USA > Connecticut > Windham County > A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume I > Part 55
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CHAPTER XX WINDHAM COUNTY CHURCHES
GENERAL INTRODUCTION-CONGREGATIONAL-MINISTRY OF THE BEARDS-METHODIST -BAPTIST-ROMAN CATHOLIC-EPISCOPALIAN-MISCELLANEOUS.
There are eighty-one churches in Windham County-twenty-eight Congre- gational, seventeen Baptist, ten Catholic, nine Methodist Episcopal, eight Prot- estant Episcopal, two African M. E. Zion, two Swedish Lutheran and one each of the Unitarian, Methodist Protestant, Universalist, Spiritual and German Lutheran denominations. Between 1840-1850 a religious organization known as the Christ-ian Church flourished in some parts of the county, but this denom- ination is no longer active in the county. The first church organization was in 1692 at Windham, the minister coming with the founders of the town. The first building was erected in 1697 at Windham. There have been four buildings since that first one. The oldest church building now standing is the one at Abington, built in 1751.
The history of Abington Society is treated in a separate chapter under the head of Pomfret, by Miss Mary Osgood. The first Baptist Church in Windham County was organized in 1750 in the Town of Thompson. The first Irish Catholic Mass was held about 1848 in Willimantic. The Spiritualistic Society at Willimantic was organized in 1857, succeeding a Universalist Society. The Christian Science Society of Willimantic was organized October 1, 1916. As yet no Jewish synagogue or place of public worship has been established in Windham County, although of course services of that faith are held among some of the newcoming population in the larger towns.
Very interesting histories of the Congregational Church in Plainfield and of the Congregational Church of Westminster Society are interwoven with the respective stories of those communities, as written by Mrs. Sarah Francis Dor- rance and Mrs. T. Edward Davies.
The Modern History has been successful in securing accounts of all but seven of the different local church organizations in Windham County, and we regret that opportunity which was repeatedly offered to enter the record here given has not been improved by each organization without exception. It is considered remarkable, however, that the list is so nearly complete. .
The editor makes no apology for the large proportion of space which the history of the churches is taking in the Modern History of Windham County. No influence has been more powerful in the life of the last half century, in spite of the fact that on the surface the influence of the church has been a declining interest, as compared to the earlier days. It is quite true that the old-time "orthodoxy" has lost its hold, not only among the Protestant churches, but even to a degree in the Roman Catholic Church. One of the most eminent among the clergy of the latter church has recently lamented what he called the weakened hold of "the Church" upon its people. And yet it remains true that no influence in our civilization is more powerful than that of religion.
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Study of the status and following and leadership of the churches will more nearly reveal the character of the community than any other influence. In spite of the apparent decline of the old-time "orthodoxy," there is today a mighty undercurrent of seeking after the essentials of faith as the only steadying, saving influence of an upset and changing civilization. There is not so much of wreck, after all, as of transition, and a challenge that is really availing to bring back the confidence of men in the faith of their fathers. In the old days the life of the community centered about the church; in later days, the drift has been away from the church; and yet no person in his sober. senses has ever given up his essential reliance upon the faith of his fathers; and today that faith is coming back because the folly of the lack of it is only too apparent.
The outstanding feature of the Windham County situation is of course the decline of the country or rural church, following the departure of population for the industrial centers. There is also the fact that by the influx of immigra- tion the old-time numerical supremacy of the Protestant churches is naturally superseded by the Catholics. This is because by far the greater proportion of the new coming peoples are of Catholic faith, and it is a perfectly natural transition. The Catholic churches of the industrial centers have grown to large membership and influence.
The unspeakable wreck of war has challenged religion, but the answer is that it is not religion that has failed, but men who have failed to live up to the plain teachings of faith. Absolutely nothing has happened to lessen faith in God; on the contrary, even the worst disasters of war and pestilence and fam- ine only cause the practical wisdom and value of the teachings of religion to stand out in clearer justification. The atheist, the infidel, the scoffer, has had his fling, but like all the rest, he stands face to face with the infinite and the unknown, and only faith in the higher destiny of the human soul can satisfy his sincere longing when finally the impotence of his negations is revealed.
Significant evidence of the final value and unfailing promise of faith in God was encountered by the editor in his quest for church histories and religious expression in Windham County in these recent days. In every community he had found men and women who had never affiliated with the church-on the contrary, they had been intensely critical of it ; especially critical of the "hypoc- risy" of some "professors" of religion; and yet often among those of the "infidel" sort would be found men and women whose personal lives exemplify the noblest traits of character.
To a certain person who had been an aggressive "infidel" the editor said one day in substance : "You have never had any use for the church or church members, always criticizing them. Now, in the Modern History we want both sides of the story ; and therefore I request you to write out your criticisms of the church-tell us what is the matter with it." A few weeks later, the "infi- del" sent in an article with a brief note accompanying in which he said: "I fear this article is a flat failure; somehow it does not seem to me to ring true or to meet the situation as you requested. Do as you please with the article." The editor called upon him, and said, "What's the matter? Why couldn't you write that article?" And the answer came, honest and from the heart: "How could I, when every time I tried it, the vision of my old-time Sunday-school teacher would come before me with reproachful glance? She was a beautiful character, and devoted her life to us boys; and now in my later years I have come to realize that her faith was genuine, and that it was her faith in God
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which developed her beautiful character; so I just could not write against her ! That faith is the noblest thing in life, when men and women follow it as she did. That is the conclusion I came to, and I don't wish to try to rewrite the article."
Notable evidences of that faith and its results will be found in some of the following stories of church life. The reader will readily identify them. In other instances, evidences of decline will be found with indication of better days, and such decline due for the most part to the changing circumstances of population.
In every instance the high spots of faith and religious leadership are due to personal devotion of some minister or members-the exemplification of the teaching and example of the Master or Prophet. Such devotion is equally apparent in Catholic or Protestant, Jewish, Russian or Greek, wheresoever and in whomsoever the faith in God and the resulting service are genuine.
CONGREGATIONAL THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT THOMPSON By Stephen T. Livingston
Although situated in the extreme northeastern corner of the state, thus suggesting the traditional chill of remote and exposed location, the Congrega- tional Church in Thompson has had a noble and fruitful history. It covers a period of nearly two centuries. The beginnings were prior to the birth of Washington, the exact date of the organization of the church being January . 28, 1730 (O. S.). The Ecclesiastical Society had already come into existence some two years earlier. These events belong to the time of King George II, and precede the establishment of the Township of Thompson by more than half a century. Until 1785 the parish bore the name of the North Society of Killingly.
There were twenty-seven charter members of the church, and the complete roll to date (April, 1920) numbers 1,448. Of these, including the pastors, at least twenty-five are on record as having devoted themselves to the Christian ministry.
The first four pastorates covered a period of 139 years, the ministers remain- ing according to custom for life work. Their names, with dates of service, are of peculiar interest : Marston Cabot, 1730-1756, twenty-six years; Noadiah Rus- sell, 1757-1795, thirty-eight years; Daniel Dow, who was made a Doctor of Divinity by Williams College in 1840, 1796-1849, fifty-three years; and Andrew Dunning, 1850-1872, twenty-two years. In the vestibule of the church are four marble tablets bearing commemorative inscriptions in honor of these faithful and much beloved servants of God.
The full list of pastors includes ten more, and their periods have ranged from one to twelve years. The names and dates are as follows : Joseph C. Bod- well, 1872-1874; John A. Hanna, 1876-1879; Aaron C. Adams, 1879-1886; Mar- cus Ames, 1886-1888; George H. Cummings, 1888-1900; Newton I. Jones, D. D., 1901-1908; Arnold C. P. Huizinga, 1909; John K. Moore, 1910-1916 : William B. Chase, 1917-1919, and Stephen T. Livingston, 1919 -.
Among those whom the church sent out into the ministry in the passing generation were Rev. Joseph P. Bixby, founder and president of Lay College, Revere, Mass., and Rev. Samuel W. Dike, LL. D., many years secretary of the League for the Protection of the Family.
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Twenty deacons have been officially connected with this church since its formation. The first to bear the honor was Benjamin Bixby. Those who were in office forty years or more were Jonathan Clough, Jacob Dresser, Simon Larned (with a record of 53 years), Lusher Gay, and Charles Brown, who resigned from active service in 1870 but continued to be known as deacon dur- ing the remaining fifteen years of his life. In 1919 the three deacons were Josiah W. Dike (already with a record of thirty-five years), George S. Crosby, twenty-eight years, and Robert C. Paine, M. D. (elected in 1916).
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, THOMPSON, CONN.
The spire of the present church edifice, towering above the stately elms, is visible for miles in all directions, and the panorama from its belfry is extra- ordinary. This building, of noble architecture and facing the triangular com- mon, was erected in 1856; and abiding gratitude and honor are associated with the name of William H. Mason, who bore a large share of the outlay and fur- nished the first pipe organ. In 1901 the church was repaired, its interior remod-
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eled and beautified, and a handsome pipe organ installed, a gift from the family of the late J. W. Doane in affectionate memory of him. The architect who planned the alterations was Joseph B. Gay, of Boston, who came from family antecedents in the village. His grandfather is remembered by many as the cashier of the old Thompson bank. Mr. Gay also designed the village library and the handsome Italian features of the residence and grounds of Hon. Charles E. Searls; and in all three cases, particularly the church interior, the work inspires much admiration.
The meeting-house immediately preceding the present one was built in 1817. It stood on the common (which is still the property of the Ecclesiastical Society) and the erection of the building was due chiefly to the generous assistance of Thaddeus Larned and Noadiah Russell. After four decades, on account of being superseded by the present more commodious house, this older building was taken down by the purchaser, Lawyer Thos. E. Graves, and dis- posed of in various ways. The windowglass and some of the timber were used in the construction of a greenhouse (now a thing of the past) across the street, on ground which is today part of the Dexter Elliott estate.
The meeting-house antedating the two mentioned still exists, though in a changed form. The original frame was raised in 1728, on land, the present common, which was a gift of Hezekiah Sabin; and the small and somewhat primitive house of worship was ready for use when the church came into organized existence soon after. The building was enlarged in 1769, and about thirty years later (1798) it was repaired and provided with steeple and bell. In 1817 it was made over to the town and moved across the street, where its identity became concealed in a dwelling next to the Vernon Stiles Inn.
The story of the Sunday school, the Ladies' Aid Society, the Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society and other associated organizations is essentially the same as is found in connection with churches of similar size in the county. The development of modern phases of church beliefs and observ- ances has been an experience more or less common to churches throughout New England; but an exception should be made in respect to music, which came · early into favor as an important and desirable part of public worship. The traditions are singularly notable and many names could be mentioned showing the interest taken in high-grade music and a trained choir. The late Andrew Mills, who achieved the age of ninety-nine, was organist for fifty years, and before that period played the bass viol in the choir. Today a son and a daughter of his are members of the choir, and a daughter-in-law presides at the instrument part of the year.
A number of celebrations have been held in recent years, and in each case enthusiastic loyalty was in evidence, particularly at the 150th (in 1880) and the 175th (in 1905) anniversaries of the founding of the church, and at the re-dedication of the house of worship after the repairs and changes of 1901. It is noteworthy too that the vestry of the church was used as a drill hall for the soldiers during the opening of the Civil war; and early in the World war the Red Cross work was organized in the church parlor by Mrs. Charles E, Searls, and here under her leadership its activities were carried on.
An interesting and important feature of the more immediate present is the new relation which has sprung up between this church and the village Baptist Church, which lost its house of worship by fire in 1917. The two organizations,
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though independent of each other, unite for Sunday services in the same audi- ence room (the Congregational) and one pastor is engaged for the community without distinction in respect to separate parishes. The arrangement has given stimulus to interchurch work and the local field is not without sign of being abreast of the times in the spirit of religious cooperation.
The present minister, Rev. Stephen T. Livingston, called from Bridgton, Me., in the fall of 1919, is a graduate of Phillips Andover Academy, Williams College and Hartford Theological Seminary. The clerk of the church is Frank M. Knight. The treasurer of the Ecclesiastical Society, Robert A. Dunning, is the son of Rev. Andrew Dunning, the pastor during the stirring times of the Civil war period.
. No history of this church, however brief, should fail of including the name of Miss Ellen D. Larned, the distinguished author of the History of Windham County, and a member of this church. She died in 1913, and the resolutions in her honor, which are entered on the church records, pay grateful tribute to her influential Christian character and the inestimable value of her work in historical research touching the church, the township and the county.
Among the available sources of information concerning the history of the church in greater detail is the following material in print, which may be con- sulted at the public library in Thompson: A Semi-centennial Sermon (the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination) by Daniel Dow, D. D., April 22, 1846; Sermons, Historical and Dedicatory, by Rev. Andrew Dunning, 1855 and 1856; Services in Commemoration of the 175th Anniversary of the Church, February 12, 1905 (including an address by Rev. Newton I. Jones, D. D., and other historical papers) ; The Story of Missionary Offerings of the Church, 1803-1891, by Ellen D. Larned; Manual of the Church (printed in 1901) ; Miss Larned's History of Windham County, and her unique scrap-book of newspaper clip- pings gathered through many years.
THE SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF WOODSTOCK
The Second Congregational Church of Woodstock, Conn., was established at West Woodstock in 1745. In 1747 the church was organized. Rev. Stephen Williams, son of Rev. Stephen Williams of Longmeadow, Mass., was its first minister, and continued pastor until his death in 1795. During his ministry more than five hundred infants were baptized and ninety-three persons united with the church.
The next settled minister was Rev. Alvin Underwood, a native of West Woodstock, who was ordained May 27, 1801, and was dismissed March 30, 1833. During his pastorate a new church was built near the site of the old one. At the time of his dismissal there were 123 members.
Rev. John D. Baldwin was the third minister and his pastorate was from 1834 to 1837. He was an editor in Hartford and Boston and later editor of the Worcester Spy. He was a member of Congress at the beginning of the Civil war.
Following Mr. Baldwin was Rev. Mr. Curtis with a pastorate of about one year -- April 29, 1838, to July, 1839. On December 5, 1839, Rev. Benjamin Ober was ordained and continued pastor until March 25, 1840. Rev. Mr. Brooks was acting pastor from 1847 until 1850. The following is a list of pastors, with their dates of service : Rev. J. W. Sessions, 1854-1864; Rev. H. F.
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Hyde, 1864-1867; Rev. W. H. Kingsbury, 1868-1871; Rev. C. O. Grosvenor, 1871-1874; Rev. Abram March, 1874-1877. Up to this time the church had had settled pastors for about one hundred and four years and acting pastors for fourteen years. Rev. Mr. March was followed by Rev. John Avery, who supplied for three years until 1881, and he was followed by Rev. J. P. Trow- bridge, March 5, 1882-1886, and he in turn succeeded by Rev. Mr. Chapin for a period of two years. During his pastorate or directly following it, the church . and society were unfortunate in the loss of their church by fire. Steps, how- ever, were soon taken to rebuild, and on November 2, 1892, the new house of worship, the Church of the Good Shepherd, was dedicated. Rev. Mr. Trow- bridge for the second time became pastor. By action of a council, convened in December, 1896, he was dismissed from this pastorate.
During the interval of the rebuilding of the church, services were held regu- larly in the Town Hall. Rev. Mr. Chandler, pastor of the Congregational Church in Eastford, acted as supply.
Mr. Trowbridge was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Rand, a returned missionary from the Caroline Islands for a period of two years and by Rev. Mr. McIntric for the same length of time.
In 1902, by vote of the church, Rev. C. M. Jones served the church as pastor from 1902-1915, when he was made pastor emeritus until his death in 1917.
Then Mr. Theodore Bachelor, a student of the Hartford Theological Sem- inary and afterward of Yale, supplied the pulpit for a short period and after his supply Miss Lydia Hartig entered upon like services.
In 1916, owing to death and removal of many of the members of the church and society, and the consequent difficulty in obtaining funds for the support of a minister, the Second Congregational Church of West Woodstock united with the Baptist Church of the same place in holding union services. Rev. Henry Baker, pastor of the Baptist Church, at present officiates for both churches.
AT SOUTH KILLINGLY.
The Congregational Church in South Killingly, the fourth church to rise in the old Township of Killingly, was organized in 1746 as a Separate Church. The beginning might be dated April, 1735, however, for then the people of South Killingly obtained from the General Assembly permission "to hire an orthodox minister five months in the year" and "freedom from the ministerial tax during that period," the same tax being nominally payable to the church on Breakneck Hill some miles away.
The first four pastors cared for the church through eighty years They were Samuel Wadsworth, 1747-1762; Thomas Denison, 1762-1764; Eliphalet Wright, 1765-1784; and Israel Day, 1785-1826. This was the period of greatest strength and the church flourished. There followed three decades marked by brief pastorates and long intervals when the pulpit was supplied by many min- isters; and the church passed from strength to weakness.
The decline reached its limit in 1856 when there were but two male mem- bers of the church in the community, and services were suspended. The meet- ing-house was occupied by a Freewill Baptist Church until 1866. An attempt was then made to restore the Congregational organization and services, and was successful. Deacon Joseph C. Ayer took up his residence in South Killingly at about that time, and he with his family proved a very effective reinforcement
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to the church. The Rev. David Breed was engaged to preach for a year, begin- ning April, 1866. He was an acceptable leader, but because he could not reside in the place the invitation was not renewed at the end of the year, and Rev. Ezra D. Kinney became the pastor.
In the summer of 1867 Rev. John D. Potter conducted evangelistic services through six days, preaching thirteen times. It was haying time but the church was crowded for each service. He made a deep impression upon the com- munity, and the church received twenty-four accessions as a consequence of his efforts.
Mr. Kinney remained but two years and was followed by the Rev. William W. Atwater whose pastorate continued through nearly four years. Rev. G. J. Tillotson assisted in a series of special services during January, 1872, when much religious interest was manifested. Seven persons united with the church and there were "probably twenty hopeful conversions." Mr. Atwater retired from the ministry because of declining health and became librarian of the Yale Law School, which position he held until his death the next year, 1874.
The second longest pastorate of the church was that of the Rev. William H. Beard, who came as stated supply in June, 1873, and remained until his death, October 2, 1896. His twenty-three years in South Killingly were ex- tremely valuable and fruitful. His field was small but he cultivated it care- fully. Today little remains in that field to show the quality and result of his labor, but in the wider field of the world his work appears in many splendid lives.
In the twenty-four years that have elapsed since the ministry of Mr. Beard the South Killingly church has experienced thirteen pastorates, as follows : Rev. William S. Beard, 1896-1897; Rev. C. H. Pease, 1897-1899 ; Rev. J. Elliott Bow- man, 1899-1900; Rev. Joseph White, 1901-1902; Rev. William H. Starr, 1902; Rev. Nelson M. Bailey, 1902-1904; Donald J. Cowling, now president of Carleton College, 1904-1905 ; Rev. Harvey M. Lawson, 1905-1906; Rev. Virgil W. Black- man, Ph. D., 1906-1910; Miss Lydia Hartig, 1910-1912; Rev. Harry B. Goodsell, 1912-1917 ; Miss Lydia Hartig, 1917-1918 ; Rev. W. B. Williams, 1919 -.
From its beginning the church has had 533 members, of whom fifty remain. There are only six resident members.
The following ministers have been reared in this church: Israel Day, Abra- ham Carpenter, Joshua Spaulding, Daniel G. Sprague, Isaac C. Day, Charles L. Ayer, Edward P. Ayer, and William S. Beard, a secretary of the Congrega- tional Home Missionary Society and Harold B. Drew.
There have been two meeting-houses. The one now standing was erected in 1838 and is a beautiful structure of the Colonial type. The bell was given by Alexander Gaston, a merchant living near the church and the father of Gov. William Gaston of Massachusetts.
The church has received assistance from the Connecticut Missionary Society since 1832. . Today it is sustained largely through the affection and help of a large family of sons and daughters who have grown up and moved farther out into the world. The pleasantest day of the year is Labor Day, which is the old home day of the church. Then the family assembles, lives over again the better days that were, and dreams of the better days to come. In the mean- time the church goes quietly on, does what work there is for it to do, and is ready for more work when it shall come.
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