▁first ▁agent ▁was ▁Henry ▁Ch ase , ▁h ired ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 ; ▁he ▁served ▁the ▁society ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 ▁years , ▁and ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁society ▁for ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁early ▁years ▁was ▁Frederick ▁Bay lies ▁Allen , ▁an ▁Epis cop al ▁minister . ▁ ▁The ▁society ' s ▁membership ▁was ▁open ▁to ▁anyone ▁making ▁contributions ▁of ▁$ 5 ▁or ▁more ; ▁according ▁to ▁historian ▁Paul ▁Bo yer , ▁the ▁membership ▁was ▁" al most ▁a ▁roll ▁call ▁of ▁[ B oston ] ▁Bra h min ▁arist ocracy ". ▁ ▁The ▁society ▁held ▁its ▁first ▁annual ▁meeting ▁in ▁Boston ' s ▁Park ▁Street ▁Church ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁it ▁was ▁renamed ▁the ▁Watch ▁and ▁Ward ▁Society ▁after ▁an ▁old ▁volunte er ▁police ▁force , ▁adopt ing ▁the ▁mission ▁to ▁" watch ▁and ▁w ard ▁off ▁ev ild o ers ." ▁It ▁was ▁head qu arter ed ▁on ▁School ▁Street , ▁circa ▁ 1 8 9 0 s - 1 9 0 0 s . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁society ' s ▁power , ▁the ▁Boston ▁Public ▁Library ▁kept ▁books ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁de emed ▁ob jection able ▁in ▁a ▁locked ▁room , ▁publish ers ▁and ▁books ellers ▁held ▁back ▁publications ▁for ▁fear ▁of ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁influence ▁with ▁pro sec utors ▁and ▁jud ges , ▁and ▁plays ▁were ▁performed ▁in ▁a ▁bow d ler ized ▁" B oston ▁Version ". ▁Else where