USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Southington > Ecclesiastical and other sketches of Southington, Conn > Part 6
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FARMINGTON ye first Day of Janur Anº Domi 1728.
DANIEL ANDRUS ye Subscriber to this foregoing Instrument then Came personally and In his own Behalfe, and as Representing the Inhabitants of Southington Sociaty, acknowledged ye Same to be his own free act & Deed.
Before Mr JOHN HOOKER Assistt.
There has been nothing preserved of the action of the society from the time the above deed was given until March 19, 1739-40, when, " the society voated that they desire the General Assembly to annex to that society the west side of the east mountain as far as the highway on the mountain that runs North and South, and the west mountain as far as the Assembly think fit.
At the same meeting Mr Samel Root was chosen to go to the Gen- eral Assembly to represent the society in order to get the East and West mountains annext to this society."
"NATHel GRIDLY, Society Clerk."
A petition was presented in September to the General Assembly in accordance with the above vote, of which the *following is a copy.
"To the Honorable General Assembly to be Holden at New Haven on ye second thursday of Oct next the memorial of ye Inhabitants of
* Ecclesiastical Records, vol. VIII. p. 278.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
ye Parrish of Southington in Farmington By their agent Samuel Root of sd Parrish Humbly sheweth that whereas ye sd Parrish of South- ington was taken of from ye Centre of ye South end of Farmington, Leaving sum part of ye sd town Bounds on ye east and sum on ye west Side of ye Parish Bounds ye Land then not being Inhabited and there Having Been Number of families Settelled on ye west side of ye Par- rish Bounds a Considerable Number of years that attend the Public Worship with us who Live some ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen miles from ye Public Worship of God in sd Farmington First Society, & if they were to Attend at sª Society they must go by ye door of our meet- ing House, which is at eight miles Distance from Town First society, & altho the Inhabitants of ye sª First Society Have Released sª families from ministerial charges with them so far as to make there own minis- ters Rate without them ever since sd families have settelled ye west of sª Parrish yet notwithstanding sª Inhabitants Beings Released for yt purpose do neglect & Refuse to Pay Rates with us altho they receive Benefits only with us, & we therefore Humbly Pray ye Hounours to take yee circumstances of ye sª Parrish which is but small into your wise Consideration & Annect sd families to sd Southington Parrish that they may Contribute with us to y" support of ye Gospel where they are only conveniently Cituated, that they may no Longer be exempted from ye Rest of mankind with Respect to their Taxes, yt your Honours would order & ennact yt ye north line, if yt Divides sd Southington Parrish from sd First Society, should extend eastward to ye highway yt runs north & south on ye east mountain & to extend westward to Waterbury Bounds on to ye highway yt runs north & south in ye middle of ye moun- tain tier of loots which Land is not conveniently Cituated elsewhere, or in sum other way grant Relieff in ye Premises as your Honours in your Wisdom & Goodness Have been Wont to Do in such cases, & your me- moriallis as in Duty Bound shall ever Pray-Dated Sept ye 22 Ano Domini, 1740 "Prayer of ye memorialists granted."
SAMUEL ROOT."
The limits of the society were extended *in 1753 to include Ebe- nezer Fisk and his lands, which are the same at the extreme south end of the town now occupied by E. C. Stillman.
In 1756 Ebenezer Hoisington, Nathaniel Judd, Dan Winchell, Eph- raim Boardman and James Hoisington, petitioned the Farmington So- ciety to be set off to Southington. They occupied farms in the vicinity of where Mr. Gad Andrus now lives. The action of the society at Farmington, and also of the General Assembly, follows ---
" Att a meeting of the First society in Farmington Dec 20 1756-
*Ecclesiastical Records. It seems that at first there was a good deal of opposition to Mr. Fisk's withdrawal from the Wallingford Society.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
att the same meeting upon the memorial of Ebenezer Hosington, Na- thanial Judd, James Hosington, Eprm Bordman and Dan Winchell with there familys the society by there major voat give thire consent that they should be take (n) of from said first Society and annexed to Southington."
JOS. HOOKER, Sociaty Clerk.
The Humble memorial of ve subscribers inhabitants of ye town of Farmington in the county of Hartford to the Honorable general as- sembly to be Holden at Hartford on the second Thursday of may next humbly sheweth, that your memorialists live in ye town of farmington and near ye south end of sd town bound line on a strip of Land in ye division of Land on ye range of ye shuttle meadow mountain and own Lots that lye near together about a half a mile wide about six score rods long which trackt of Land lyeth between ye sociaty of Southing- ton east and Kensington West. We farther show that we always have and now do belong to the first sociaty of farmington and that we live eleven miles from the place of public worship to go in any road that is practable for us to travil in and that we are obliged to pay our propor- tionable part of the cost of maintaining ye public worship, of repairing ye meeting house, building said houses which we look upon as a great hardship and burthen when no ways privilege or profited thereby- your memorialists further show that it is but three miles from their dwelling houses to the meeting house at the sociaty of Southington and ye grater part of their Land lyeth in the sociaty of Southington where we pay taxes for our improved Land-we farther show that there is nothing parts us from ye sociaty of Southington but a highway lying west of our houses and Southington East line-your memorial- ists further shew that we made our aplication to the sociaty of South- ington whether they would receive us which was voated in the afirma- tive-we further show that we carried our memorial to our own sociaty which also was voated in the afirmative-so that upon the whole your memorialists are humbly of the opinion that it is highly Reasonable that they and all their lands should be anext to the Sociaty of South- ington-we therefore recommend our case to your wise consideration praying that you would by your act annex us and all our Lands to ye sociaty of Southington or in some other way relieve your memorialists as in your great wisdom you shall think reasonable and your memorial- ists is in duty bound shall ever pray.
Farmington, April 9, 1757.
(Granted)
EBENEZER HOISINGTON, DAN WINCHEL, EPHRAIM BORDMAN, JAMES HOISINGTON.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
The next change made with respect to the limits of the society, was in connection with that portion now constituting the east part of the society and town of Wolcott.
In 1760 certain inhabitants of that part of Southington living on Wolcott mountain, and those occupying the contiguous part of Water- bury, applied* to the General Assembly for distinct society privileges. The petition was signed by twenty four leading residents. "Jonathan Root one of the principal Inhabitants of ye society of Southington," "Thomas Clark Esq of Waterbury," and "Phineas Roys of Water- bury one of the Principal Inhabitants of North Bury," were sum- moned to appear before the General Assembly to show Reason, if any, they or either of them have why the prayer of the foregoing memorial should not be granted." The memorial was rejected, but renewed in April, 1762, and again rejected. In September, 1762, a memorial was presented praying for " Liberty of procuring preaching for five months and of setting up a school," which was granted.
There seems to have been great opposition to the separation of the Farmingbury (Wolcott) people, on the part of Southington and Wa- terbury. Memorials and counter memorials were drawn up and pre- sented to the General Assembly for two or three years, when Daniel Lyman, Roger Sherman, and Sam'l Bishop, jun., were appointed a com- mittee to visit the ground and report upon the matter. This they did, and May 9th, 1764, reported against granting the privileges of a dis- tinct society. A like committee was appointed in 1770. This com- mittee, consisting of Increase Moseley, Benjamin Hinman, and Enos Brooks, reported favorably to the General Assembly, which imme- diately granted society privileges and rights under the name of Farm- ingbury.
This act deprived the Southington society of quite an extent of ter- ritory, but did not materially diminish its strength. Since this time the territorial limits of the society have remained about the same. .
* Ecclesiastical Records, vol. XIII.
7
CHAPTER II.
THE FIRST MEETING HOUSE.
Its Location Disputed ; Opinion of Coggswell Family and Rodney Langdon ; Mr. Gad Andrus ; Dr. Edward Robinson's Opinion; The Probable Site; The Build- ing; Worship Under the Trees; Discomforts of the Building; First Sabba-day Houses.
THE first house of worship was built 1724-28. The time it was begun or finished can not be ascertained. Even its precise location is a matter of dispute. That it stood somewhere on Burying-ground Hill, is unquestioned, but the exact spot is in debate. While there is really but one tradition as to the site, some circumstances have led to various opinions. The descendants of David Coggswell affirm that they have often plowed up pieces of mortar and boards, nails, spikes, &c., in a field lying south of the present enclosure; and also that he had seen the stone foundations of the meeting house there. Mr. Rodney Lang- don has also plowed up dèbris in the same field, which seemed to indicate that a building of some kind had been there.
It cannot be disputed that in this field there had been a house, or perhaps houses. But taking such facts, and giving them all the weight they deserve, they do not and can not settle the question. Another and equally satisfactory explanation can be given of them.
That there were " sabba-day houses " not far from the meeting house, is too well founded on tradition for question. One was built and occu- pied by Jared Lee. After the second meeting-house was built, Mr. Lee removed his Sabba-day house down to his own home, and it was converted into one of the farm out-buildings. This building was still standing when his grand-daughter (Mrs. Roxana Carter) was a little girl. If there was one Sabba-day house, there were probably more.1 And the sites for these would naturally be not far from where this rubbish was plowed up. They would probably be on the highway. The north side of the hill would be too bleak. If to-day, any one
I Since writing the above I have come across old papers and family traditions that satisfy me that there were several of these houses.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
wished to select a site for such a house, and have it on that ancient highway, he would find the least exposure just here. Now, when these houses were torn down, there would remain on the ground the underpinning and the refuse of boards, nails, &c.
Aside from the above mentioned facts, I have been able to find nothing that supports the theory that the site was south of the present enclosure. All other testimony favors the summit of the hill, not far from where the two large oak trees now stand. Mr. Gad Andrus, who for many years has made the topography of the town a study, is unqualified in his belief that the site was within the enclosure. Sev- eral years ago an old lady pointed out to him the spot which her mother who was living, and who was familiar with the old meeting-house when standing there, had told her was the site. This is a little south-west of the trees, and south of the Robinson burying plot.
The Rev. Dr. Edward Robinson revisited the town about thirty years ago, and compared all the traditions of his family with the traditions that remained in the oldest families of the society. No man could be better fitted to press inquiries, and come to right conclusions than he. His experience in discovering and locating sites, and ability to settle such disputed questions, none can doubt. Had he given no reason for his conclusion, the bare statement of his opinion would outweigh any doubtful testimony. Some of his reasons we have.
His father became pastor here while the first two pastors (Curtiss and Chapman) were still living, and of sound mind. Many of his church and society had worshipped in the old building. Less than twenty-five years had passed since the old house had been removed. Mr. Chapman survived nearly six years after he came, and Mr. Curtiss nearly fifteen. Does it not seem incredible that under such circumstances the Robin- son family could be mistaken as to the locality of the old building? And then too, Mr. Chapman's children, and Mr. Curtiss's children, and children's children, have brought down with them the same tradition. Dr. Robinson visited the oldest people in the town, and from them re- ceived but the one tradition. The only variation was in the facts before given, viz: that in some families it was known that refuse boards, &c., had been plowed up by some of their members. He took this testimony, and gave it due weight; but in view of other facts, set it aside as capable of receiving a different interpretation. Dr. Robin- son was born in 1794. He grew up familiar with many who sat under the ministry of Curtiss and Chapman. His habits of thought and life, his family associations at this time, all qualify him to "speak as one having authority " in this thing. In the memoir of his father, (p. 80,) he quotes the opinion of Judge Lowrey, who places the site at the " South-East part of the burying-ground," and then in a foot-note says,
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HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
"My own impression has always been, that this first meeting-house stood West of the path leading through the burying-ground from South to North, about midway of the surface of the hill; at a sightly spot over against two large trees; where formerly there were traces of earlier foundations. Still another tradition places it in the field lying South of the burying-ground. More in accordance with usage, and therefore more probable is the sightlier spot."
The "traces of earlier foundations" near these trees, were there about sixty years ago. Captain Samuel Woodruff has told me, that when a boy, his grand-father pointed out to him the stones that were still there, as "the foundations of the old meeting-house." It seems then beyond dispute that foundations of some kind, and for some building, have been traced in both these places, so that this fact decides nothing of itself. But the ruins of Sabba-day houses, and the removal of the debris of the old meeting-house to the road-side (as it was then,) would account for the materials plowed up in later years. There then remains, as testimony for the "sightlier spot" as the location we wish to determine, all the other traditions, the conclusions reached by Dr. Robinson, and the prevailing belief of the town. After carefully considering all sides of the question, and conversing with a score of old people as to the belief current at the beginning of this century, and weighing as impartially as I can, all the evidence, I am firm in the conviction, that the summit of the hill was the place where stood the first church edifice of the town. If we could find a deed of the ground upon which the building stood, it would help us in locating it; but there is no such deed. It stood on the public (twenty rod) high- way; of this, no question has ever been raised. So far as I know or believe, no further light can be thrown upon the matter. It must be left in some uncertainty, and yet the preponderance of testimony is so favorable to the site selected by Dr. Robinson, that coming generations will accept of it as the location.
Having thus extensively considered the question of site, let us turn to the building itself. It was of very moderate size. Most of the frame was taken down and afterwards used for a barn' attached to the Hotel that stood near the present home of Mrs. Naaman Finch.2 From these timbers, the building seems to have been about twenty-six by sixteen feet. They were of oak and chestnut. No steeple ever graced this first meeting-house. It was rudely constructed, and with- out ornament of any kind.
1 This barn stood on the ground now owned by Mrs. Porter Dickerman, and occupied by the author of this history.
2 The exact site is uncertain. Some think it stood at the North-east corner of the school-house yard, and near Mr. Henry Lowrey's gato. But there are reasons for løcating it farther south.
53
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
There were neither cellar nor basement walls; the sills resting on small pillars of stone masonry. The timber was cut from the hill, and "scored and hewed " by the " ffarmers." But it proved a long tedious work. The Farmington Society voted the separation March 18, 1722-3, and the General Assembly constituted the parish in the spring of 1724; probably the work on the building began in the au- tumn or fall of 1724. The people could do but little in the summer time, all being engaged in farming; and they would naturally begin the work as soon as possible. But as late as Oct., 1726, we find they had not finished the work, for an application was made to the General Assembly for permission to tax the lands of non-residents in order to raise money for society purposes, in which petition is named the mat- ter of "building a meeting house, minister's house," &c. This verifies the tradition that it was from two to four years before the house was completed. Dr. Robinson states that they began to worship in the building in 1726, but if they did, it was unfinished. Old people, fifty years ago, often told of the great difficulty encountered in raising "the tax of one hundred and fifty pounds," and the long time taken in com- pleting the building. My own interpretation of the facts is this, that as soon as the building was enclosed they began to worship in it in the unpleasant days of summer. On pleasant days they held service under the adjacent oaks. An old letter written about this time, and which a few years ago was in possession of a family in the town, speaks of worshipping "under the trees." And it has been handed down, that in the winter time they met in the room of a "tavern " on Queen street.' It may be that service was begun in 1726, and occasionally held in the building, while it was not finished until about 1728, when the windows were put in. These windows2 were brought from Eng- land; and the glass, diamond-shaped, being about six inches diagon- ally. The building was never painted, even inside, and the seats are supposed to have been at first plain slabs, like those used in our school houses until within a recent period. We, with our pleasant churches, can hardly conceive of the inconveniences and struggles of our fathers in building this their first meeting house. They were very poor, and all were compelled to work hard and long for the common comforts of life. They had but little sympathy from the Farmington Society, and some among themselves were not heartily in the movement. We can imagine better than describe the anxiety, self-denial, and exhaust-
1 Probably the same that was afterwards known as Deming's Tavern. And yet it may be that at this time the house was a private dwelling, and afterwards was made a public house.
2 Mr. Artemas Gridley says that his father had one of these windows set in his cel- lar after the old building was taken down, and it was still there in his boyhood.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
ing toil of those three or four years during which they were building their little and rude temple, and the exultant joy with which they greeted it as complete.
In this building Mr. Curtiss began his ministry. In it he was or- dained and installed, and here for twenty-seven years he continued his work.
Many are the stories of discomfort and suffering among the wor- shippers in the cold days of winter. Too poor at first to have "Sabba'- day houses,"1 and without fire, and compelled to remain through two services in the bleakest davs of winter, it is a wonder that they did not perish ! But our fathers were disciplined by grace, so that they could exhibit the highest type of "patience " and " hardness " in the Christian service.
The condition of the old building was evidently far from satisfac- tory for many years before it was removed. Fortunately, the tra- ditions concerning its unfitness for public service are all more than verified by authentic documents. In a memorial, soon to be quoted, it is said that the house "is not comfortable for any person in times of Snow & Rains which come into sd House in almost every part thereof." And had there been any good degree of unity of feeling in the society, . the new building would have been put up long before it was. But, as will subsequently appear, bitter feuds had divided and cursed the so- ciety for a long time.
1 There is a tradition that has come down through the Root family, that some- where abont 1740 some persons almost perished from the cold, on a Sabbath of ex- cessive severity ; and that this fact led to the building of the first Sabba-day houses.
CHAPTER III.
THE SECOND MEETING-HOUSE.
Increase of Families ; Names now extinct in the Society ; Projeet of a new Meeting- House ; Miserable Condition of the Old; Division of Opinion ; Society Meeting ; Insufficient Vote; Application to the General Assembly; Memorial not Granted ; Intense Party Feeling ; Majority Opposed to Mr. Curtiss; The Position of the Deacons; Deacon Woodruff; Continned Agitation ; Vote to Rebuild ; Difficulty about the Site; Claims of Different Sections; Appeal to the County Court; Question Settled; Deeds ; The Old Highway ; Topography of Society's Land; Loca- tion of the new Building; Its Architecture; Internal Arrangement; Completion ; Its later History ; Steeple put Up ; Bell; Decay of the Building; Talk of a New One ; Society's Grounds Enlarged ; Last Services in the Old Meeting-House.
THE first building did not contemplate much increase of the number of families within the limits of the parish. But from 1730 to 1750, there was a rapid gain in population. The parish was on the line of the thoroughfare from New Haven to the northward through Walling- ford and Farmington, and this fact increased its importance, and led to the opening of Hotels that became centers for hamlets. From Bristol down the line of West street, and by the "corner " (Plantsville,) there was considerable travel. For some years before 1750 there had been emigration from Wallingford along the west line of Farmington, and up to, if not above, Bristol. The Upsons had come over the mountain from Waterbury, as early as 1732-3; and soon after, others, who set- tled on the mountain-side, and down in the valley. Judging from the deeds, the land-holders, in the parish, had doubled in numbers, and perhaps trebled. The old deeds, Probate Court records, petitions be- fore the General Assembly, disclose a good many names that then were in the town, but have for generations been extinct. And even some of the most prominent members of the society before 1760, are not represented by name to-day. In a single petition are the following names that are not to-day in the society or church,-Robards (Roberts?), All-cox, Bartholomew, Talmage, Adkins, Rogerds (Rogers?), Reynolds, Gaylord, Rich, Plum (Plumb?), Yale, &c. These and many other names, with a few exceptions, came into the parish after its organization.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
Certainly as early as 1745, the project of a new meeting-house was discussed on the ground of accommodation for the people. And almost as early, the miserable condition of the old building, its insuffi- cient shelter and protection, its need of repair and its rapid decay, had led to the same question. Meetings of the society were called and the matter warmly debated, but the required "two-thirds vote " could not be secured. It is no misfortune to the town that the quarrels over this matter have not been preserved in detail. But families and sections of the town became divided in sentiment, and alienated. And these feel- ings were transmitted to after generations.1
The following meeting of the society, held May 8, 1751, is the only one of which we have a record, but the memorial that grew out of the meeting shows that there had been repeated meetings for many years.
At this meeting, "the moderator proposed to try the minds of the society whether they judge it necessary to Build a meeting house thare voted 42 in the affamative and 23 in the negetive. At the same meet- ing the society voted to make thire application to this general assembly for thire order to Bulde a meeting House."
" At the same meeting the society made choice of Jonathan Root for thire agent to go to the General Assembly to make thire approbation for the above sd order."
" JONATHAN ROOT Society Clerk."
It was vain for the people to attempt further the work of adjusting differences. The law required? that two-thirds of the legal voters present should be necessary to decide the question of a new meeting- house, but a majority vote, if presented to the General Assembly might move that body to take action in the matter, and for this end a? memo- rial was prepared and presented of which the following is a copy.
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