USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > South Windsor > One hundreth anniversary of the Wapping Congregational meeting house; erected 1801 and occupied 1802 in South Windsor, Connecticut > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
One hundreth Anniversary
1
Mapping Congregational Meeting house South Windsor Connecticut
Gc 974. 602 Sois
Gc 974.602 So9s 1721830
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01974 5964
100
T HE ONE HUNDRETH ANNIVERSARY of the Wapping Congregational Meeting House Erected 1801 and Occupied 1802 in South Windsor, Connecticut
OCTOBER ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH
NINETEEN HUNDRED & TWO
1721830
INSTEAD OF THY FATHERS SHALL BE THY CHILDREN
802-1904
REV. J. E. HURLBUT.
3
SATURDAY MORNING. Service at 10.30.
Organ Voluntary. Doxology. Scripture Reading, Gloria.
Rev. F. R. Waite
Prayer-(Response by Choir),
Rev. E. E. Colburn
Anthem-"Great is the Lord."
Opening Address, The Pastor, Rev. J. E. Hurlbut
Responses. Rev. Roscoe Nelson
Rev. D. E. Jones Rev. C. A. Jaquith Rev. E. W. Burch Rev. W. F. English, Ph. D. Rev. W. Stanley Post Hymn 603-"Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken." Benediction.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON. Service at 2.00.
Organ Voluntary.
Anthem-"Praise God."
Prayer-(Response by Choir),
Rev. W. B. Tuthill Rev. C. H. Barber
Address, Historical Addresses, Dea. C. C. Vinton and W. A. Howe Anthem-"Let us Kneel before the Lord." Reminiscent Addresses, J. M. Talcott and Mrs. E. S. Bissell Hymn 597-"Blest be the Tie that Binds." Benediction.
SUNDAY MORNING. Service at 10.45.
Organ Voluntary. Doxology. Invocation. Gloria. Bible Reading-(Response by Choir). Anthem. Baptism of Children.
4
Prayer. Solo-"The Planes of Peace," Mrs. Alice Ewell Rev. W. S. Hawkes
Sermon,
Hymn 1-"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty." Benediction.
Sunday School Service.
SUNDAY EVENING. Service at 7.00.
Praise Service-Old Time Hymns and other selections. Sermon, Rev. E. N. Hardy
Hymn 599-"I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord." Benediction.
5
PASTORS.
MATTHEW ROCKWELL,
1765-1800
MOSES TUTHILL,
HENRY MORRIS,
July 10, 1829-1832 July, 1832-May 1, 1835
MARVIN ROOT, Installed, June 29, 1836-April 29, 1840
O. F. PARKER, Supply,
Jan. - , 1843
O. F. PARKER, Ordained and Installed,
Jan. 3, 1844-Oct. 24, 1848
WM. WRIGHT, Installed, Aug. 22, 1854-May 1, 1865
W. S. HAWKES, Ordained and Installed,
CHARLES DRAKE, Supply,
STEPHEN FENN,
HENRY E. HART, 66 June 20, 1875-June, 1878
CHAS. N. FLANDERS, " Nov., 1878-Jan. 6, 1884 GEO. A. BRYAN, 66 May 1, 1884-Nov. 1, 1886
DANIEL PHILLIPS, 66
G. O. MCINTYRE, 66
E. N. HARDY, 60
April 1, 1887-April 1, 1888 May, 1888-Aug. 1, 1889 Aug., 1889-Sept. 1, 1890
F. M. HOLLISTER, Ordained and Installed,
Dec. 31, 1890-Apr. 5, 1892
C. A. REDGRAVE, Supply, W. STANLEY POST,
June 1, 1892-June 1, 1895 Oct. 1, 1895-April 1, 1900
JOHN E. HURLBUT, Oct. 1. 1900-
THE CENTURY CYCLE.
The centuries have run their round, The Fathers sleep beneath the ground. God's acres hold their precious dust, While God, in whom they put their trust, Their spirits keep against that day When heaven and earth shall pass away And kingdoms be, by promised word, The kingdoms of His Christ, our Lord.
Whence came these men of courage tried Who for their faith had gladly died If by their death that faith could be God's gift to lands beyond the sea? In ancient annals we may read, -- God sifted nations for this seed. The rack, the dungeon, sword and stake, Where martyrs died for Jesus' sake, This dreadful work of sifting did.
DAVID L. HUNN,
Nov. 12, 1868-Mar. 31, 1871 1871 1873; died Feb. 19, 1875
6
Then God, in Holland, this seed hid Until, beyond the swelling wave, Columbus to the old world gave A continent so grand and great That God no longer had to wait. His time had come to plant this seed, The world's great hope, the world's great need, That long to Him for help had cried, In Pilgrim met and satisfied.
These men of sturdy faith and mold Sought not this land for greed of gold, But love of God and truth and right, And as God said, "Let there be light," And on creation's night there broke That light that into being woke Those starry hosts that made this world, As round the throne of God it whirled, The home of races yet unborn: So broke for liberty God's morn. From tyrant's shackles faith set free When God said, "Let the Pilgrims be."
'Tis true that with the Pilgrim band There later came to this fair land The Puritan of faith the same. From this twin stock the courage came That made the Saxons pioneers, Not taking counsel of their fears, But westward pressing, thither led, By Southern Cross above their head Last seen by eyes in Eastern sky When Christ upon the cross did die, Till globe encircled this hosts' van Came back where journey they began.
Not here need we these names rehearse, For oft before, in poets' verse, These names with reverence have been told, As novice counts her beads of gold And with each bead, breathes forth a prayer, So midst the nations everywhere These names are found as incense rare. Thus has it come to pass that we From all these lands those rivulets see That have been as a river grand To water and enrich this land, For when Old Glory waves above With liberty men's hearts must move, And peoples of all clime and race
7
With those to manor born take place As citizens, their lives to give To make America to live,- And while this alchemy shall hold To change all metals into gold, The gold of character and right, We still shall be the beacon light Of hope to nations yet unborn And lead to God's Millennial Morn.
But let us now a short time look Upon the page of open book That gives us views of long ago, That these men we may better know. Not palaces of marble white That shine as pearls in sunshine bright, Or blaze at night with lights that seem Creations of Aladdin's dream, Filled with a furniture so fine That in its making and design Artistic skill its zenith found. Not this, but huts of logs, where ground Made hard by usage was the floor, No glass for windows or for door, With furniture of homely make,- These were their homes where morn did wake The hymn of praise to God who gave His Son from sin the world to save, And with the hymn the heartfelt prayer For this, God's fellowship and care In all the work of each new day. At night, e'er head on pillow lay, The praise again for blessings brought, The prayer that for protection sought As night, with perils new, drew near.
Not that these men knew aught of fear, But in new countries, with the fight - To wrest from Nature in her might The treasures of her wooded soil That call for sacrifice and toil, Another conflict must be fought As savage beast and foe oft sought Their life blood. What! have we forgot The Deerfield massacre? That spot But one of many in this land Where suddenly an Indian band From far off Canada swooped down As hawk on prey, and morning found But smoking ruins left to tell
8
Of those who in death's struggle fell, Or captive to a cruel foe Stained with their blood the winter's snow, Till Canada was reached to be The place of their captivity. Have we forgotten this? Then we
Know naught of cost of liberty. And with these homes of praise and prayer
Went meetinghouse that everywhere Was centre of each hamlet's life, Its presence stilling angry strife, As mother, 'mid her girls and boys With loving counsel, keeps peace poise, And helps her children strong to grow, And in the ways of wisdom go, The meetinghouse and home to be The hands of Christianity;
And here in Wapping hamlet came This meetinghouse that place to claim One hundred years ago, for then We find, writ by a woman's pen: "Today, for which let God be praised, A meetinghouse was safely raised." June third that day, yet year went by And fall with flaming torch drew nigh As forest trees with colors bright Flashed with a thousand rays of light Before the house completed stood Pronounced by those who saw it good, For if we should this house compare With meetinghouses everywhere One hundred years before this day, Then of this building we would say,-
"A palace as compared with hut." Of course with architectural strut Of present day, this is not true, But I would rather this church view Than many that this name now bear Whose wondrous shapes not anywhere In earth or sky or sea are found, And which with echo so abound That preacher's voice is made to be As droning bug or buzzing bee.
9
Since then, some changes have been made, The floor been lifted up and laid Where it is now; below you see The old floor as it used to be, The old square pulpit, where the Word With no uncertain sound was heard,
But with heart passion all aflame,
"Thus saith the Lord," the message came- The galleries that circled round Where unnailed floors gave out a sound Quite deafening, as the youngsters' feet Their tipping surface used to meet. For here it was the children sat To often feel the warning pat Of tithing master's ruling stick 'Gainst which it was no use to kick, For no despotic prince or king Did rod of might or justice swing With more determined zeal and sway Then tithing master of that day. And of these boys one pastor said That oft, into temptation led By jackknife, of the ancient kind,
"Much ingenuity of mind" Did show, constructing their profile On wall in quaint artistic style. Which was but their prophetic ken Of what they did when they were men To make their mark in Church and State. So if development be late, These noisy boys,-yes, girls as well,- Will yet to generations tell What good New England stock can do When time and tact has worked it through. These both long since have passed from view: Like preacher and like people too, They had their day, their work did well, And we are here of this to tell And honor give to these true men Who served their age with sword and pen, And hoes as well, for we of late Have had this man brought down to date, "The man with hoe," by poet's ken The grandest of God's noblemen.
IO
One hundred years they worshipped here: The bridal train, the funeral bier Passed up these aisles. The words were said Before men laid from sight their dead In graveyard, as in England found To compass meetinghouse around. That comfort gave and hope and life When soul was tost with passion's strife, Or godly counsel well applied To hearts of groom and blushing bride, That joy which overflowed them then Might not rest in the hope of men But God, whose joy could only be That which should last eternally. From out these homes, the children went,-
Their strength and wisdom gladly lent To make the town, the city, state, To be as they today are great, This nation of all nations found In liberty to most abound, In righteousness and justice too, Its part in God's great work to do. We have not time today in verse These noble deeds to all rehearse, But what is better, let men see Their virtues in our lives to be, And when this Anniversary Day Of century that has passed away Will blossom in the century new To make us noble, strong and true, Our work for God to grandly do.
This is the welcome we extend As you these services attend. Our Church, our homes, our hearts, throw wide, While as our guests you here abide.
JOHN E. HURLBUT.
9
PAPER BY DEACON VINTON
In the history of the settlement of the Town of East Wind- sor, the people living on the east side of the "great River" had become so numerous that they petitioned and obtained leave of the General Court to establish separate worship.
Some of the names of the forty-four men who signed this petition were Nathaniel Bissell, Samuel Grant, Samuel Rock- well, Thomas Stoughton, John Stoughton, Simon Wolcott. Such liberty was granted by the Court, May 10, 1694, under the name of Windsor farm.
The services of Timothy Edwards were secured the Novem- ber following, and he commenced his labors among this scattered people.
The families to which Mr. Edwards ministered were scattered upon one long winding path, a little way back from Connecticut Meadows, which reached from Hartford town line, four miles below his home, to an equal distance above. This road, which at the first was only a rude bridle path, was gradually improved and enlarged, as the years passed on, until it became to be known at the Street, a name which still continues in common use and distinguishing it from all other roads in this vicinity.
Mr. Edwards was ordained in 1698-his ministry lasting more than sixty-three years-only ending by his death in 1758- during which time parishes had been established, one in Elling- ton, in 1735, and another parish on the east side of the river under the memorial of Thomas Grant and others, subscribing thereunto, inhabitants of Wapping, on east side of second Society in Windsor. Leave was granted in 1761, in consequence of their distance from the place of public worship, that they might be a half ecclesiastical parish, and for five months in the year might procure preaching themselves, and be exempt from taxation in the old parish during that portion of each year. This peculiar organization long ago ceased to exist, but may be regarded as a forerunner of the present Congregational Church in Wapping.
We have then the somewhat remarkable fact of four ecclesiastical parishes existing upon the east side of the Con- necticut River, within the limit of the ancient town of Windsor, before the Town of East Windsor itself came into being.
About the year 1700, and following, settlements were being made in Wapping and vicinity, which for a time made them- selves accommodated by attending services in the Second Society, but as the roads were extremely bad they petitioned for winter privileges-that is-hire a minister for six months in the year-or, during the winter months. This seemingly reasonable request was for many years neglected, but was finally conceded.
IO
The first meetinghouse was under the title of a schoolhouse, about 1765, and it stood near the present parsonage of the Congregational Society. The windows were boarded up above and only those below were glazed.
This church edifice became so dilapidated that the six months' winter privileges were extended to eight by leave of the General Court; the warm weather was substituted for winter. The people worshipped the rest of the season with the Society in the "Street," which invited them to do so, free of tax. Their edifice was used only spring, summer and fall, until it became so entirely out of repair, as to acquire the appel- lation of the "Wapping barn" and was pulled down in 1789, by some young men, out on a frolic.
After some delay a church edifice was designed, and the frame for the structure was raised in 1801, and is the one in which we now worship. It stood a year without covering. In 1802, a subscription was raised to cover the building and glaze the windows. The pulpit and seats were rough and unfinished. A pillow with clean case was carried every Sunday and placed on the pulpit for a cushion. The building was erected by people of different denominations living in Wapping on a mission plan.
The Congregationalists were to become sole proprietors- by paying the others-which they did in 1816 and 1817.
In 1829, money was raised by subscription to lath and plaster the house, build a breast work around the gallery, and a pulpit, at which time the settees were removed and the repairs which were contemplated were completed. Services were continued in the house during the following years, up to the year of 1843, when the Rev. O. F. Parker commenced his labors here, and through his efforts the building was changed to its present plan and shape.
PAPER BY WM. A. HOWE.
We celebrate today the Centennial of the occupancy of this house of worship, and though for thirty years it was in an unfinished state, here worshipped the fathers and mothers, and today their children meet to recall the past, and to look forward with hope to the future.
It is well for us to remember those who laid the foundations of our Church and of our State, those who, amid perils and privations, planted what we are now enjoying, the fathers and mothers of our own goodly Connecticut.
The Pilgrim Fathers came to New England first, and we give them due honor, but there were others beside those who came in the Mayflower. New England had its Winthrops, its Cotton, its Hooker, its Eaton, its Davenport, and others, the Puritan Fathers of Massachusetts Bay and of Connecticut.
There were wide diversities of view, not only as between the
II
Pilgrims and the Puritans, but equally wide differences among the Puritan Fathers of Massachusetts Bay. John Cotton and Thomas Hooker were the leaders in opposing views concerning both church and civil affairs. Windsor, Hartford and Wethers- field were settled by those who were in sympathy with Hooker, coming mostly from Dorchester, Newtown, now Cambridge, and Watertown. We have descendants of the early settlers of each of these towns in our church and congregation.
Thomas Hooker and his friends did not favor independency, so we find in the further development of the Connecticut church order, a closer relationship between the churches than prevailed in the mother colony of Massachusetts, and under the Conso- ciation System our churches grew and prospered, and when many of the old churches of Massachusetts became Unitarian, our Connecticut churches, with but one exception, stood firm on the old foundations.
The three towns in 1639, formed the first known written Constitution in the world. Here in Connecticut were laid the foundations of our State and of the Nation.
Our fathers of Connecticut gave the right to vote in civil affairs to those who were not members of the church, while Massachusetts restricted it to church members only, and very naturally Connecticut attracted many settlers who were not members of churches. Though the settlers of these three towns brought with them churches already organized, these churches were very small as compared with the number of inhabitants.
Wethersfield in 1640, with more than sixty families, had but seven male church members, and the churches of Hartford and Windsor, though probably larger, were also small, though no very definite statement as to numbers is given.
In some of our early settlements the church organization did not come in till several years after. In a Connecticut town settled in 1640, there was no church organization for a period of sixty-seven years, though there was a succession of ministers and a house of worship.
Our Puritan forefathers insisted on having the meetinghouse and the public worship of God, even when they were not associ- ated together in church estate, and the towns not only sup- ported the same, but compelled attendance on the Sabbath. Day. In 1669, one town was negligent in the matter, and the General Court or Assembly of Connecticut resolved, "if the sayd people's prudent consideration do not move them to make such provision of a suitable person, sound and orthodox in his princi- ples and apt to teach, so approved by 'four neighboring minis- ters who were named,' the Court will themselves procure and settle a preaching minister amongst them and take sufficient order that he be maintayned by them at their next session."
It was not the idea of our fathers that the church organi- zation alone was responsible for the support of public worship, but it was like the school, a public necessity, for the benefit of
I2
all, and to be paid for from the public treasury, and the rates paid by those who were Episcopalians or Baptists were paid for the support of those churches; all others paid to the Congre- gationalists, and this was the law till 1816.
In 1694, the part of Windsor on the east side of the river was incorporated as a distinct society, and after 1700 the more eastern portion of Windsor began to be settled. In 1735, the northeastern section was made a society by the name of Elling- ton, and in 1757 the society of North Windsor was incorporated. The dividing line began at the mouth of Scantic River, following it to the crossing of the road leading to Enfield, thence following the line of the Stiles lot to the east end of the three mile lots, thence on a line parallel to the north line of Hartford to the east part of the town and the Ellington line. This line runs by Mr. Nevers' place, farther east by Mr. Hosmer's and a little below Mr. J. A. Belknap's, to a point just north of W. A. Howe's, which point is the southeast corner of the old North or Scantic parish; thence the line ran northerly past the house of Mrs. E. S. Bissell to the southwest corner of Ellington.
The same year, 1757, Benjamin Stoughton, Daniel Rockwell, Daniel Skinner, Samuel Smith, Daniel Bissell, Thomas Bissell, Thomas Grant, Thomas Sadd, John Rockwell, Rockwell Grant, John Boynton, Robert White, Aaron Strong, James Fitch and George Smith, inhabitants of Wapping, petitioned the General Court for the privilege of separate religious worship and to be made a society. They speak of the difficulty of going to the street, especially in the winter, that there were thirty-eight families with 250 souls living at a distance of from four to eight miles from their present place of worship. The General Assem- bly did not grant their request.
In 1760, another petition was sent, which was also refused, and again in the spring of 1761, thirty-three persons petitioned with the same result, but in October following the fourth petition was successful, and Wapping was made a half society or winter parish, and was permitted to have preaching for five months in the year. A petition to the General Assembly soon followed, asking for another month, but it was not granted.
Services were held at first in private houses till in 1765 the first house of worship was built on or very near the site now occupied by our parsonage. It was left in an unfinished state, and was not fit for winter use, and the five months were changed to a more favorable season, the people going to the Street during the other seven months.
Five families living west of the east end of the three mile lots were included in the half society, the bounds on the west going in and out on the three mile line to include these families.
There were no easy carriages or even wagons in those early days, and the fathers and mothers went to meeting on horse- back, taking such of the children as could be carried in front on the horse or behind; the rest of the family walked, and the road
13
to the Street must have been in very bad condition at times. Some of us remember seeing the very first road vehicles our grandfathers had.
There was preaching in Wapping as early as 1762. Matthew Rockwell, son of Deacon Samuel Rockwell of East Windsor, a graduate of Yale in 1728, preached to the people, for how long a period is not known. Services were for a part of the year only, and for this reason Wapping could not well have a resi- dent minister. Mr. Rockwell, living at the Street, could come over and preach for so long a time as he was wanted.
Rev. Moses Tuthill preached here for three years. His wife was of the Edwards family. He graduated at Yale in 1745. He died at Southold, L. I., 1785.
His first ministry was at Granville, Mass. Then he preached in Delaware, and later came to East Windsor. He appears to have been here in 1769. He is said to have been a man of talent, though eccentric, and if he was eccentric, his wife was not less so. When in 1745 or '46 he asked of Rev. Mr. Edwards, the hand of his daughter Martha, Mr. Edwards assured him that she would be a thorn in his flesh; that God's grace might perhaps live with her, but that no man could with any comfort. He took the risk, and married her. He is said to have been a faithful and acceptable minister of the Gospel, his ministry "blessed with prosperity and peace."
One Sabbath Mr. Tuthill did not appear in the pulpit, and after waiting for some time, his wife, who was present, was asked where Mr. Tuthill was? She said that, as she had stayed at home to take care of the children long enough, she told him it was his turn now, so he stayed at home in her place.
At another time Mr. Tuthill failed to appear in his pulpit, and after waiting a while, inquiry was made as to his absence. His wife said that he went off down to the woods on Saturday and he had not come back. She did not know why. So some of the men went to find him and in the woods they came to a hollow log with a man's feet sticking out. Mr. Tuthill had followed something which had run into the log, and he having a long surtout with cape, it had rolled up when he tried to back out and he was fast. The men pulled but could not get him out, and they had to split the log before he could be released.
After his death his family came to live in Wapping in a house near Mr. Waldo Belcher's and where Mrs. Tuthill died in 1794. Two daughters lived there for some years after.
In April, 1772, thirty-one persons petitioned the General Assembly for eight months' preaching, which was granted. The petitioners were Benjamin Stoughton, Ezra Rockwell, John Rockwell, Thatcher Lathrop, Samuel Smith, Isaac Rock- well, Nathan Kingsley, Gideon Grant, Justus Loomis, Daniel Rockwell, Daniel Rockwell, Jr., Ebenezer Rockwell, William Grant, Oliver Skinner, Abner Rockwell, Noah Barber, Barzillai Green, Matthew Sadd, Isaac Grant, John Skinner, Timothy
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.