USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > East Windsor > East Windsor heritage; two hundred years of church and community history, 1752-1952 > Part 2
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One generation had passed, another was well along in years, and a third was moving onto the scene when Windsor parish was thus divided along the Connecticut. And almost three generations later, the residents of this Second Society who were living north of the Scantic River petitioned the General Court for the right to form their own ecclesiastical society. In both instances it may be assumed that, as those of the new generation took over positions of responsibility, the burden of loyalty to the older generation rested lightly on their shoulders.
At all events, from the very beginning this God-fearing and church- going people insisted that places of worship, their meeting houses, should, hy the standards of that day, be conveniently located. We may well suspect
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that it was a sufficient test of one's faith to have to sit in winter through two Sabbath services in an unheated building without having to travel on horseback more than a half-dozen miles to and from church. Contrasting those conditions with today's conveniences, we are forced to conclude that either we are not such churchgoers as were our forefathers or that we are a softened generation, or something of both.
In May, 1750, the agitation for separating the Second Society into two groups came to a head. According to Colonial records, the General Court of that year received from sundry inhabitants of the Second Society of Windsor a memorial requesting a division of the Society and permission to establish another place of public worship. As with the routine of legislative assemblies to this day, the matter was referred to a committee with instructions to report in October. Either the committee did not have time to investigate, or else it bowed to the pressure of those opposed, for we find that the petition was continued until the May, 1751, session, when the committee begged leave to be discharged. Another committee was named and, after holding hearings on the subject, recommended favor- able action. When in May, 1752, the vote was taken, the North Society in Windsor became a legally constituted body.
Obviously, such unexciting records of the General Court by no means tell the whole story. For the records are bound to be factual and blood- less. But, just as for fourteen years before 1694, when permission was granted for the division along the River, Windsor West of the River had opposed it, so did the Second Society residents South of the Scantic River do their best to oppose this division East of the Connecticut. They were justified by an economic consideration of considerable weight. Just as nowadays real property is taxed by the towns to meet municipal expenses, so in those days the churches were supported by a tax on members; and the division of an existing parish meant the placing of a heavier burden on those remaining with the old church. And the validity of this argument, brought forward against the founders of the North Society, was in turn upheld by the latter in opposing the setting off of Wapping parish because such a move must deprive the North Society of some of its members. No opposition, however, is recorded to the establishment in 1851 of the Broad Brook Congregational Church. By that time the General Assembly no longer imposed geographical limitations on ecclesiastical societies, and though the churches retained the power to tax, their financial support was usually through voluntary subscription.
At last, concurrent with the General Court's favorable voting of May, 1752, our seedling church had a home of its own, a place East of the Great River and North of the Scantic. Planting time for this seedling waited only on the North Society's formal organization and selection of a site. The pioneers who had brought this to pass unquestionably were in their hearts of the unshakable conviction that it was God Who Planted and that, if they would but water the seedling, it was He Who would give the in- crease. This faith of theirs in God, themselves and their future was that rugged.
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NOTE
When the General Court came to setting off the North Society in Windsor, it did not concern itself with the north bound, the line between Windsor and Enfield, nor with the west bound, the Connecticut. But it did fix the south bound "by a line beginning at the mouth of the Scantick River, so-called, where it empties into the Connecticut River, and then running eastwardly as said Scantick River runs to the highway or country road leading to Endfield, thence eastwardly in the South line of Samuel Stiles' lot to the east end of the three mile lots, and from thence further eastward in a line parallel to the dividing line between the towns of Hartford and Windsor to the east bounds of said Windsor."
This south boundary merely approximated the present line between the towns of East and South Windsor, established in 1845, when East Windsor was divided and South Windsor was incorporated. In the years 1783 to 1845, any mention of the line between Windsor and Hartford east of the River must have referred to the boundary between East Hartford and East Windsor; and since 1845, it must have referred to the South Windsor-East Hartford line. Both Hartford and Windsor were from time to time, as their population increased, whittled down in area by the then prevalent practice of lopping off new communities from the parent settlement.
The first official record of the existence of our parish is in this General Court vote of May, 1752. And whereas we were then set off as the North Society of Wind- sor, it is only in our own earliest town records, in Windsor. These designations ap- pear to have been at that time inter-changeable, without detriment or hazard to legal voting or business transacted. The fact that we were originally called the Sixth So- ciety in Windsor obviously marks us as having been the sixth offshoot of the vener- able Windsor Church. But such designation considerably complicates the fact of our accepted relationship as the daughter of the South Windsor Church and, therefore, a granddaughter of the Windsor Church.
There is also something favorable to be said in support of our having been named after a region, a locality of recognized importance, as north of the then Second Society in Windsor-that is, the Edwards Church. Though "North" may scarcely be considered a heart-warming designation, it is certainly far less impersonal than "Sixth". At all events, inasmuch as neither our brethren in Windsor nor those in South Windsor have sought to disown us as, respectively, grandchild or daughter, we may happily let rest this matter of ecclesiastical geneology.
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CHAPTER III
MINISTERS
On the occasion of June 28 and 29, 1902, celebrating the one-hundred- and-fiftieth anniversary of this Church, the Rev. Howard Billman, D. D., preaching the sermon on "The Living Church", offered this resume:
"One hundred and fifty years backward from the present, and one hundred and thirty-two years forward from Plymouth Rock, and this Church was established. The work of this Church, which during a century and a half has proved itself a 'living church', having survived attack from within and without such as would have overcome and disintegrated a less stable organization, demands and receives conspicuous recognition in the religious nistory of New England. 'Mr. President', said Wendell Phillips in one of his impassioned orations, 'if the church should arouse herself, you and I would be swept away by the fringe of her garments'. But the living church-a church like this that has had such a record for one hundred and fifty years-does not sweep men away, but sweeps them onward toward God and His Glory."
Fifty years have passed since Dr. Billman's eloquent tribute to this as a living church. Still very much alive, it continues endeavoring to fulfill its purpose of bringing men to 'God and His Glory'. This is primarily the fruit of the labors of those godly men, dedicated to the service of the Master-fourteen of them, including the present incumbent-who have served as its ministers. The spiritual life of the church, the supreme pur- pose for which it exists, has been their consuming responsibility, at times perhaps heavier and more difficult than at others, but always a labor of love.
If their parishioners have sometimes not upheld the work of their hands as enthuiasitically as they might have wished, it is well to remember that there is a two-way relationship between pastor and people. In such instances, as much of the fault could be charged to people as to pastor. As the Rev. Sherrod Soule, D. D., said twenty-five years ago, in his address dedicating the Memorial Tablet, it may also be said as our second century closes: "Not one pastor has been false to or failing of godly walk and conversation."
Any estimate of the character, nature and personality of the first pastor, Rev. Thomas Potwine, must necessarily rest on fragmentary evi- dence, chiefly the manuscript notes for a few of his sermons. This has been well and satisfactorily set forth by Miss Elizabeth B. Potwine in the Historical Sketch which in 1927 she prepared for the Church's 175th Anniversary. Noting that one of the young ministers' first acts was to buy from Mr. John Stiles a house and farm, Miss Potwine adds:
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"This was significant. Both Mr. Potwine and his successor, Mr. Bartlett, literally settled among their people. They shared their life. Their children and their grandchildren married here, and here they are buried. Neither one was the son of a farmer nor himself actually shared in the farmer's toil, but the sense of permanence which the ownership of land entails and the ensuing community of interest with their neighbors must have made these fathers of the parish peculiarly fitted to understand the lives of their people. 'Priest Potwine' and 'Priest Bartlett' they were affectionately called by their flock.
"The first pastorate fell in turbulent times. We know but little of it. Prayer-meetings were held in the more remote districts, and in the work of conducting them Mr. Potwine's father assisted. This aged gentleman was so beloved by the people that they built a house for him that he might dwell among them.
"We have a few manuscript notes of Mr. Potwine's sermons. They re- veal a man of analytical mind and of great sweetness and fineness of nature. Their central theme is Christ crucified. The texts are nearly all from the New Testament. The earliest, preached December 16, 1753, describes the heart of the true Christian; the last, delivered in 1801 near the close of his ministry, sets forth in full the doctrine of the atonement. Mr. Potwine preached, with all the conviction of the New England theology, the need of conversion, and the eternal punishment of the un- repentant, but the reader of these sermons is impressed rather with his emphasis upon the love of Christ."
In support of this estimate may be adduced one fact significant of the extent of the pastoral charge: the Ecclesiastical Society's listing in 1794 of 505 members, a total never since equalled. The Rev. Thomas Pot- wine lived for half a century in this community as a saintly and consecrated servant of the Master. His last words, "Christ is my all and in all," are the key to his entire life.
The pastorate of the Rev. Shubael Bartlett, longest in our Church's history, began amidst the strife ensuing upon the burning of the first meeting house. By temperament he was a minister peculiarly fitted for healing the breach. Merely by here and there dipping into his journal we attain to the conviction that "he was a man of earnest practical piety", and that "best of all, he liked folks-one of the chief assets in the pastorate" (in Dr. Soule's words). One marvels that Mr. Bartlett, in those days when transportation was so slow, could so frequently cover the out- posts of his parish, attend numerous conferences in Hartford, discuss problems with neighboring pastors, visit relatives in New York, and still so thoroughly and adequately meet the requirements of his position as pastor and teacher.
What is more, he was not only profoundly concerned with the affairs of farm, family and Church, but was also to a marked degree interested in civil matters. The adoption of the new State Constitution of 1818 per- turbed him as it did many of his Congregational brethern. He records frequent visits to the district schools to check on the progress of pupils.
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Certainly of him it must be said that he went about doing good, no doubt strengthened by the many "precious seasons of prayer in the closet and in the family, and of searching the scriptures"-a frequent entry in his diary.
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Old Academy Building. Erected in 1818.
In his discourse marking the fiftieth anniversary of his ministry, Rev. Mr. Bartlett has with characteristic humility given account of his service as "the spiritual watchman of this flock". He experienced "joy mingled with grief" as he recalled some souls saved and others hardened by, and abandoned to, the evil ways of this world. Yet at the last he could ex- claim: "Oh, the goodness of the Lord! I cannot tell how much I enjoy, and have ever enjoyed, it since the first hour I put my trust in the Lord."
Perhaps no more scholarly preacher has ever graced the pulpit of this Church than the Rev. Samuel J. Andrews, D. D., colleague pastor for six years with Mr. Bartlett, and after the latter's death, pastor in his own name for one year. He was the first pastor to sever his connection with the Church through resignation. His deeply spiritual letter asking to be relieved of his charge cites ill health as the reason; and he considered that the Lord was possibly subjecting him to this trial in order to make clear that he should resign.
Be that as it may, Dr. Andrews returned to participate in the 150th anniversary, and lived almost a score of years beyond the Scriptural three score and ten, enjoying "mental clarity and strength" (again quoting Dr. Soule). The latter himself attests that Dr. Andrews was a "rare, refined scholar ... an author of marked note, but never a popular preacher", whose "portrait reveals a face that in itself is a benediction". And when he passed away, a Hartford newspaper editorially commented: "He was one of our most scholarly citizens, of sweetest Christian character, a gentle and enlightened spirit".
Obviously, both in scholarship and in his lack of ability to mix with people, Dr. Andrews was the antithesis of Mr. Bartlett. Together, they comprised an ideal combination. But Dr. Andrews alone could not have
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filled the pastoral void left by the death of his senior colleague. This, it has been said, worried him and contributed to his poor health. Later, as Dr. Soule noted, Dr. Andrews "became ... a Catholic Apostolic Church- man" and in "this small sect of select, refined, gentle souls" served faith- fully and happily to the end.
The Rev. Frederick Munson was the first of this Church's pastors to graduate from the Theological Institute of Connecticut, now the Hartford Seminary Foundation. When Mr. Munson attended that institution, it was located at East Windsor Hill: in 1935-36 its site and some of its buildings were converted to the uses of the Ellsworth Memorial High School. Mr. Munson held the line both during the turbulent pre-Civil War years, when feelings ran high over the slavery issue, and throughout the Civil War.
He died in Brooklyn, New York, October, 1902, approximately four months after he had attended this Church's 150th anniversary; and on that occasion, he officiated at the sacrament of Holy Communion. For eighteen years before his death in his eighty-fifth year, Mr. Munson was in retirement. He joined the Central Congregational Church, of which that famous divine, Rev. Dr. S. Parkes Cadman, was pastor. A few excerpts from Dr. Cadman's remarks at Mr. Munson's funeral may serve to present a clear picture of our fourth pastor :
"He was a true gentleman after the pattern of Jesus Christ. . . who everywhere, through a long and blameless life, manifested to the world the loveliness of the doctrines which he preached with his lips. .. His was an eloquent, earnest life, supported on the intellectual side by a strong love of good books . which became a very part of his acumen and fitness as a preacher. . .. Length of days and immortality and honor were the gifts of God to this (his mother's) family, low-living in a material sense but high-thinking in the intellectual and spiritual spheres-these qualities made the glory of the best New England families, and Mr. Munson be- longed to one of them." Such was the character of our fourth pastor, as further attested by Dr. Cadman's sincere tribute: "I feel it a high privilege and duty ... to testify to you of the goodness of this man."
One of the more notable crises of this Church came at the close of the next pastorate, that of the Rev. David Hayden Thayer. Having em- braced the Catholic Apostolic (Irvingite) faith, he was for this cause dismissed. But because of his great popularity and firm hold on many of his parishioners, this action resulted in a wide rift. Dr. Soule describes him as "a man of fine ability and genial personality" and, after noting his education at Union College and Union Theological Seminary, continues :
"Eleven years he served here. A brief, revealing flashlight of the man is furnished by a letter to Rev. William H. Moore, my not immediate predecessor in the Missionary Society of Connecticut. It is dated 1873 and is in reply to a request of Mr. Moore for an official Sabbath sojourn in Scantic. It reads: 'Shall be glad to have you come and help us; and tell my flock what they do not know about themselves. Thought of sending for you. Some interest with us-great need for more.' You know from this what a good Sunday was in store for the Secretary.
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"Mr. Thayer began to have leanings toward and liking for the Catholic Apostolic faith when he was in his former parish at Mount Carmel, this State; and further influenced by Dr. Samuel Andrews, both having become Irvingites, Mr. Thayer left the Congregational fold and served for four vears the Catholic Apostolic Church in Enfield nigh unto this place, and some of his flock followed him. He was genuinely sincere and, while we regret, we have no right to reproach, for he is held in grateful remem- brance and his place on the tablet is a fitting honor. His sudden death at the all too early age of fifty-seven years is to be deeply deplored. He equalled the record of Mr. Bartlett as to children-nine in all, but there were two mothers, the latter a Bissell from this place; and his children are a credit to this and other communities."
The recorded communications of Mr. Thayer's successor, the Rev. Austin S. Chase, indicate that he had a fine and sensitive mind, excellent training, and the potential ability for conducting an outstanding pastorate. But he was oversensitive. The Church was at that time struggling with financial problems and the schism caused by Mr. Thayer's leaving. These difficulties preyed on his mind until he snapped under the strain, and it was necessary to relieve him of his pastoral duties. His ministry of one year was the shortest in our Church's history.
The Rev. Howard Billman, D. D. (whose name was through ignorance of that fact recorded on the Memorial Tablet without mentioning his honor- ary degree) brought to his work much of Mr. Bartlett's pastoral attributes and perhaps even greater pulpit ability. And we may detect in his efforts the laying of those foundations which insured the later, fruitful years. Under his wise and salutary guidance, Church affairs took a turn for the better.
A native of Ohio, Dr. Billman brought with him, and was able to in- stil and transmit, much of the enthusiasm so characteristic of the Middle West. His untimely death at fifty-seven cut short a career of much attain- ment, prominence, and promise of greater achievement. And there can be no disagreement with Dr. Soule that Dr. Billman "well deserved his degree of Doctor of Divinity bestowed upon him by his Alma Mater, Wittenberg."
Rev. Curtis M. Geer, Ph. D., preferred teaching to preaching and pastoral work. His two years with this Church were followed by lifelong service with the Hartford Seminary Foundation. Speaking in 1928, Dr. Soule paid this tribute to his Christian brother: "He does not lift up his voice nor cry aloud in public places, but wisdom belongeth to his counsels, and Christian comradeship is the charm of his connection with all who are privileged to know him. Fortunate, indeed, are the students in the School of the Prophets, where he serves, to come under his benign influ- ence and sane, strong instruction."
If the pastorate of Dr. Geer was undistinguished because of its brevity, not so the next. For nearly twenty-four years, the Rev. William F. English, Ph. D., of blessed memory to many still living, served this Church. Having been stationed with Mrs. English for several years in Turkey, he was our first pastor with a missionary background. Though a young man
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when he came, he combined broad experience with native, tactful leadership and forceful preaching. He instituted the annual meeting of Church members, and otherwise assisted in organizing community and Church activities. He was also graced with a ready wit and unusual sense of humor.
Today's Parish House stands as a memorial to his vision of the Church as the center of the social, as well as religious, life of this community and parish. As he closed his pastorate to enter the broader field of Statewide service, Dr. English fully realized the nature of these changing times, the opportunity open to, and the necessity for, more youthful leadership. In this he was as foresighted as he had been both in church and civic affairs.
No account of his useful and productive life would be complete with- out some special reference to Dr. English's leadership in education. He was one of the earliest proponents of consolidating the town's schools which, when he came to East Windsor, were still operating under district supervision, a heritage of former days. The Rev. David E. Jones of Ellington, formerly of Broad Brook Congregational Church, stressing this development in his remarks at the 150th anniversary, noted that not only Dr. English but also several members of this Church were members of the consolidated school board. Dr. English was chairman of that body from its beginning in 1896 until his resignation in 1916; and, before the days of the professional superintendent, he ably filled the office of acting school visitor. And he did so not without displaying flashes of humor as when, stern of visage, he asked the shyest boy in the geography class what they raised in New England besides Cain.
Dr. English's interest was evidenced not only in the local schools but also in the field of higher education. He invariably urged ninth-grade
Former Parsonage beside the Academy Building.
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graduates to continue their studies in high school. At a time when attend- ing high school was anything but a matter of course, it is doubtful if any other community had a higher percentage of high-school pupils, in proportion to grammar-school graduates, than in the parish of the First Congregational Church. And in those days going to high school entailed a great deal more than just stepping into a bus at the home doorstep. An interested word from Dr. English about the progress of this or that pupil undoubtedly made the difficult and comparatively expensive attending of high school seem really worthwhile.
Of this outstanding pastor it has been well and truly said: "For the vision of the work of the church in the community, the Society owes to Dr. English more perhaps than it can ever know. In a pastorate of nearly twenty-four years, he like the ancient fathers of the church, saw a gener- ation come to manhood. With insight to read the course of events, with devotion to the traditions of the parish, with enthusiasm and tact, he shaped the present generation to carry on the work of the founders." And he chose, when life's last task should be done, to lie at rest in God's Acre, nearby the scenes of his fruitful service, among those departed with whom he formerly had enjoyed the mutual bonds of Christian fellowship.
On Dr. English's resignation, genuine grief and shock swept the parish, and it seemed as if the void caused by his going never could be filled. But the Church called and took to its heart Rev. Roger Eddy Treat, D. D., and his bride-too soon to fall on sleep from an incurable disease. None can tell how much this burden must have affected his work in his first pastorate. But with rare and inspiring courage, he carried on, unstintingly giving of his time and strength as circumstance permitted.
Dr. Soule was not exaggerating in pronouncing Dr. Treat "a preacher par excellence. He adorned good thought with felicitous language. He had the homiletical instinct. His conduct of public worship was deeply devout. To sit under his preaching and praying was a privilege of the means of grace." That these, and other, superb attributes have stood him in good stead is attested by his later years in Salisbury, followed by his long pastorate in Detroit. This is certainly not surprising to those in this parish who knew Dr. Treat well and had marked him as one who would go far and to the top in his profession. Their only regret was that he felt compelled to answer the call to a wider field.
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