After a few years of moving to Newton, the candle factory became too much for William to manage, and he transitioned the business to his son, Timothy, and his nephew, Otis Trowbridge. William participated in a full range of town committees, meetings, and activities, especially education and religion. He was deeply religious at this point, although he had not been throughout his childhood, teens, and young adulthood. William served as secretary of the Newton Female Academy, and was active in the Sabbath Schools, Deacon of the First Church, and Deacon of the Eliot Church, which he helped to found, as an end to a full and prosperous career.
