar to the last few years of COVID, a mixture of traumatic anecdotal experience (there weren't sufficient medical records to justify an exception, even if one would be accepted.) 

One of the other points of consideration I'd hope he did consider was his profession and its impact to the public.  As a pastor of a Swedish Lutheran church with a sizable congregation, I see a matter of personal and public safety to consider, although I add that there was nary a mention from the pulpit that researchers could find, and only a scant few amongst all ethnicities in the city objected.  

So why do I rant on about my Great-Great-Grandfather Henning, smallpox, and the like?  Because the congregation he presided over, the church he helped build was at 311 Broadway in Cambrige.  

When we visited, the church, now Faith Lutheran, as a grand old church with massive beams and fabulous woodworking built by Swedish immigrants.  Like most mainline Protestants churches, it's original congregation fled the city and a much smaller and diverse group took up their mantle.  

I've got to admit that when I introduced myself I still got a bit of the rock-star treatment.    I even got to meet an elderly woman who was actually baptized by him before he retired... and somehow had his old church desk in her house!  However with small little ones and a 5+ hour drive home, I couldn't take full advantage of the hospitality, just a chance to take some pictures, see some artifacts with ancestral ties and meet some very nice people. 

I had not found an opportunity to revisit the church in the following years, and as of Easter 2023, that opportunity was now impossible.  

Sometime after the Easter services last week, a fire started in the church.  All those magnificent beams?  All that fantastic woodwork covered in thick layers of varnish and lacquer?  Now it was all fuel for a fearsome multiple-alarm blaze.  

The congregation has been worshipping at different sites, thanks to the grace and generosity of other denominations in Cambridge.  

Recently, the current Pastor posted a video on Youtube, stating that the church was going to need to be torn down in the future, and reaching out for ideas as to uses for the property in the future.  It's not going to be as grand, but here's hoping they rebuild into something that has multiple uses in serving God in the community.  

When we returned home from our trip, I wrote a social media post mentioning how awesome it was that something my ancestor helped build and nurture might be something strong enough for one of my kids' grandkids could see one day.   Nothing lasts forever, and for most things, much shorter than they deserve.