USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Oxford > A history of Christ Church, Quaker Farms in Oxford, Connecticut > Part 12
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Sundays at Christ Church. During the winter months, all Sun- days at St. Peter's.
REBUILDING OF THE ALTAR
In 1949, at the suggestion of Mr. Soule, the re-table on the altar was rebuilt, raising the cross. The work was carried out in simple but artistic fashion by Mr. Ralph Pomeroy.
LIVING MEMORIAL FUND
On August 1st 1949 a "Living Memorial" Fund was started. The purpose of this fund is to permit money to be given at funer- als in memory of the deceased, the names of the donors to be inscribed in a book. The records and the funds are in charge of the Rector.
RESIGNATION OF SENIOR WARDEN THOMAS SCHREIBER
At the 1950 Annual Meeting held January 17th, Mr. Schreiber resigned as Senior Warden, an office which he had held since 1938, because of advancing age. His resignation was accepted with regret and he was then duly elected Warden Emeritus, for life.
New Church Members elected were Mr. Edward P. Stanton, Mr. Carleton H. Treat and Mrs. Helen Benson.
ELECTION OF NEW WARDENS
At the 1950 meeting, Mr. H. Leslie Tomlinson was elected Senior Warden, Mr. Stiles B. Twitchell, Junior Warden, Miss J. Mabel Lum, Treasurer, and Mr. Norman Litchfield, Clerk. Members of the Vestry elected for three years, 1950, 1951 and 1952 were Mr. Charles Doherty, Mr. David Hall and Mrs. Leila Treat. Elected for one year to fill unexpired term of Mr. Twitchell, Mrs. Pauline Tomlinson.
ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING 1951
The officers were reelected for the year, and members of the vestry for three years 1951, 1952, 1953, - Mr. Clarence Roberts, Mrs. Pauline Tomlinson and Miss Helen Pomeroy. The following new church members were elected, - Mrs. Sophie Roberts, Mr. Robert A. Stanton, Mrs. Ella Oleson.
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OPENING OF THE WINDOW BLINDS
During 1951 the window blinds, which when purchased in 1877 were made in one piece and nailed fast over the windows, were cut in half and hinged, thus opening the windows and adding greatly to the appearance of the church, both inside and out.
ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING 1952
The officers were reelected for one year, and the following for members of the Vestry for three years, 1952, 1953, 1954, -
Mrs. Johanna M. Salvesen, Mrs. Eleanor Kuss, Edward P. Stanton.
New Church Members elected were, -
Mrs. Lillian Olsen
Mrs. Jessie R. Dunn
Mr. Walter R. Dann
Mr. Robert T. Dann
Mr. Robert H. Johnson
Mrs. Jane J. Dann
Mrs. Jessie E. Johnson
Mr. Peter Belinsky
Mrs. Elizabeth Bawlick
Mrs. Nellie Belinsky
Mr. Raymond B. Pope
Mr. Robert Treat
Mrs. Pearl Curtis Treat
VOTING MEMBERS AS OF JAN. 1, 1953
Year Elected
1904 Robert Z. Hawkins
1912 Thomas Schreiber
1921 Miss J. Mabel Lum
1931 Mrs. Flora Roberts Olson Clarence Roberts
Mrs. Laura Schreiber Edgar C. Palmer Mrs. Hilda Palmer
1938 A. David Hall
1933 Mrs. Johanna M. Salvesen Otto Schaper
1939
Mrs. Johanna Schaper
Mrs. Bertha C. Christensen Thomas Lovdal Mrs. Thora Lovdal
1943
Mrs. Marian Olsen Mrs. Leila Treat
O. Bennett Thorsen, Jr.
1935 H. Leslie Tomlinson Mrs. Idelle Tomlinson R. Harold Treat
1945 Joseph G. Gray
Mrs. Alice Treat Gray Louis W. Tomlinson Mrs. Pauline Tomlinson
1936 Mrs. Caroline Hall Mrs. Jessie Thorsen
1936 Mrs. Elsie Stanton Mrs. Sadie C. Oleson Earle S. Oleson
1941
O. Bennett Thorsen Mrs. Irene Olsen Hall Mrs. Anne Catherine Schukai Miss Helen Pomeroy Mrs. Alice Roberts Boudreau
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VOTING MEMBERS AS OF JAN. 1, 1953 (Continued)
Year Elected
1945 George H. Kuss Mrs. Eleanor Hall Kuss
1951
1946 Prentice W. von Wettberg Mrs. Lydia Litchfield von Wettberg Aurel E. Mangold
1952
1947 Eugene Jenkins, Jr. Mrs. Katherine H. Dann Gerald M. Boudreau Harold F. Mann Mrs. Joah Palmer Mangold
1948 Stiles B. Twitchell Norman Litchfield Mrs. Cora Snowden Litchfield Charles F. Doherty Mrs. Ann Haywood Doherty
1949 Mrs. Thelma Lovdal Pope Mrs. Elizabeth Twitchell Mrs. Carmen Congdon
1950 Edward P. Stanton Carleton H. Treat Mrs. Helen Benson Mrs. Sophie Roberts Robert A. Stanton Mrs. Ella Oleson Mrs. Lillian Olsen Mrs. Jessie R. Dunn Walter R. Dann Robert T. Dann Mrs. Jane J. Dann Robert H. Johnson Mrs. Jessie E. Johnson Peter Belinsky Mrs. Nellie Belinsky Mrs. Elizabeth Bawlick Raymond B. Pope Robert Treat Mrs. Pearl Curtis Treat
THE REDECORATION OF THE CHURCH IN 1954
By 1953, the interior painting of the church had become dis- colored, and the plaster badly cracked in several places, and the Ladies' Society raised sufficient funds to cover the repainting. A committee was formed from the church membership to report on what scheme of decoration should be adopted, and what other repairs should be made. The committee presented its report at the Annual Church Meeting in January 1954, making the following recommendations, -
1. Re-wire the lighting circuits with modern armored cable, remove the brackets from the columns, and provide side wall fixtures together with two flush ceiling lights at the rear.
2. Remove the paintings of biblical scenes from the chancel wall and hang a dossel curtain.
3. Paint the walls gray (replacing the buff color), and paint the barrel ceiling blue all over (replacing the combination of white flat center panel and blue curved sides).
4. Move the lectern and pulpit forward so as to provide more room between them and the communion rail.
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OF KINGS AND JORD
Interior of Christ Church, Quaker Farms After Redecoration in 1954. (Photograph by Fred Haverly)
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The report was adopted by ballot, and by a large majority.
Announcement was made of a gift of funds to rebuild and rewire the crystal chandelier, by Mr. & Mrs. George B. Wesley and their daughter, Miss Beatrice J. Wesley, and Mrs. Clark Scott.
The gift of a cardinal colored dossel curtain was offered by Mr. Harold F. Mann, and was accepted.
Mr. Ralph Pomeroy agreed to undertake the paneling of the chancel wall, the rebuilding of the altar, and the construction of two hymnboards. All of this work he has completed with skill and taste, - reproducing with care, the old mouldings.
In all of the plans for redecorating, one of the members of the committee, Mr. Eugene Jenkins, Jr. has given freely of his time and professional advice as an interior decorator.
Since the meeting, it has been decided to paint the lectern and pulpit white, which it seems they once were, in place of the mahogany stain.
It is planned also to mount two of the pictures of biblical scenes on the rear wall of the church, - one in memory of Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Hawkins, and the other in memory of The Rev. Wm. A. Woodford.
April 1954
Since writing the above, all of the work on the church has been concluded most successfully, including specially designed side wall lighting fixtures, the gift of the Wesley family. The changes have added beauty to an already distinctive church.
IN CONCLUSION
We thus close the chronological account of the history of Christ Church, Quaker Farms to date. There remain a few mat- ters to be recorded, which will be found in the Appendix.
In looking back over the story of the church in Quaker Farms, it seems that it has been one of struggle throughout its life, - in fact, it might be said of it, at most any period of its history, "These be the times that try mens' souls." But with each crisis, men and women arose, "worthy of the name of saints", who car- ried on the work.
May it continue in zeal and devotion to the cause of its Master.
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APPENDIX
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CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
In this history, we have frequently spoken of "the election of new Church Members", and the question may well be raised as to what is meant thereby. To answer this, it must be recognized that there are three kinds or degrees of membership in the church. Two of these are purely spiritual in their nature, and are, -
First, - A baptized person. In the service of Holy Baptism as given in the Book of Common Prayer, the Minister "makes a Cross on the person's forehead," and says, "We receive this person into the congregation of Christ's flock." The Episcopal Church recognizes baptism which has been performed by a Min- ister of any Christian body, such as Prespyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, etc., and even, in some cases, I believe by a layman.
Second, - A communicant. Here we come to be more specific. Mr. Soule put it well in a sermon preached in Christ Church a year or so ago, - "When it comes to entering a name in the parish register, we have to be loyal to the rules of the Episcopal Church, and we enter, as communicants, only the names of those who have been confirmed, and the confirmation must have been by a bishop in one of the historic churches who have the same historic link with the apostles as does the Episcopal Church."
In the Diocese of Connecticut, this is of practical as well as spiritual importance, for an article in the Church Constitution provides that each parish shall elect one male communicant as lay delegate to the Diocesan Convention, and if the Parish con- sists of more than one hundred communicants, it shall elect two delegates.
Third, - A voting member of the ecclesiastical society. -
This is a purely practical kind of membership, and harks back to the early days in this country when, for a man to have a vote in town affairs, he had to be a duly elected member of the recog- nized church society. It is not a requirement of all dioceses that a person must be elected in order to have a vote, but in Con- necticut it is covered by a canon that, -
1. The person must be a baptized person 21 years old.
2. The person must adhere to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
3. The person must have been a faithful attendant at Church services for six months.
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4. He must sign and lodge with the Clerk or one of the war- dens, a written application for such membership.
Upon the final adjournment of the Meeting at which the applica- tion is presented, the person shall become a member of the Parish unless objection is made by at least two members pres- ent, in which event a vote shall be taken.
It is this latter type of church membership to which we have referred when we spoke of "Election of New Members."
THE PIPE ORGAN
On August 7, 1951 an informal meeting of some members of the Church was held to consider the offer of the congregation of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ansonia, Conn., to give its pipe organ to Christ Church, provided the latter would undertake to dismantle the organ and remove it from their church.
Mr. Soule reported that the organ was built by Hook & Hastings of Boston, a famous firm of organ builders in the latter part of the 19th Century, now out of business. It was built probably around 1872. It has two manuals and full pedal keyboard, 13 ranks, and 699 pipes.
Mr. Soule stated that in the course of his training as organist he had acquired some knowledge of organ construction and of- fered to assist in the demolition and reconstruction, provided the Church accepted an offer made by Mr. John Knepple of Sey- mour (who had cleaned the Mason & Hamlin reed organ a short time before) to do the work for $550.000. He also stated that Mr. Edgar Palmer (of Smedley Bros., Movers, of New Haven) had agreed to attend to the moving of the organ from Ansonia to Quaker Farms, free of charge.
It was recognized that the organ was too large to be installed on the main floor of the Church, and that therefore it would have to be placed up in the gallery at the rear of the Church. This would involve removing the ceiling over the gallery so that some of the longer pipes could project upwards into the Church tower. Alterations would also have to be made to the organ frame. Mr. Ralph Pomeroy volunteered to do the work on the organ frame, and the following volunteered to remove the gallery ceiling, - Messrs. Leslie Tomlinson, Louis Tomlinson, Stiles Twitchell, Clarence Roberts and Ward Fisher. Mr. A. David Hall volun- teered to do the electrical work.
It was also recognized that considerable carpenter work would have to be done in the tower and it was estimated that the com- plete job of demolition and reconstruction of the organ, with the necessary carpenter work, would cost around $1,000.
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It was decided to accept the offer of the organ, and a com- mittee was appointed to obtain subscriptions for the organ fund. The committee consisted of Mr. Stiles B. Twitchell, Junior War- den, Mr. Clarence Roberts of the Vestry and Miss Helen Pom- eroy, Treasurer of the Ladies Society.
The final cost was $1,274.18.
A recital was given on the new organ Sunday evening, Sept. 30, 1951 by Mr. Soule, assisted by two singers, Mrs. Carmen Congdon of Christ Church and Mr. Josiah Evans of St. Johns Church, Waterbury.
It is interesting to note that the organ was barely gotten into the space available, the clearance at several points being but one inch or less, and when finally in place, it was found necessary to provide room for the organist by cutting away the inner portion of the gallery rail for several inches. A back-rest for the or- ganist was contrived out of an unused portion of the organ frame.
The front casing of the organ is of walnut and of handsome architectural design, and the front ornamental pipes are taste- fully decorated in pale blue and gold.
COMMUNITY HALL
The original building was given by Mr. Stephen Mallett. No record is extant of the date, but the Parish Records show that he was married in 1843, and his name is on the "Complete Parish Register" compiled by the Rev. Sylvester Clarke, Deacon in Ad- vent 1858. At the time of this register, apparently he was about forty years of age. He died in 1894.
Mr. Mallett lived in the house opposite the Church which was purchased later by Mr. Charles A. Davis and is now the home of his step-daughter, Miss J. Mabel Lum.
At the time of the gift of the building, probably 1858-60, people all over the country were becoming concerned about the evils of intemperance. The first temperance society was founded in 1808 and for forty years or more, the campaign against drunkenness had been carried on by lecturers going around the country depict- ing the horrible results of intemperance and exhorting their hearers to forsake the habit. By one means or another men were persuaded to sign a pledge to abstain from intoxicating liquors. Connecticut passed an Act in 1854 for the suppression of intem- perance requiring that agents for the sale of liquor for chemical and manufacturing purposes should be appointed and appropria- tions made by town meetings.
The Washington movement (for temperance) started in Balti- more in 1840 and John B. Gough had begun his wonderful talks
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on temperance. The influence of Gough and Father Mathew (from Ireland) was evident in the formation of the "Independent Order of Good Templars" founded in Utica, N.Y., in 1851. Its name was undoubtedly derived from that of the "Knights Tem- plars" one of the three great military orders founded in the 12th Century.
The Good Templars seem to have been active in this neigh- borhood, and Mr. Mallett gave the use of his land, and it is be- lieved built the building and turned it over to the Knights Tem- plars for their use. The idea was to provide a gathering place for social activities, where no liquor would be sold or served, thus drawing people away from taverns.
Miss Mabel Lum says that Mr. Mallett expressly refrained from giving a deed to the land. He also made a practice of stor- ing some of his own material in the basement of the building so as to continue to hold title to the property and building. This he did so that the Templars could not sell the property to anyone who might use it for purposes objectionable to him.
When Mr. Charles A. Davis acquired the Mallett farm in 1899 the Community Hall and the land passed into his ownership. Mr. Davis was a staunch churchman and active in the affairs of Christ Church, Quaker Farms, as we have already seen.
In 1905 the building burned down and the vestry of Christ Church, consisting of Wardens C. C. Ryder and Charles A. Meigs, Treasurer and Clerk Charles A. Davis, and Vestrymen Charles B. Johnson, Charles A. Davis, Henry Tomlinson, James Tomlinson and Albert J. Lum voted to accept the Trusteeship of the Property of the Good Templars Association "for the Peoples Good," and to proceed to erect a new hall at once. A building committee was named consisting of Messrs. Charles B. Johnson, Charles A. Davis, and William R. Palmer.
Mr. Palmer was appointed solicitor with Miss Clara Hawkins, Miss Mabel Lum, Miss Cora Lum and Mrs. Henry B. Davis, assistants.
It is understood that the money was subscribed locally and that considerable labor was volunteered.
For many years the hall has been under the care and manage- ment of the Ladies Society.
During the past year it has been re-painted within and without, and arrangements have been made for dividing the main floor, by means of heavy curtains, into classrooms for the use of the Church School.
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TRANSPORTATION
The first railroad in the neighborhood was the Housatonic Railroad, which was chartered in 1836 to run from Canaan, . Connecticut down the valley of the Housatonic River to Brook- field, thence to Long Island Sound at Bridgeport where passen- gers took steamboat for New York. This steamboat line, by the way, was a popular means of reaching Bridgeport and Stratford even after the New Haven R.R. was running, the writer remem- bering the old steamboat "Rosedale" which he took as late as 1907. It was a very pleasant mode of travel, although sometimes the Sound would get pretty rough.
The Housatonic R.R. was designed to provide an all year- round route between New York and Albany in conjunction with the steamboat line above spoken of. At Albany it connected with the Western Railroad of Massachusetts, (Boston & Albany R.R.).
There was a passenger station at Stevenson on the west side of the Housatonic. This would be reached from Quaker Farms by driving down the Old Mill Road, (now known as Barry Road), past the old Saw Mill across Eight Mile Brook, up Bowers Hill to what is now Freeman Road which led to Zoar Bridge, which was about 1/2 mile above the present Stevenson Dam.
It would be interesting to know how much use the Quaker Farms people made of this railroad connection.
The Naugatuck Railroad, which we now use as a branch of the New Haven Railroad, was not opened until 1849, running from Winstead to Naugatuck Junction (now Devon), where an arrange- ment was made for its trains to continue on into Bridgeport.
While this must have meant much to the residents of Seymour and Oxford center, it may have been easier for Quaker Farms people bound for New York to drive down to Stevenson and take the Housatonic R.R. there.
The New York and New England R.R. was not opened between Waterbury and Brewster, N.Y., until 1881, and in 1882 to Fish- kill Landing (now Beacon,) whence traders were ferried across the river to Newburg.
An advertisement in the Seymour "Record" Aug. 17, 1883 tells of connections that can be made,
At Newburgh with New York, Lake Erie & Western R.R.
At Fishkill with New York Central & Hudson R.R.
At Brewsters with New York City and Northern R.R. and Harlem R.R.
At Danbury
with the Danbury & Norwalk R.R.
At. Hawleyville
with Housatonic R.R.
At Waterbury with Naugatuck R.R.
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Mr. Thomas Schreiber has told me that his children attended High School in Waterbury, hitching up a rig and driving to South- ford where they put up the horse for the day, and taking the train there for Waterbury.
Church's Seymour and New Haven Stage is advertised in the Seymour Record December 14, 1883, -
"Leaves Seymour at 7:45 A.M., arriving at New Haven at 9:45. Returning, leaves Down's Corner of Church and Court Streets (formerly Lockwood's City Hall Dining Rooms) at 2 o'clock." Sheldon Church.
One could go from Southford to Seymour by the "Southford and Seymour Mail Wagon" advertised in the same issue of the Record, -
"Will leave Southford Post Office at 7:30, Oxford at 8:10, ar- riving at Seymour in time for the 9 o'clock train. Will leave Seymour on arrival of the 10:36 train, arriving in Southford in time for either the east or west bound train on the New York and New England R.R. All orders left at either of the above named post-offices will be promptly attended to. Fares from Southford to Seymour, 25g; Oxford to Seymour 15€."
H. T. Edwards.
THE QUAKER FARMS CEMETERIES
There are two cemeteries in Quaker Farms, the oldest, long known as "the old burying ground" and now named "Hillside Cemetery" is located on the west side of the cemetery road which runs east and north from Quaker Farms Road just north of Barry Road. The other, which dates from about 1812 is known as "Brookside Cemetery and is located on the east side of Ed- monds Road about a quarter of a mile north of where Edmonds Road branches off from Quaker Farms Road.
Christ Church has always had a good deal to do with their care and management, although, as far as can be ascertained, without title to their ownership.
The cemeteries had become somewhat neglected at the end of the last century, and had become a matter of great concern to Mr. Benjamin Nichols. On the morning of his death, one of his last requests to his daughter, Mrs. Henry P. Wirth was that she should see that the Cemeteries were put into good condition preparatory to receiving a bequest in his will for the benefit of Cemeteries and Church.
In his will, dated Sep. 1, 1895 he made the following bequest, -
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"I will to the Trustees of Donations and Bequests of the Dio- cese of Connecticut for the benefit of the Episcopal Society of Quaker Farms, in the town of Oxford, three thousand dollars, the principal to be kept intact, but the interest to be paid annually to the officers of said Society, and known as Christ Church Parish in said Quaker Farms in the town of Oxford, Conn.
Firstly: The interest to be used for the care of the two ceme- teries, for keeping them in good and respectable condition at all times.
Secondly: For the insurance of the Church buildings and re- pairs thereof, etc.
Mrs. Wirth got the people together and all worked to put the cemeteries in good condition. The Trustees of Donations and Bequests demurred somewhat at undertaking the Trust, but Mrs. Wirth finally succeeded in inducing them to do so by placing her- self under bonds to complete the Cemetery work to a good and respectable condition, to form the Cemeteries into an Associa- tion, so that in part they would be self-sustaining. The Trustees agreed that under such arrangements they believed that Christ Church Society would receive sufficient benefit to warrant their acceptance.
A meeting was held in Community Hall at Quaker Farms, at which the Quaker Farms Cemetery Association was formed May 10, 1898. Mr. Charles A. Meigs was appointed Chairman and Charles A. Davis, Secretary. Articles of association were adopted and the following were elected trustees, -
Charles A. Meigs Henry P. Wirth C. C. Ryder Charles A. Davis Charles Hawkins
In her will, Mrs. Wirth left Two Thousand dollars to the Trustees of Donations and Bequests for Church Purposes for the same purposes and with about the same provisions as those in her father's will. This fund is known as the Benjamin and Min- erva Nichols Fund.
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Families 1858 Sylvester Clarke, Deacon Minister at Oxford and Quaker Farms
Stephen S. Mallett
Charles Hawkins
Mrs. Jane C. Lum & David L. Meigs
Mrs. Sarah M. Hawkins
Chester Bunnell
Milo Edwards &
Sherman S. Hine
Mrs. Chester Bunnell
Philo Wooster
George C. Tomlinson
Henry E. Bidwell
Mrs. Sybil Skeels Albert A. Kimberly John C. Hull
Anson R. Davis
John Hull George A. Tomlinson
Ira Hyde Marvin R. Sanford
Agur Curtis Heubbell
Mrs. Harriet Sanford Hine Mrs. Thirza Chatfield
John Smith
Mrs. Sally Nichols
Wm. R. Tomlinson
Mrs. Mary Chatfield
Elisha Oatman
Horace Candee
Benjamin Nichols
George Bunnell
Daniel Wooster
Charles A. Tomlinson
Edwin E. Lewis
George A. Flagg Adin Johnson
Mrs. Ann J. Jackson
Horace Oatman
Samuel Candee
John F. Ritchie
Charles R. Oatman
Charles Meigs
Harmon A. Perry
George B. Oatman
Charles Gale William Butler
Marcus E. Hyde
John F. Brush
Steve Candee
Abijah Hyde Wales Chatfield George Sanford
Sheldon Hull William A. Tomlinson
Lewis Hawkins
Anny M. Downs
Jones
Harry Hendricks
Augustus Perry
Ellen Tomlinson Charles Hinman
James Wheeler
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Sarah Bunnell
Cornelius C. Ryder
David Oatman
James Radcliffe
Roswell Waters
Mrs. Lucy Hendryx
Complete Parish Register 1858
Commenced in Advent AD 1858 by Rev. Sylvester Clarke, Deacon
Name
Births
Baptisms
Marriages
Burials
Stephen S. Mallett
In infancy
May 13, 1843
Flora M. Mallett
Oct. 1833
May 13, 1843
Charles Hawkins
Apr. 22, 1859
Dec. 17, 1848
Louisa J. Hawkins
1832
Dec. 17, 1848
Sarah M. Hawkins
Jan. 17, 1853
Apr. 22, 1859
Mary L. Hawkins
Feb. 16, 1855
Apr. 22, 1859
Chas. Nathan Hawkins
Aug. 5, 1857
Apr. 22, 1859
Jane C. Lum
Apr. 14, 1818
1818
Sep. 13, 1840
David T. Meigs
Feb. 21, 1821
1852 or 3
Sarah M. Hawkins
Date Uncertain
Date Uncertain
Silas Hawkins Chester Bunnell Roxy Bunnell Milo Edmonds
Dec. 22, 1818
Nov. 14, 1845
L. Maria Edmonds
June 7, 1825
Nov. 14, 1845
Mary R. Edmonds
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