An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it, Part 52

Author: Gillespie, Charles Bancroft, 1865-1915; Curtis, George Munson
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Meriden, Conn. Journal publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1252

USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Meriden > An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it > Part 52

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ALL SAINTS' P. E. CHURCH.

Athough the present attractive edifice of All Saints' Protestant Episcopal Church, was not occupied for services until Ash Wednesday, 1893, some eight years or more pre- vious it became evident that the erection, of a church was definitely contemplated for that section of Meriden. The first service was

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held in the dwelling house, 273 West Main street, on December 13, 1885, the officiating clergy- man being Rev. A. T. Randall, rector, and F. H. Church, assist-

bled there every Lord's Day for several months until a larger place of worship was secured at the junc- tion of North First and South First streets. But services were contin-

ALL SAINTS' MEMORIAL CHURCH.

ant rector of St. Andrew's parish. Services were continued in the small room of that dwelling house by congregations who were assem-

ued at the latter place only until December, 1888, when they were discontinued owing to the fact that it was found impossible to heat the

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room and there seemed no other suitable accommodations for the then so-called mission, in which to hold meetings.

Among the enthusiastic members of the new society were several women who formed a sewing circle and after the Sunday services were discontinued, and it began to look as though the forming of the new

Photo by Akers & Pigeon. REV. I. NEWTON PHELPS.

"mission church" would have to be abandoned, the sewing society still continued to meet week days ; and as a result a considerable sum of money was laid by.

The ultimate aim of these patient women was the purchase of a lot on which to build a church and little by little the fund grew in spite of

many discouragements. That their up-hill work was bound to be pro- ductive of even greater results than they had dared to hope was soon to come to pass. On January, 30, 1891, Mrs. Phoebe A. Hallam, a communicant of St Andrew's church was buried. In her will was found a legacy of $10,000 to be used in the building of a church as a memorial to her husband, the late Rev. R. A. Hallam, D. D., at one time rector of St. Andrews. The money in the treas- ury of the sewing society, added to considerably by the members of St. Andrew's church soon after became sufficient to purchase the lot on the corner of West Main and Morgan streets, and the future of All Saints' church was thus determined.

With the understanding that most of his work was to be in the western part of Meriden, and with a view of becoming rector of the new parish when it should be set apart, in May 1892, Rev. A. Sprague Ashley accept- ed the position of assistant clergyman at St. Andrew's Church. In the mean- time Mrs. Hallam's legacy was largely added to by the late Geo. R. Curtis, then senior warden of St. An- drew's Church, so that the present brownstone structure was erected in 1893. The new parish was then form- ed and Rev. A. T. Randall, rector, transferred 123 communicants of St. Andrew's church to the spiritual care and oversight of Rev. A. Sprague Ashley who became first rector of All Saints' parish. The church was con- secrated November 17, 1893. The

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same year Mr. Curtis, just before his death presented the parish with the lot adjoining the church on West Main street for a rectory, and after his death through the generosity of his widow, on this lot, a parsonage was built as a memorial to her late husband. Thus from a small beginning has sprung from St. Andrew's Church, a thriv- ing and independent parish with a church property valued at about $55,000, within a comparatively few years. During the valued service of Rev. Mr. Ashley, which was continued for about six years, there were 125 baptisms and 122 members confirmed, making a total membership then of about 250. Mr. Ashley was succeeded as rector by the late Rev. Robert Clarkson Tongue, who after five years as rector, was called to his reward by the Almighty. His death was much lamented for it removed from Meriden one of its most valued divines, and one who was al- most idolized by his parishioners. Un- der Mr. Tongue the membership of the church was increased largely and its work was noticeably extended.

Rev. I. Newton Phelps took charge of the parish as its installed rector in April, 1905. The good work of his predecessors has been carried on by him and during his short pastorate sixty-five members have been received into the church by confirmation and 30 by letter. All Saints' parish at the present writing possesses about 535 communicants.

The officers of the church for 1906 are as follows: Treasurer, H. P. Vi-

bert ; senior warden, Charles P. Rice ; junior warden, Albert Babb ; vestry- men, H. L. Schleiter, H. P. Vibert, Joseph Ridley, F. A. Camp, Alfred Barker, James Toothe, F. W. Fris- bie, G. W. Reynolds, A. J. Tickell ; delegates to convention, Gardiner W. Reynolds, Joseph Ridley ; substitute delegates, Charles H. Vibert, Curtis W. Reynolds ; auditors, C. P. Rice, F. A. Camp.

Rector Phelps is a man of scholarly attainments and an able preacher of strong personality and social disposi- tion. He obtained his education at Sampson college, graduating with the class of 1885, and was conferred the degree of A. M., by St. Stephens col- lege, Annandale, N. Y. He studied for the ministery at Union Theologi- cal seminary, N. Y. Since coming to Meriden he has entered thoroughly into the spiritual and social life of the town and is held in high regard by the members of his parish and in the community at large. He is at the present writing senior warden of Cen- ter Lodge, 97, A. F. & A. M.

THE FIRST METHODIST CHURCH.

Although there were many Meth- odists in Meriden previous to 1830, it was not until 1844 that their regu- lar society was organized. About 1830 a meeting house was erected on East Main street hill, on the land of Capt. Lyman Collins, just west of the entrance to the East Cemetery, where meetings were held somewhat

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CHURCHES.

irregularly by the Methodists, and among the worshippers at that church were the following and their families : Charles Baldwin, who fre- quently occupied the pulpit ; Darling Stewart, Noah Hall, Jesse G. Bald- win, Elias Baldwin and Seymour Baldwin. Owing to the good spirit- ual condition of the Congregation- alists and Baptists, the early Metho- dist church did not begin to thrive

given a long shop owned by Chas. Parker, and which stood north of his offices, and where the congre- gations found sittings on boxes, which gave them a good view of the preacher. During the summer a large tent was pitched in what was then an open lot between High and Broad streets.

The society was formed under the management of Rev. John Parker,

FIRST METHODIST EDIFICE.

in numbers until after 1842, when the "primitive Methodists" had sent preachers to Meriden, who availed themselves of the advantage gained in awakening religious interest by the general apprehension, then pre- vailing throughout the country, that the end of all things was near at hand. These revival meetings were held in what was known as the "Old Bethel" which was the name

a member of the New England Con- ference, who settled in Meriden to recuperate his failing health, and to whom more than any other one man is said to be due the foundation of the Methodist church in Meriden. The society as first organized was composed of the following people of the town: Rev. John Parker and wife, Charles Parker and wife, Ed- mund Parker and wife, Hiram Brad-

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ley and wife, John Range and wife, William Curtis and wife, Mrs. Try- phena Bradley, Miss Betsey Par- ker, Mr. Beach and wife, Joseph Higby and wife, Asaph Merriam, Mrs. Partrick Lewis, Mrs. Cook and Miss Mariette R. Clark, then a mem-

Chas. Parker Co. The same year that this church was built a parsonage was also erected, both buildings costing about $10,000. The church on Broad street continued to be oc- cupied by the society until 1867 when under the judicious manage-

Photo by R. S. Godfrey.

FIRST M. E. CHURCH.

ber of the Methodist church, Middle- town, who later married Rev. John T. Pettee. In 1847 a wooden church edifice was built by the society on Broad street, which many years later became, as it is at this writing, utilized for manufacturing purposes by the

ment of Rev. Freeman P. Tower, who served as pastor from 1866 to 1868, and through the princely gen- erosity of the late Charles Parker, who gave $50,000, and the generous contributions of other brethren, the present costly and handsome edi-

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fice was built at a cost, including the land and organ of $85,000. The society removed to the new church at a most convenient time as the re- moval comprised Meriden's celebra- tion of the Centennial of American Methodism. Although the society did not at first occupy the present edifice without a debt, the full amount of their obligations as paid under the pastorate of Rev. Daniel A. Goodsell, and in the spring of 1875, Rev. John T. Pettee, in his semi-centennial address stated that when the New York East Con- ference sat at this church in Meriden that "not an unpaid for brick or slate looked down from the roof or wall to reprove" them. In 1888 the church was remodeled and re-fur- nished to a considerable extent at the cost of $5,000, and under the ad- ministration of Rev. G. H. McGrew the ground beneath the church was excavated and social rooms were constructed ; under the pastorate of Rev. John Rhey Thompson, D. D., the present handsome brick parson- age adjoining the church on Pleas- ant street was built. During his pastorate also a new and com- modious domicile was provided for the church janitor, and a debt of $20,000 which had accumulated since 1874 was liquidated.

Under the pastorate of Rev. F. W. Hannan the church was re-carpeted and a commodious society house was built at the Plainville camp ground. About the same time, also, the church became possessed of its present

beautiful lawn by the removal of the old Lawrence house. The pres- ent value of the church property is $101,200. The church membership at the close of the year 1905 was 675, fifty-two more being on probation. The Sunday school at that time num- bered 339, including thirty-nine teach- ers. Since 1847 the First Methodist Church has received its pastors reg- ularly from the New York and New York East Conferences. The pastors from 1845 to the present time have been as follows: Reverends Geo. A. Hubbell, John C. Searles, Albert Nash, Parmalee Chamberlain, Francis Bot- tome, Nathaniel Mead, Geo. C. Creevey, John L. Peck, Wm. Mc- Allister, Geo. A. Hubbell (for a sec- ond time) ; Chas. Kelsey, Charles Fletcher, Frederick Brown, Free- man P. Tower, John Pegg, Jr., Dan- iel A. Goodsell, later made bishop; Wm. H. Boole, I. J. Lansing, B. M. Adams, J. S. Breckenridge, G. H. McGrew, M. W. Prince, John Rhey Thompson, F. W. Hannan, John Wes- ley Johnston, Frank A. Scofield and F. B. Stockdale; assistant pastors, Geo. C. Boswell, John A. Monroe and F. W. Hannan.

Rev. Fairbank Barnes Stockdale, pastor of the First Methodist church of Meriden, was born in 1861, near Leeds, Yorkshire, England. He came from the working people, his father being a miner, and he was raised among the coal mines of that locality. As a boy he showed a tendency to ap- ply himself too closely to books. As a result, at eight years old he left

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school and went to work as his health was not equal to day school, but con- tinued until fifteen years of age at night school which he attended five days a week.

When only nine years old he was converted and became a member of the Methodist church, soon after which he became a reader of theologi- cal books. He preached his first ser-

REV. F. B. STOCKDALE.

mon at the age of fifteen, and from seventeen to twenty was engaged in evangelistic work in England, preach- ing as many as eight sermons a week. He first came to this country in 1882, and while enjoying a summer's vaca- tion drifted into the East Ohio con- ference, which resulted in his remain- ing in this country. He took a three

years' course at Drew Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1889 and while a student there preached at Centerville and Maple- wood, N. J. One year before his graduation he was assigned a pasto- rate at Bellport, L. I., where he re- mained for three years, and joined the New York East Conference. He af- terwards went to Flatbush, L. I., which pastorate he left at the end of one year on account of the poor health of his child. He was afterwards sta- tioned at Port Washington, for four years ; two years at Southampton, and later was pastor of the Fleet Street M. E. church at Brooklyn, N. Y., where he remained for four years. From there he went to Waterbury, Conn., and after remaining there three years, came to Meriden in April, 1905. Mr. Stockdale is a natural and fluent preacher and is highly appreciated by the members of his flock. He has published a book of sermons entitled 'The Divine Opportunity." He is a lover of preaching and has frankly stated that everything he sees goes in- to his sermons. He is a member of Meridian Lodge, 77, A. F. & A. M.

He married Sarah A. Machin, who comes from a remarkably large family of twenty children, and to the union have been born George and Ruth, aged eighteen and sixteen years respec- tively.

TRINITY M. E. CHURCH.

One of the flourishing church societies in Meriden is that of the

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Trinity M. E. church which celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 1905. It was on April 26, 1885, that the Meth- odist residents of the western part of Meriden decided to petition the official board of the First M. E. Society, for the permission to found another Methodist church in Meriden. In May the same year, a petition was sent in, which was signed by five of the most influential men. As their request was granted, they immediately began holding services in the Y. M. C.

decided to station him at Meriden. In April, 1889, he was succeeded by Rev. D. N. Griffin who remained until April, 1892. It was during the pasto- rate of Mr. Griffin that the society se- cured the property at the corner of West Main street and Cook avenue, where the present handsome edifice now stands. Rev. Edward W. Warri- ner was pastor from April 1892-94, when Rev. Henry Blatz, Jr., was sent by the conference to assume the pas- torate of this society. During his suc-

Photo by R. S. Godfrey.

TRINITY M. E. CHURCH.

A. building, and within eighteen months they had a church ready for occupancy, and on March 6, 1887, the first service was held therein. The building is now used for St. Joseph's Parochial school. Rev. W. F. Mark- wick, who was pastor of the South Meriden M. E. church, was secured early in the fall of 1885, and he served as pastor for both organizations, until 1887, when at the close of his pasto- rate in South Meriden, the conference

cessful pastorate the new church was erected and was dedicated December 29, 1895. Rev. W. D. Tuckey suc- ceeded Rev. Mr. Blatz, and he in turn was succeeded by Rev. E. C. Carpen- ter, who was appointed pastor in 1900 and after a service of five years was succeeded by the Rev. John P. Wag- ner, the present pastor.

During the pastorate of Mr. Car- penter the members raised over $13,- 000 and less than a year ago the mort-

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gage notes were burned and the church was freed from a heavy debt. Many members have been received into the church within the last few years, and it now has a membership of about 375. It has a thriving Sunday School society,

REV. E. C. CARPENTER.

both a Junior and a Senior C. E. So- ciety and great interest is shown in all of the various societies that are connected with the church organiza- tion.

The probable value of the church building is $30,000 but this was en- hanced in 1906 by the acquisition of a new church organ, a portion of which was paid for by Andrew Carnegie. The parsonage, a brick structure, originally built and occu- pied by the late Randolph Linsley, is

valued at $12,000. During 1905, the church debt was reduced $4,000. The last report of the church cor- poration to the New York East Conference of which it is a member, gives the church membership as 300 with 67 on probation, but this number has since been somewhat increased. The Sunday school num- bers twenty-seven teachers and 326 scholars.

Rev. John P. Wagner, pastor of Trinity M. E. Church, is a native of Iowa. In that state he spent

REV. J. P WAGNER.

his boyhood on his father's farm, receiving his early education in the public schools. He afterwards at- tended the Iowa Wesleyan Univer- sity, where he graduated in 1883,

it D

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and he afterward took a law course there graduating in 1884. He was admitted to the bar and began prac- tice of law, but after a time became a member of the St. Louis Confer- ence and, in 1890 an ordained cler- gyman of the Methodist denomina- tion. After having held several different pastorates in Illinois and Iowa, he came east and entered the Drew Theological Seminary at Madison, N. J., from which he was . graduated in 1892, and since which time he has been a member of the New York East Conference. As a member of that conference his first charge was a church on Long Is- land. He afterwards became pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at Simsbury, Conn., where he re- mained for a period of six years and in 1895 became the pastor at St. Paul's M. E. church, Waterbury, remain- ing there until appointed pastor of Trinity Church of this town, enter- ing upon his duties here in April, 1906, succeeding Rev. E. C. Car- penter. Rev. Mr. Wagner was mar- ried to Miss Anna Axthelm Harper of Iowa, and they have four chil- dren : Elmer C. L., a student and member of the sophomore crew at Yale University; Bertha A., Edna M., and Grace V., the first two of whom graduate at the Waterbury High School in June, 1906. Mr. Wag- ner, with his family, occupies the Trin- ity M. E. parsonage and under his pastorate the church anticipates a successful period of continued pros- perity.

THE SOUTH MERIDEN M. E. CHURCH.

For twenty years the Methodist Episcopal Church has been the only active Protestant church in the pic- turesque village of South Meriden, where regular services have been held. This church was organized as a society in 1851, but meetings were

REV. ROBERT J. BEACH.

held by Methodists occasionally and somewhat irregularly as early as 1839. They first gathered there for worship in the school house. Mar. 12, 1851. At the house of John Evans a determined effort was made and an ecclesiastical society which was called "The M. E. Society of the Hanover District," was form-

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ed. John D. Parmalee was elect- ed chairman and John Evans sec- retary. The building committee appointed to arrange and carry on the erection of the first edifice was made up of the following: John Davidson, Roger Smith and Luman A. Atkins. The building, a wooden structure of two stories, was also planned for residence purposes, and the upper story contained a hall

den, and theological students of the Wesleyan Seminary from Middle- town. It was not until 1871 that the society became possessed of a regularly installed pastor, in the per- son of Rev. William W. Hurd. Dur- ing the first year of his pastorate the present church edifice was be- gun and it was completed in the summer of 1872. The cost of the church structure was $9,000, and

Photo by R. S. Godfrey.

SOUTH MERIDEN METHODIST CHURCH.

and the "Methodist Preaching House." The building was completed in the fall of 1851 and its cost was $1,333. This building was used by the South Meriden Methodists for over twenty years, the preach- ers being Rev. John Parker of Meri- den, who had previously done more than any other man in organizing the First Methodist Church of Meri-

of this amount George Bristol gave $2,000, John Evans $1,000, and Chas. Parker of Meriden, $400. The bal- ance was raised by the members of the society and its friends. The new church was dedicated Septem- ber 25, 1872 by Rev. C. N. Foss. After the dedication of the new church the society entered upon an era of prosperity and many influen-

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tial members were added. Among these, in 1888, was the late Dr. H. A. Archer, a somewhat noted physi- cian who resided in Tracy, and upon his suggestion a committee was formed for the purpose of enlarging the church. This committee was composed of the pastor, Dr. Archer, Silas Bradley, Frank Rollins, C. A. Hollister, William Baker, and E. B. Clark. Among the improvements was a lecture room built in the rear of the church which was also re- decorated and otherwise improved. On March 10, 1889, the church was rededicated when it was also freed from debt. The church property at the present day has an approximate value of $13,000, and the society is possessed of a building at the Plain- ville Camp Ground. The full mem- bership of the church is eighty-four and there are ten probationers. The Sunday school comprises eighty scholars, and seventeen officers and teachers. The present pastor of the church is Rev. R. J. Beach.

ST. ROSE'S CHURCH.

The organization of this parish dates back to 1849, although the nu- cleus was formed some ten years previous. There were, however, be- fore that several foreign residents of the town. The building of the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R., to Meriden In 1839 resulted in bringing a number of Irish Roman Catholics to the town and they were gathered together first by mission priests, and services

were then held in a private house in the northeastern part of the town. Later services were held by Rev. Phillip O'Reilley and by Rev. J. Tee- vens of New Haven, the latter of whom organized the little Catholic colony, and first celebrated mass for them in the house of Robert Clark on North Broad street in January, 1845. During the next four years and at intervals of about every three months, Rev. Father Teevens contin- ued to celebrate mass, but in 1849 he obtained permission from the Bishop of Hartford to form a parish, the Hartford diocese at that time and for many years afterwards com- prising all of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The church edifice used by this, the mother parish, was that originally occupied by St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, then standing at the corner of Broad and Olive streets, and com- prised a frame house, 36x45 feet in dimensions. This was vacated by the Episcopalians in 1850. Under the temporary pastorate of Rev. Hugh O'Reilley, who took charge of the parish work in 1851, and the first few years of that of Rev. Thomas Quinn, who in 1854 became the first regular settled rector, services were held in this edifice for nine years. Under the direction of Father Quinn. the construction of the present brick church on Center street was carried on at an outlay of $25,000. Father Quinn later went to Providence, R. I., and afterwards became a chaplain in the Civil War. He was succeeded

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as rector of St. Rose's parish by Rev. Thomas Walsh, in the spring of 1859 at which time a considerable debt re- mained on the church building. Under Rev. Father Walsh the debt was re- moved and the parish grew rapidly necessitating, in 1868, the enlargement and improvement of the church which

serving thus until his death in 1883. During his untiring service as rector the parish grew and prospered and at the time of his regretted decease, it ranked fourth among the Roman Cath- olic churches in the state. Under his pastorate the present parochial school was erected at the cost of $20,000.

Photo by R. S. Godfrey.

ST. ROSE'S CHURCH.

were made at a further outlay of $30,000. Since that date other expenditures involving considerable money have been made, notably in 1882.

Father Walsh served as pastor of the church, becoming a vicar general,

Father Walsh is said to have been "a devout, learned man, highly respected by the entire community." Under the pastorate of Rev. Martin P. Lawlor, the next rector of the par- ish, the present parochial residence was finished. He remained at St.

SIC R CO me ed aff par pre Re

18I

CHURCHES.

Rose's parish until February 1885, when Rev. Paul F. McAlenney began his most successful pastorate which was concluded in 1900. Father Mc- Alenney is a man much beloved by the people, whose confidence and es- teem he won by his zealous work and kindly consideration of the well being of his parishioners. Under his pastorate the church property was con-

Photo by Akers & Pigeon. REV. JOHN COONEY.

siderably enhanced and in 1888 St. Rose's chapel on Liberty street was completed. Father McAlenney's re- moval from the city was much deplor- ed by his people by whom he is still affectionately remembered. St. Rose's parish since September 1900 has been presided over by the present rector, Rev. John Cooney. The property of

St. Rose's parish in 1906 consists of a church edifice, rectory, two school houses, St. Bridget's Convent, St. Pat- rick's Cemetery and the Sacred Heart Cemetery, the approximate total value of all being $180,000.

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An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it, Part 52

Author: Gillespie, Charles Bancroft, 1865-1915; Curtis, George Munson Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Meriden, Conn. Journal publishing co. Number of Pages: 1252

Author: Gillespie, Charles Bancroft, 1865-1915; Curtis, George Munson
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Meriden, Conn. Journal publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1252