LAKE PLEASANT – The National Spiritual Alliance (TNSA) Vice President and Acting CEO David James sent an announcement to its members that the Thompson Temple will not hold services during the winter beginning Nov. 1, citing declining membership and financial strain.

This letter comes ahead of the 150th anniversary of the village of Lake Pleasant, which established the first spiritualist community of its kind in the United States in 1874. Since the mid-19th century, families and individuals would come to Lake Pleasant to congregate and camp during the summer months until permanent housing was created, after which people lived there full-time to practice spiritualism. Spiritualism is based on the belief that departed souls can interact with the living and its members follow seven principles.

Today, only James and one other individual live in Lake Pleaseant who are part of the TNSA.

Since last July, several TNSA board members have left for different reasons, and now, there are three remaining. A vote on July 20 by five general members of the alliance and the remaining three board members adopted a resolution to shut down services at Thompson Temple and discuss new options in the spring.

“TNSA effectively closes November 1st, 2024, to have the water shut off, pipes drained, propane shut off, to allow the board of directors to research options to reopen as a church, a community center, or other alternative in the spring of 2025,” the resolution reads, which James adds in his letter to members.

At the bottom of the letter, James said he feels “heartbroken” by the prospect of shutting down this winter.

“I meant that sincerely,” James said in a conversation regarding the situation.

He is cautiously optimistic that a decision will be made to reopen as a community center or church, noting that he does not feel that this is the end, “although it could be,” James said.

James explained that the decision came from a decline in TNSA membership, attendance at on-site events and a lack of physical maintenance at the Thompson Temple, where services are held. The current membership is approximately 12 and at its height, was around 250. Since the spring of this year, James said the TNSA has modified the time and manner of the traditional service to include certain parts and exclude others.

These services act as an opportunity for donations to TNSA, which are used to cover the cost of maintenance and rent for the temple. Since the services have been altered, less participation from members, resulting in declining donations, have created an uncertain future for the alliance.

This is not the first time that the TNSA has run into issues pertaining to maintenance of the Thompson Temple. James noted that services were shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic, putting TNSA in financial hardships. James explained he’s sent “dire straits” messages to alliance members previously about the lack of participation in temple upkeep. The few members who have participated experienced burnout and found the work unsustainable.

“There were just a few people who were doing all the work, and a couple of them essentially burned out,” James said. “It wasn’t viable to have so many of the tasks in such few hands.”

For James, there is a level of pressure to maintain TNSA and the Thompson Temple from his close relationship to the late Louise Shattuck, whose family was deeply entrenched in Lake Pleasant and spiritualism for decades.

“I see myself sort of as a caretaker of their legacy,” James said.

As the location that Shattuck’s family and hundreds would gather over the last 150 years, this anniversary celebration of Lake Pleasant is “tarnished” in a way, said James.

“I have mixed feelings,” James said. “It’s tarnished because we need to be transparent now that we’ve take the path that we’ve taken, which is to close for the winter.”

Although the upcoming change has created a new atmosphere around the 150th celebration, James hopes that a reminder of the legacy of Lake Pleasant and spiritualism creates interest for both new and existing members. He said that some people in the area are not familiar with Lake Pleasant or the history, despite living nearby, and sees this as an educational opportunity for the storied history of the town.

“That’s what we’ve been hoping for on this, the 150th anniversary, because anniversaries that end in double zero or five zero are a big deal,” James said about the promotion of the anniversary. “This was a golden opportunity to showcase and it still is, so we absolutely intend to do that.”

The Lake Pleasant 150th Anniversary Block Party Celebration is an all-day, free event on Aug. 24 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Live music, vendors, a farmers market and other family-friendly activities will be held, culminating in a time capsule ceremony and illumination of the Bridge of Names at the end of the day. Notable sponsors include the Montague Cultural Council, Mass Cultural Council, RiverCulture, Beck’s Auto and Renaissance Builders,⁣ per the event website.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.