USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Oxford > A history of Christ Church, Quaker Farms in Oxford, Connecticut > Part 5
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CHARACTER OF THE BUILDING.
In a pamphlet published during the Connecticut Tercentenary, Mr. J. Frederick Kelly calls the church one of the six most in- teresting in Connecticut. He was later the author of a book, "Early Connecticut Meeting Houses" published by the Columbia University Press. In it, he says, - "In England, after the London fire of 1666, Wren appeared as the great builder of churches. The distinguishing characteristic of Wren's steeples is that they generally arose from the ground."
The tower of Christ Church is perhaps its most striking fea- ture, and it rises from the ground in Wren fashion, - differing in this from St. Peter's Church in Oxford and the Congregational church there, whose towers rise from the roof. It is tied into the main church structure in an interesting way, by two heavy cantilever beams extending over the ceiling beams and notched. over one of them and carried through and across the tower to the front. The tower is finished at the top with a belfry and a false lantern, and a cap of copper. Originally it bore a weather vane, reputed to be a "rooster" as so many were, but an exam- ination of it, (now in storage) shows that it is an elaborate design,
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possibly representing a conventionalized fish, which was one of the symbols used by the early Christians to represent Christ.
In his book, Mr. Kelly comments, - "The interior is one of the most interesting in Connecticut, due not only to its beauty but al- so to the fact that it has been so little changed. The lectern is original. The present pulpit is the upper part of the original pul- pit."
"The front doors are not original. The belfry false windows originally had black background". (For many years, and when Mr. Kelly saw it, the background was painted white, but during the year 1952 the original background of black was restored, thus reproducing the original appearance of glass).
It is understood that Mr. Kelly got much of his knowledge of these details from conversations with Mrs. Charles A. Davis, mother of Mr. Ralph Davis and Miss J. Mabel Lum.
Many interesting drawings of architectural details are shown in Mr. Kelly's book, as well as further comments which we do not have space to include.
The crystal chandelier was originally the property of St. Ann's Episcopal Church in Brooklyn N. Y. and was given by that church to Trinity Church, Seymour. In 1881 Trinity Church passed it on to Christ Church, Quaker Farms. It probably came from "St. Ann's new stone church, built in 1808." It was originally lit by candles, and their flickering flames must have made the pris- matic colors in the crystal drops dance in a lovely fashion. No one in Quaker Farms seems to remember it lit other than by Kerosene lamps, before electric lights were installed. As this is being written (January 1954), it is being repaired and re-wired, to bring out more of its beauty.
The chancel window originally had clear glass in it, with small panes, the same as the other windows in the church, and the old center sash is stored up in the tower. Early sentiment was a- gainst stained glass "picture windows" as being idolatrous, and no stained glass had yet been made in America at the time of the building of Christ Church, Quaker Farms.
While preparing for the re-decoration of the church in 1954, Mr. Ralph Pomeroy discovered that the middle section of the girt beam (right over the altar) is set two feet lower than the beams on either side of the altar. This was part of the original con- struction, and, it is thought, was done so that the window could rest on the beam at a convenient height for the pulpit. The old high or "staircase" pulpits were reached by a flight of stairs- sometimes by two, one at each side, and the preacher stood right in front of this " pulpit" window, - with "God's clear light of day shining upon him", as the old writers expressed it. Kelly says
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that the pulpits were made high "so as to command the galleries". No record has been found as to whether the pulpit in Christ Church had two staircases, or only one. The present pulpit is said to be the upper part of the old staircase pulpit.
It seems likely that the sash, trim and decoration of the pulpit window, as originally built, were the same as the Palladian win- dow over the front door. The present decoration does not seem to be the original, as the mouldings are of a different style from those used throughout the rest of the building, and the reeded columns give evidence of being machine made, whereas all other reeding in the church, such as on the lectern, is hand worked. The decoration, nevertheless, is very graceful, and Kelly com- ments on it favorably. It was probably put in when the new stained glass window was installed in 1878, at which time the window was set at the higher elevation where it now is.
In the entry of the church, there is an archway of pleasing architectural detail, quite similar in character to those found in houses of that period. At the present time, it is completely blanked by the wall at the rear of the church separating the "audience room" (as the main body of the church used to be called) from the lobby. This wall was apparently not originally in the church, as the laths used in its construction are of the modern sawed variety, whereas elsewhere throughout the church they are of the old hand-riven type. Also the trim around the doorways through this wall is of a different type from that used elsewhere. Furthermore, the lovely entrance archway in the lobby would not have been put in that position if it were to be blanked by a party wall. It was the intention of the architect that the minute one came through the tower doors, one would look directly into the church and see the pulpit and the pulpit window.
The wall was undoubtedly put in to shut out the cold west wind, but when it was installed is not known, very possibly during 1858 when the changes were made to the chancel. The appearance of the church would be much improved if it were removed.
Mr. Kelly remarks about the interior, - "Four Connecticut structures only have escaped with interior alterations of a minor character,- amongst these being the Episcopal church in Quaker Farms." However, the church goer of 1814 would be very sur- prised to find some familiar features missing.
First, - The old staircase pulpit, of which we have already spoken, with the little communion table on the floor in front of it.
Next, - The old square pews. In the older meeting houses the square pews were so high that when people were seated, they could not be seen from other pews, and many. were the com- plaints as to loss of privacy when they were replaced by the low bench type of pew called "slips". But in Christ Church the box
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pews were not any higher than the "slips", if we are correct that the panelling in the chancel was taken from the box pews. This is discussed in more detail under the year 1858.
It was the general custom throughout New England to assign the box pews, one to a family, at the annual meeting, and in some churches they were actually auctioned off to the highest bidder. In fact, Mr. Douglas writes that when the new St. Peter's Church was built in 1834, it was a yearly custom to auction off the seats in order to raise money for support of the services. The num- bers of the pews were written on slips of paper, and these were drawn from a hat. The seats near the front brought a higher price than those in the rear of the church. In the old St. Peter's record book, this is referred to as " selling the pews."
In others of the earlier churches, it was not unusual to have the people seated according to their social rank, and it is said that "this remained true of a number of New England churches until well on into the nineteenth century".
Our 1814 church goer would have recognized the lectern, for it is thought that the present one is the original; he would have been surprised at the mahogany stain which now (January 1954) covers it, but it is expected to be repainted white during the new redecoration in progress.
He would probably have been surprised to find the church so comfortable, for the building was unheated for the first fifteen or twenty years of its life. People sometimes brought with them heated bricks or charcoal footwarmers, but even with these, go- ing to church must have been a chilly performance.
The stately columns form a striking decorative feature. They are magnificent pieces of white oak timber, which it is said must have grown in a close grove, to be so long and slender. They are hand hewn, not turned, and are topped by carved wooden capitals.
THE OLD SERVICE BOOK.
The old Service Book used by the Clergymen in Christ Church, during the early years, is still preserved. It was published in 1805, and besides the Book of Common Prayer, it contains a "Companion for the Book of Common Prayer", this being an explanation of the Prayer Book. It contains also a metrical version of the Psalms, which was customarily included in all prayer books in those days. It is marked, "Oxford Chapel," in gold letters on the front cover.
EXTERIOR OF CHURCH.
Turning now to the exterior of the church we notice first the side windows. These have the traditional small panes of glass, but the tops of the windows are pointed, instead of circular as
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are those in most meeting houses. This is one of the points which adds to "the more churchly character of the building". The tracery formed by the vertical ribs or "muntins" as the architechts call them is very lovely, each pair being bent at the top so as to form a series of pointed arches. Also there is an unusual number of windows in each side wall; it seems almost as if the architecht had been determined to make the side walls as nearly all glass as possible and so get the maximum of "God's clear light of day."
In the front facade of the church is a Palladian window. This style of window was first introduced in England by the Italian architecht Palladio, the particular feature of which is a central window, flanked by two smaller windows, always with consider- able decoration. In the Quaker Farms church the central window has a pointed top, same as the side windows.
For many years the windows were completely blanked by shutters nailed fast over them, but these have been removed re- cently and the church thus restored to its early beauty. As or- iginally built, the church was without shutters and it was not un- til the late seventies of the last century that these were applied.
At each side of the front doorway are reeded pilasters which are tapered from a wide base at the bottom to a narrow one at the top. This meant that the grooves had to be cut by hand, each reed getting slightly thinner, inch by inch, till the top was reached. Experts say this was done by cutting deeper at the lower end of the pilaster and gradually cutting shallower, little by little. Such work could obviously have been done only by a master craftsman.
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CHAPTER VIII
1812-1825, CHRIST CHURCH AS "THE CHAPEL"
EVENTS IN THE UNITED STATES
While the project of building Christ Church was going on, from the approval by the Oxford parish Feb. 10, 1812 to the holding of services in the new building in 1814 things were in an unsettled state in the country. On June 1, 1812, Congress declared war against Great Britain, and in August of 1814 a British force raided the city of Washington and set fire to the Capitol and the White House. That same month the Treaty of Ghent was signed, officially ending the war, but news of it did not reach Washington until February of 1815. So all the time that Christ Church was being built, the country was at war with England.
The war had been opposed by virtually the entire commer - cial section of New England, whose merchants were injured more by embargoes and "non-intercourse" than they were by the British cruisers. The legislatures of the New England States condemned the war openly and refused to allow their militia to serve outside their state.
For this reason, the fact that the country was at war may have had little effect on the lives of the people of Quaker Farms, - not even as much as the embargo of 1807 recom- mended by President Jefferson against any American vessel sailing for a foreign port, for by 1812 Derby was about through as a sea port and shipbuilding center.
And perhaps, in a way, Quaker Farms may have been helped by the war, because as people could not get manufactured goods from England, they turned naturally to the products of local factories, a number of which had sprung up in New England after the Revolution, wherever water power was avail - able to run their machinery. In Quaker Farms there were factories all along Eight Mile Brook and in Oxford along Little River.
John Bach McMaster, in his "History of the People of the United States" says, - speaking of the year 1786, (only three years after the signing of peace with England after the revolu- tion, and less than thirty years before Quaker Farms started to build its church) -
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"New England had already begun that splendid line of manufactures which, in the course of two generations grew rapidly to astonishing proportions, covered her streams and rivers with workshops and factories, and gave to the world that innumerable host of articles which, under the name of Yankee notions are now to be found in the markets of every people."
GENERAL HUMPHREYS AND MERINO SHEEP
At the falls of the Naugatuck River, there had been a settle- ment known as "Chusetown", after the Indian Chief named Chuse. In 1803, Gen. David Humphreys, who had been U. S. Minister to Spain purchased the property at the falls (then known as Rimmon Falls.) While in Spain he had become con- vinced of the superiority of Merino sheep, and in 1802 he im- ported 100 of them and chose Chusetown as headquarters of the sheep raising business as well as for the manufacture of woolen cloth. The great superiority of the wool of Merino sheep being immediately manifest, farmers everywhere were glad of the opportunity to improve their stock.
Gen. Humphreys considered it of great importance to the interest of the country that manufactures, especially that of woolen cloths, should be introduced. By this is meant manu- facture on a fairly large scale, the old "home-spun" woolen cloth being strictly a product turned out in the home. He is said to have employed a large number of boys whom he brought from different parts of the country. He was successful in his endeavors, and in 1804 the Connecticut State Legislature changed the name of the place to "Humphreysville", which name it retained until 1850.
In 1811, President Dwight of Yale College, wrote of Humphreysville, "Already existing are a grist mill, a saw mill, a paper mill, woolen manufactory, and a cotton manufactory."
The effect of all this on Quaker Farms was probably three- fold. First, it increased the sheep raising by farmers, giving them a market outside their homes.
Second, - it gave them, with increased population, more of a market for their produce, and Third, - it probably spurred the people along Eight Mile Brook to utilize its water power for operating some small mills and factories. A grist mill and a saw mill had probably been in operation on Eight Mile Brook on the north side of the road from Quaker Farms to the Housatonic River, known formerly as Old Mill Road, and now Barry Road, from very early times, as grain had to be ground and boards had to be sawed, but factories, as such, probably
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came later.
So, in 1812 Quaker Farms was a busy farming and sheep raising community.
THE YEARS 1813-1816
In the Journals of the Diocesan Convention for this period, several references are made to clergymen who at one time or another served Christ Church. Aug. 3d. 1813, there were pres- ent at the Convention Ashbel Baldwin, Tillotson Bronson, Chauncey Prindle, Daniel Burhans and Sturgis Gilbert. Messrs. Bronson and Baldwin were members of the Standing Committee, and Dr. Bronson was Principal of the Episcopal Academy, all men of prominence in the affairs of the Diocese.
June 1st. 1814, among the lay delegates there is listed the name of Reuben Bunnel, Oxford. After his name appears the statement, "Grand Levy $9000.00". It is not quite clear whether this was the Grand Levy on the tax list for the town of Oxford, or merely for the members of St. Peter's Church. Anyway, on it was based the number of lay delegates from each parish, for in the 1816 Journal of the Convention, the following resolution is recorded as passed, -
"Resolved that hereafter, every Parish shall be entitled to send one lay deputy to the Convention; and if the List of any parish exceeds the sum of ten thousand dollars, such parish shall be entitled to send two." The dividing sum had previously been $15000.00.
It is interesting to note that this resolution remained in effect until 1825, when the basis was changed to "more than 50 families".
ST. PETER'S CHURCH VACANT IN 1812 and 1813
The Rev. Mr. Prindle had resigned Dec. 23, 1811 but appar - ently continued to live in North Oxford (Gunntown) and as rector of St. Michael's in Salem until 1814. He may have continued to supply at St. Peter's for some time, for the records contain no account of any move to get a new rector until Oct. 6, 1812, when Messrs. Dan Finch, Nathaniel Wooster and Chauncey Hatch were appointed a Committee "to wait on Mr. Dan1 McDonald to engage him to settle with us as a minister or to supply the service in such a manner as they shall agree or they shall judge expedient."
No further mention is made of Mr. McDonald, so he apparently refused the offer, and the committee may have arranged with Mr. Prindle on a part time basis.
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Dec. 10, 1812, Capt. Nath1 Wooster, Messrs. Dan Finch and Reuben Bunnell were appointed a committee "to meet the Com- mittee of Humphreysville Society to make proper arrangements for calling and settling a minister." So apparently they were despairing of having a full time minister and turned to Humphreysville to make a joint arrangement. The building of the chapel in Quaker's Farm had been authorized the previous February, so the new minister would have to split his time be- tween Humphreysville, Oxford and Quaker's Farm.
There is no further record until Dec. 1, 1813, when it was voted "that the Come be empowered to hire preaching for the winter as they shall judge proper". There is a possibility that they arranged with the Rev. Tillotson Bronson to supply, for in the Christ Church Parish Register (commenced in 1845) some unknown person wrote on the first page of the book a list of clergy, presumably those who served Christ Church. This list is headed by the name of the Rev. Tillotson Bronson, and does not contain the name of Mr. Prindle. Dr. Bronson was Princi- pal of the Episcopal Academy in Cheshire at the time.
In the History of the Old Town of Derby, by Samuel Orcutt and Ambrose Beardsley M.D. (Appendix, page 785), published in 1880, it is stated that "At the time of the approval of the erection of a chapel in Quaker Farms, the rector at Oxford was the Rev. Tillotson Bronson D.D. who succeeded the Rev. Chauncey Prindle who had served from 1807 to 1811." The writer has been unable to find any official record of this.
In any event, the first officially recorded, settled minister at Christ Church was the Rev. Aaron Humphrey, who came Nov. 16, 1814.
THE REV. AARON HUMPHREY 1814-1820
In his historical address, Mr. Douglas says, "At the Annual Meeting, held Nov. 14, 1814, a committee of members from both sides of the town met at the center schoolhouse in Oxford, and decided to engage the Rev. Aaron Humphrey as minister. The report to the parish was to the effect that 'the Rev. Mr. Humphrey should receive annually $500.00 and 20 cords of wood'. 'The Rev. Mr. Humphrey on this condition agreed to be our minister'.
The old St. Peter's Record Book, which the writer has con- sulted says that Nov. 16, 1814, Messrs. Chauncey M. Hatch, Col. Davis, Capt. N. Wooster, Levi Candee and Reuben Bunnell were appointed committee to meet the Rev. Mr. Humphrey with proposals for settlement as our minister".
In the adjourned Annual Meeting of Feb. 16, 1815, (about
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three months after the first meeting), it was voted, "That the inhabitants of that section of the town in which the Rev. Mr. Humphrey shall fix his residence in the ensuing year shall find or pay for 2/3 of this wood." One senses that there may have been some dispute as to where Mr. Humphrey should live, and that possibly he served Christ Church before he undertook the charge of St. Peter's also. This seems to be borne out by the record in the 1815 Convention Journal and a statement in the History of the Old Town of Derby.
The 1815 Journal records, under "Notitiae Parochiales", - "Rev. Aaron Humphrey, Rector of Christ Church, Oxford, - number of communicants 43." No mention is made of St. Peter's, and it is to be noted that the Quaker Farms Church is listed as "Christ Church", - and not as "the Oxford Chapel".
The "History of the Old Town of Derby" says "The Rev. Aaron Humphrey, the first minister of the church at Quaker's Farms, came to it in the fall of 1814, the house of worship hav- ing been previously finished. In the spring of 1816 he accepted the charge of St. Peter's of Oxford, (also) in connection with Christ Church at Quaker's Farms, which was then denominated a chapel, when he made his residence at Oxford, and in this relation he continued until 1819, when he accepted the appoint- ment of itinerant missionary in New Haven County".
The 1816 Convention Journal reports, - "Rev. Aaron Humphrey, Rector of the Associated Churches in Oxford", so by that time he was clearly in charge of both churches. He came from Gardiner, Maine, where he had ministered to the Episcopal congregation at that place.
THE CONSECRATION OF CHRIST CHURCH
The consecration of Christ Church took place during the rectorate of the Rev. Mr. Humphrey, on Sep. 3d. 1817. The sub- scribers to the building of the church must have paid up fairly promptly, for it is an old established requirement of the Epis- copal Church that no church building may be consecrated until it is free from debt. It was consecrated by Bishop Hobart, (Bishop of New York), "during his long journey through these parts", as Mr. Douglas puts it. It may seem strange that a New York bishop should have consecrated, a Connecticut church, but a search of the records shows that the see of Connecticut was vacant in 1817. Bishop Jarvis had died, and the Diocesan Convention of 1816 passed the following resolution, -
"Resolved, - That an invitation be given to the Rt. Rev. John Henry Hobart, Bishop of the Diocess (sic) of the State of New York, to visit and perform the Episcopal Offices
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in this Diocess, according to the twentieth Canon of this Church".
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
In 1818, Connecticut formally broke the long existing bond between Church and State, and thereafter, no man could be taxed for the support of a church or pastor without his consent. In the same year the franchise, or right to vote, was extended to all male, white adults.
By this time, 1817, the Parishes were apparently having dif- ficulty in paying for Mr. Humphrey's full time, for on Oct. 6th of that year, it was voted to permit Mr. Humphreys to preach at Humphreysville one third of the time.
By 1819 things seem to have gotten worse, for on June 12th of that year, it was voted "that we employ Mr. Humphrey, one half of ye time for ye present year", and it was further voted that John Davis and Levi Candee be a committee to inform Mr. Humphrey that "the society don't feel themselves able to hire him any longer than the present year and that it would be pleas- ant for ye society for him to look (sic) a new parish."
There may have been some altercation about the matter, for on Jan. 11, 1820 a committee was appointed "to negotiate with Mr. Humphrey concerning his pastoral service in this town". And finally, June 1, 1820 it was voted "that in compliance with the request of the Rev. Aaron Humphrey, the society desire (or direct? - the writing is not clear) the Right Reverend Bishop of the diocess to dissolve the ministerial connection between the sd Mr. Humphrey & ye episcopal society of Oxford."
The 1820 Convention Journal lists the Rev. Aaron Humphrey as rector of "the Church in Oxford".
THE FIRST CHURCH BELL
In 1817, the year the church was consecrated, and during Mr. Humphrey's rectorate a bell weighing 600 lbs. was cast by G. Ford in New York. Among the original documents preserved by the Meigs family is the list of subscribers, with signatures and amounts subscribed by each. The total subscribed was $165.50, the heaviest subscribers being David Tomlinson and Moses Wheeler.
There seems to have been some difficulty over this bell, as to who was responsible for it, for at a meeting at St. Peter's in 1823 it was voted "that ye society have no claim to ye chapel bell and view it the property of the donors". At some unknown date this bell cracked and was replaced later as told further on in this history.
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