USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Hartford > Christ church, Hartford, Volume I > Part 21
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CHRIST CHURCH, HARTFORD.
space and filled up; and if any one had the curiosity, and could bear the expense, and could secure the permission of the owner, he would probably find, some feet under the ground, the stones of this old well, which in 1796 was directed to be "sunk to the rock, six feet in diameter, after being stoned," as is stated in the report of the com- mittee of the Common Council, which follows this account ; the whole being a peg on which to hang a small incident in the history of the Parish.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council of the City of Hartford:
We, your Honors Committee, appointed to examine the Public Cistern near Mr. John Morgan's house, and report the probable expense of repairing the same, with our opinion of the expediency of making a well for the use of the City, in case of fire, beg leave to report, that sd Cistern cannot be re- paired, and made fit for use, exclusive of spouts and conductors, for less than Thirty Dollars, that the expense of getting water into it, from Capt. Joseph Talcott's house, (from whence only it can be procured), will amount to Forty Dollars, after which by reason of the ascent from sd Talcott's to sª Cistern, the same cannot be much more than half filled therefrom. Mr. Morgan will give the City Forty Dollars for a release of the ground, there leased by him, which proposi- tion we think ought to be accepted, and a well sunk to the rock, six feet in diameter, after being stoned, near the Church, with Spouts and Conductors thereto from the Church, (permission being given therefor), and that a pump, with an iron brake, and a strong case, ought to be provided therefor, and kept under lock, all of which is submitted by your honor's hum1. servts.
City of Hartford, August 30th, 1796.
MILES BEACH, WILLIAM MOSELEY, CALEB BULL.
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IMPORTANT VOTES AND COMMENTS.
After directing that a series of wells should be made, for a term of seven years, one in each year, and provid- ing for the payment, the Council
Voted, That a well be made the present season, near the Episcopal Church, with conductors for water from said Church, if liberty therefor can be obtained, and that Mr. Timothy Burr, and William Mosely, Esq., be and they are hereby appointed to superintend the digging, stoning, and compleating said well for use.
1826.
The building of a new Church was not forgotten, and on
Octobr 19. V. Voted, That a Committee be appointed to procure some proper plan or plans, of a Church; to be sub- mitted to a future meeting. Revª Nathaniel S. Wheaton, James M. Goodwin, and Samuel Tudor, were appointed on this Committee.
I827. Notice.
March 14. The members of the Parish of Christ Church, Hartford, who are legal voters, are hereby notified to attend a special meeting of said Parish to be held at the Church on Tuesday the 20th day of March inst at 2 o'clock in the after- noon, to take into consideration and decide upon the question of building a new Church ; to agree upon the scite, and to locate the same ; to provide for the purchase of a scite, and the expense of building the Church by tax or by borrowing money and creating stock to pay for the same, hereafter payable and redeemable by taxes or otherwise ; and to re- ceive propositions for creating stock, and acting upon them, and to do all other necessary business Dated at Hartford the 14th day of March, A. D. 1827.
Jeremy Hoadley George Beach Wardens
Samuel Tudor
Ebenezer Collins
Christopher Saunders Nathan Morgan S. H. Huntington
Vestry.
James M. Goodwin Roswell Bartholomew Charles S. Phelps.
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CHRIST CHURCH, HARTFORD.
March 20. P. The object of the meeting having been stated by the moderator, some discussion took place, when the following votes were offered and passed:
Voted, Two thirds of the members present concurring herein, that this Parish do agree to build a new Church.
Voted, That a site be purchased, a new Church to be built thereon, and an organ be purchased for said Church, - And that the Wardens and Vestry for the time being, be and they hereby are, authorized and empowered to carry this Vote into effect,
Provided the expenses to be incurred thereby, shall not exceed the sum of Twenty eight thousand dollars.
Voted, Two thirds of the members herein concurring, that said new Church shall be erected either on a lot next east of the Hartford Bank in this City ; on a lot on the West side of Main Street owned in front by Caleb Goodwin and Leonard Bacon; or on a lot on the west side of Trumbull Street, owned by Normand Smith ; or on the lot owned by Spencer & Gilman ; or on a lot owned by Ward & Bartholomew on the west side of Trumbull Street ; or on a lot owned by Aristarchus Champion on Main Street, Provided that said lot east of the Hartford Bank shall not cost more than Eleven thousand Five hundred Dollars; or the lot on Main Street owned in front by Caleb Goodwin and Leonard Bacon, Thirteen thousand five hundred Dollars; or the lot owned by Normand Smith, more than Eight thousand dollars; or the lot owned by Spencer & Gilman more than Eight thousand Five Hundred Dollars; or the lot owned by Ward & Bartholomew more than Twelve thousand Dollars; or the lot owned by Aristarchus Champion more than Nine Thous- and Five hundred Dollars; and that Samuel Tudor, William H. Imlay, George Beach, Griffin Stedman, Nathan Morgan, Jeremy Hoadley, Isaac Perkins, Christopher Saunders, and James M. Goodwin, be a Committee to negotiate the purchase of either of said Lots, according to the Provisions of this Vote, and as they shall deem most for the interest of the Parish.
Voted, That for the sole and only purpose of erecting a new Church for the use of this Parish, and of procuring a
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IMPORTANT VOTES AND COMMENTS.
new organ for said Church, this Parish do accept of a certain penal bond,* dated the 16th day of February 1827, executed to this Parish by Nathaniel S. Wheaton, William H. Imlay and others, hereby ratifying and confirming all the provisions in · the conditions of said bond, implying an obligation on this Parish.
Voted, That the rents of the Pews and Slips of said new Church, when completed be, and they hereby are specially pledged to secure the payment of the interest on the stock created by the conditions of said bond.
Voted, That the Wardens and Vestry be and they hereby are authorized to sell, and the Treasurer to convey the site of the present Church, and the Church and organ, Provided the use thereof shall not be relinquished until the new Church is consecrated.
NEW MEMBERS OF THE PARISH.
The persons named below have enrolled themselves as members of the Episcopal parish of Christ Church Hartford, and have signed the following paper which is on file, of which this is a Copy.
We the undersigned do hereby declare it is our desire and intention to become members of the Society or Parish of Christ Church in Hartford.
Hartford Apl 30th 1827.
Benjamin L. Rayner Alfred Holt Henry S. Tudor
F. J. Huntington
Charles Butler 2nd
Daniel Goodwin
Winthrop Hillyer
Seth Hubbard
Elisha Latimer
Miles A. Tuttle
Edward Day
Benj. H. Norton
William Isham James A. Canfield
Wm. J. Barry
William H. Hoadley
Luther Speneer
I. P. Doan
Wm. Wadsworth, Jr.
S. H. Huntington
H. Huntington, Jr.
William T. Lee George Sumner Chas. Spencer
E. B. Stedman
WVm. W. Tudor James Chamberlain
Enoch Powers Edward P. Terry
Ebenezer Collins.
December 8th 1830. Samuel Hanmer this day called and signified his desire to be enrolled as a member of the Parish of Christ Church in this City.
William T. Lee Clerk of the Parish.
* Since the Report of the Committee on the Funds was published, a copy of this " penal bond " has been found; it is in the Appendix.
.
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CHRIST CHURCH, HARTFORD.
Oct. 19, V. Voted, That N. S. Wheaton, S. Tudor, R. Bar- tholomew, John W. Bull, Wmn. Wadsworth, James Rose, Jr., and Luther Spencer, be a Committee to employ Mr. Ives as a teacher of music if they shall think proper, and also to ascer- tain if a class can be raised in the parish, who wish to be taught to sing.
1828.
Dec". I, V. Voted, That Samuel Tudor, Roswell Barthol- omew, and Griffin Stedman be a Committee to sell the old Church to the best advantage.
Dec". 15, V. Voted, That the Wardens and Vestry accept Mr. Imlay's proposition offering to loan the Parish such a sum of money as may be required to finish the new Church, on the security of the old Church and ground on which it stands, not exceeding the sum of five thousand dollars, on condition of receiving interest annually, until such time as the old Church and ground can be sold advantageously.
1829.
Jan. 14, V. Voted, That a subscription be opened for the purpose of raising Seven thousand dollars, (to be void unless that sum be subscribed) payable in four annual instalments, which sum shall be applied towards the payment of the par- ish debt, but all subscriptions under twenty dollars shall be payable in one year.
Voted, That I. Toucey, C. Nichols, J. Hoadley, S. H. Hunt- ington, Nathan Morgan, and G. Beach be a Committee to ascertain the proportion of each member of the parish, ac- cording to their list, and to solicit from each individual a subscription of at least that amount.
Jan. 21, P. Voted, That this Parish do approve of the doings thus far of the Building Committee in erecting the new Church, and that said Committee be and they hereby are authorized to complete the same, with the funds here- tofore appropriated, either by advertising for proposals, or by contracting therefor by the day, or otherwise at their dis- cretion, as they shall deem most advantageous to the Parish.
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IMPORTANT VOTES AND COMMENTS.
Feby 23, V. Voted, That James M. Goodwin, and S. H. Huntington, be a Committee to obtain the Masonic Hall or some other room for the purpose of a lecture room.
The Masonic Hall was in the second story of a build- ing on the south side of Pearl street, a short distance from Main street ; it was occasionally used for public purposes.
April 13, V. Voted, That no person shall be entitled to hold a slip or pew, who is in arrears for pew rent, nor shall any Student, until he has delivered to the Treasurer of this Parish, or Collector, a permit from the Bursar of the College.
April 20, P. Voted, That the Delegates from this Parish to the next State Convention, be instructed to oppose the proposed alteration in the Liturgy of the Church submitted by the last General Convention to the several State Conven- tions.
The following note, from Rev. Dr. Hart, is in expla- nation of the " proposed alteration."
" TRINITY COLLEGE, Sept., 1894.
"In 1826, Bishop Hobart introduced in the House of Bishops a provision for rubrics to allow the shortening of services by the abbreviation of the appointed Psalm and Les- sons, etc. The proposal passed both Houses of the Conven- tion ; but in the ensuing three years it was found to be so generally disapproved by the Church at large, that it did not come to a vote in the Convention of 1829, but was quietly dropped. It must have been this proposal that the delegates from Christ Church were instructed to oppose.
Very truly yours, SAMUEL HART."
P. Voted, That the Wardens and Vestry be, and are here- by authorized to sell the old Church, land and fixtures, at their discretion, and pay the avails to the building Commit- tee to be applied towards building the new Church.
Oct. 16, V. Voted, That James M. Goodwin, J. Hoadley, S. Tudor, and G. Stedman be a Committee to provide a room, for the accommodation of the Sunday School.
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CHRIST CHURCH, HARTFORD.
Dec. 12. At a Vestry meeting held at the house of Jeremy Hoadley, Saturday evening Dec. 12, 1829, the follow- ing invitation was resolved to be sent to Bishop Hobart.
TO THE RT. REVD J. H. HOBART, Bishop of the Diocese of New York.
RT. REV. SIR.
We the Rector, Wardens and Vestry of Christ Church, Hartford, hereby express our united wish that you would consecrate to the service of Almighty God, the Church lately erected in our Parish, and deliver a discourse on the occasion, on the 22nd day of this present month, or as soon after as may consist with your convenience. In soliciting you to perform this Episcopal act, we have the satisfaction of knowing, that it is no less agreeable to the wishes of our absent Diocesan, than to our own feelings.
We have named the above day, because it will on many accounts, be most conducive to the interest of the parish, to have the rite performed before Christmas, and indulge the hope that it may not be inconsistent with your engagements to visit us at that time. With sentiments of high esteem and regard, we remain Rt. Revd Sir. your obt. & humble Servts,
N. S. WHEATON, Rector of C. Church. HARTFORD, Dec 12th, 1829.
J. M. GOODWIN, Wardens.
R. BARTHOLOMEW, S
S. TUDOR, J. HOADLEY,
NATHAN MORGAN, Vestry. ‹ -
( S. H. HUNTINGTON, ISAAC TOUCEY, GRIFFIN STEDMAN, C. NICHOLS,
Dec. 6. Voted, That the New Church be consecrated on Wednesday the 23rd. instant, services to commence at II o'clock A. M.
Voted, That Isaac Toucey, Esq. be a committee to prepare notice of consecration, and sale of Slips.
Voted, That the Slips be sold on Tuesday, Dec. 24th, until next Easter (April 11th, 1830).
Dec". 16. V. Voted, That a General Committee of Arrangements be appointed for day of Consecration, whose
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IMPORTANT VOTES AND COMMENTS.
duty it will be to invite the Clergy of the City, and dis- tinguished persons, - wait on the Clergy from out of town - and provide lodgings for them. Provide Mahogany Chairs for Chancel, prayer books for Altar and Desk, Bible for Desk, Chairs and Table for Vestry Room, and make any other necessary arrangements, - and that James Ward, Deni- son Morgan, G. Beach, Dudley Buck, Isaac Perkins, and Erastus Goodwin, be that Committee.
Voted, That a Committee of attendance be appointed for day of Consecration, whose duty it shall be to wait near the doors and conduct strangers to their seats, and preserve order, - and that Joseph Church, James Goodwin, Jr., Daniel Goodwin, James H. Ward, Thomas Belknap, James Killam, Henry S. Tudor, Miles A. Tuttle, and E. B. Stedman, be that Committee.
Voted, That we accept the Transparency referred to in Mr. Wheaton's note to the Wardens and Vestry, and that Isaac Toucey and S. H. Huntington Esqr be a Committee to prepare a Vote of Thanks, to be presented to him.
PAINTING IN CHANCEL WINDOW.
In 1829, Dec. 16th, the Rev. N. S. Wheaton, Rector of the Parish, presented to the same, a transparent painting of the Ascension, after Raphael, by W. Bacon of London, to be placed in the chancel window. There it remained for many years, the admiration of the parishioners, and the astonishment of many, who had not been accustomed to the sight of pictures in churches. Unfortunately, it was damaged by the falling of a ladder some years afterwards, at a time when the church was being decorated for Christ- mas. It was replaced by a window of stained glass in 1854, which was never very much commended, and was removed, and stored in the tower of the church, when the present beautiful window, a memorial of Dr. Wheaton, was put in its place in 1879.
The painting was afterwards sent to Dr. Wheaton, who was at the time residing in Marbledale, but it never
IS
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CHRIST CHURCHI, HARTFORD.
reached him. It was learned that in being transported to Marbledale by railroad an accident occurred, and it was completely destroyed.
"Copy of note received from Rev. Mr. Wheaton by the Wardens and Vestry, presenting the Transparency.
" To the Wardens and Vestry of
Christ Church Parish,
Gentlemen.
I beg leave to present, through you, to the Parish of Christ Church the Transparent painting of the Ascension, now fitted up in the New Church, and to solicit their acceptance of the same.
In the hope it may be considered as an acceptable and appropriate ornament to our new building,
I remain Gentlemen Your affectionate Friend, and Pastor, N. S. Wheaton."
Hartford, Dec. 16th, 1829.
It was afterwards
Voted, That the Parish gratefully accept the picture so presented, and respectfully request the Rev. Mr. Wheaton to accept their thanks for his appropriate and liberal dona- tion, and also be assured of their affectionate gratitude for his devotion to their interests and prosperity, manifested by his zeal and munificence in their service.
The cost of the painting, it is understood, was five hundred dollars. The Wardens and Vestry, April 10, 1830, " Voted, that the Treasurer be, and hereby is author- ized to pay Mr. Wheaton the amount advanced by him for freight and duties on the Transparency." This was $94.21.
Dec. 22. V. Voted, That Mr Stedman and Mr Toncey be a Committee to assign a seat for Mr and Mrs John Morgan and also two seats in each Gallery for colored people.
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· IMPORTANT VOTES AND COMMENTS.
COPY OF INSTRUMENT OF DONATION.
We the Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of Christ Church in the City of Hartford, County of Hartford, and State of Con- necticut, do hereby appropriate a building erected by the said Church to the Worship and service of Almighty God, according to the doctrines, ministry, liturgy, rites and usages of the Pros Ep. Church in the United States in America, and do place it under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Rt. Rev. Thos Church Brownell, D.D., LL.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut and of his successors in office, and in his absence do request the Rt. Rev. John Henry Hobart, Bishop of the Pro. Ep. Church in the State of New York, to consecrate the said building, for the uses and purposes aforesaid.
Hartford, Dec. 22nd, 1829.
N. S. Wheaton, Rector. James M. Goodwin Wardens Roswell Bartholomew
WVm H. Imlay S. Tudor
Jeremy Hoadley
Nathan Morgan Vestry.
I. Toucey Griffin Stedman
S. H. Huntington
Dec. 23. On Wednesday the 23ª day of December 1829, being the day appointed by the Wardens and Vestry for con- secrating the new Church, the Bishop and Clergy, Wardens and Vestry, assembled at the old Church and at II o'clock walked in procession to the New Church, in the following order, first the Vestry, afterwards the Wardens, Clergy and Bishops, where the service of Consecration was performed agreeable to the rights and usages of the Pro. Episcopal Church in the United States of America, by the Rt. Rev. John Henry Hobart, Bp. of the Diocese of New York, acting in behalf of Bishop Brownell who is absent on a Western Missionary tour.
Prayers were read by the Rev. Professor Humphrey, and the lessons by the Rev. Professor Potter, of Washington College ; The Instrument of Donation was read by the Rev.
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CHRIST CHURCH, HARTFORD.
N. S. Wheaton, Rector of the Parish, and the sentence of Consecration by the Rev. Wm. Jarvis, Rector of Trinity Church, Chatham. The sermon, which was truly eloquent, was delivered by Bishop Hobart, a copy of which has been requested by the Wardens and Vestry for publication.
COPY OF SENTENCE OF CONSECRATION.
Whereas, the Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of Christ Church in the City of Hartford, County of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have by an instrument this day pre- sented to me, appropriated a building erected by the said Church, to the worship and services of Almighty God, accord- ing to the doctrines, ministry, liturgy, rights, and usages of the Pro' Ep' Church in the United States of America, and in the absence and by the authority of the Rt. Rev. Thomas Church Brownell, D.D., LL.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut, have requested me to consecrate it for the uses and purposes aforesaid,
Be it therefore known that I, John Henry Hobart, Bp. of the Pro. Ep. Church in the State of New York, acting in behalf and by the authority of the Rt. Rev. Thos. Church Brownell, D.D., LL.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut, have, on this 23d day of Dec', A.D. 1829, consecrated a build- ing erected in the City of Hartford, County of Hartford, and State of Connecticut by the name of Christ Church, and with the prescribed prayers and solemnities have set it apart henceforward from all unhallowed, wordly and common uses, and dedicated it to the service and worship of Almighty God, for reading his holy word, for celebrating his holy sacraments, for offering to his glorious majesty the sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving, for blessing the people in his name, and for the performance of all other holy offices, according to the terms of his covenant of grace and mercy, in his Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and in conformity with the doc- trines, ministry, liturgy, rites and usages, of the Pro. Ep. Church in the United States of America. In Witness Whereof, I have hereto set my hand and seal the day and Year above written and in the 19th year of my consecration. Signed, JOHN HENRY HOBART [L.S.]
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IMPORTANT VOTES AND COMMENTS.
It is well to incorporate in this history of the parish the address of the Rector on this occasion.
ADDRESS.
My Christian Brethren : -
If the Stone on which I now stand has been laid in the faith of Jesus Christ, and in the religious hope that our present undertaking may conduce to the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom, it is an event on which we have rea- son to congratulate ourselves. While it forms a new and interesting era in the annals of our parish, it furnishes an evidence how, from small beginnings, our society has grown up to a fulness of stature sufficient to authorize the present attempt ; and now that we are beginning to see our long- cherished hopes realized, in the commencement of a more spacious house of worship, the occasion calls for an expres- sion of devont thanksgiving to the great Head of the church, under whose spirit we have been thus far guided and prospered.
Thirty-five years have elapsed, since the frame of the building in which we have just worshipped, was erected ; and thirty-three since it was opened as a sanctuary for prayer. The recollection of the many pleasant, and we would hope, profitable hours, which have been spent within its walls ; and the hallowed associations connected with it, tend to mingle some pensive emotions with the joy, which the ceremonies of this day are calculated to inspire. Yet, while memory loves to linger around the.place, where we have so long prayed and sung praises to God ; it is, on the whole, with highly grateful feelings, that we are called upon to take a part in the exercises of this morning.
The motives which prompt us to this undertaking, my christian friends and brethren, are such, we trust, as we are neither afraid nor ashamed to avow. It would be no wish of ours, were the thing possible, to build on the ruins of other denominations, who hold the essentials of the Christian faith. "We would overturn no man's altar - we would spoil no man's prayer." We only desire to exercise that
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CHRIST CHURCH, HARTFORD.
liberty wherewith Christ has made us free ; and which our political institutions have assured to us, in common with all classes of citizens. We censure none for the preferences they may honestly entertain : - we too have ours ; and it is a pleasing thought, that the truly good of all denominations may hold the faith in the bond of peace, while they bow down before different altars.
We build this temple in opposition to the rulers of the darkness of this world. With the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience, we wish to be on no terms of amity. Let there be perpetual war between us, whether our enemy comes in the hypocritical guise of a child of light, or in his own proper attire. If this undertaking should result in win- ning over any subjects of Satan's kingdom to the truth as it is in Jesus, our labour will not have been in vain in the Lord.
This temple we erect to the glory of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost-the holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity. We have no ambition to become the disciples of that improved theology, which strips our adorable Redeemer of all the attributes of a divine Being, and sends us to our own good works for the means of propitiating the Deity. This is no temple of Unitarianism ; and God grant it may never become such. Palsied be the tongue, which, in the pulpit of this house, shall ever deny that the Word was God - that "Word which was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us." Hitherto, our scriptural forms of worship, with the divine blessing, have kept us singularly free from the errors which have elsewhere overthrown the faith once delivered to the saints ; and we cannot help thinking, that every success- ful undertaking of this kind will be hailed with pleasure, by the good of every christian name. It is an additional defence erected against the spread of that fashionable infidelity, which assumes the garb of religion, only to make war on every thing in it worth preserving.
We build this temple, to gather souls into the fold of Christ, through the ministry and ordinances of the gospel. Here, we trust, the lively oracles will be faithfully explained
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IMPORTANT VOTES AND COMMENTS.
- the way of salvation pointed out -sinners admonished - hearts renewed -the feeble strengthened, and mourners comforted. With this spot will our religion be hereafter in- separably connected. Here will arise the incense of our prayers; here will those truths be proclaimed, by hearing which we shall inevitably be made better or worse; here, we shall either be sealed unto the day of redemption, or become irreclaimably hardened in the ways of sin. With such inter- esting realities as these before us, which time only can develope, can you behold the ceremonies in which you are engaged, without some anxious presentiments what will be the issue of the ministry of reconciliation, in your individual case? Will it be a savour of life unto life; or a savour of death unto death?
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