History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 115

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572

USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 115

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

stalled in 1799, the services being held (by invita- tion) in the Episcopal church. The Congregational Church was now at the lowest ebb in its history ; it was so completely demoralized that it was reorgan- ized, and comparatively few were found who were willing to identify themselves with it.

"In 1808 an attempt was made to build a new Congregational church edifice, and in order to raise funds a public lottery was held, authorized, as was the custom of the day, by the Legislature. As might have been expected, this ill-advised course did more harm than good, and during the war of 1812 the church was so deeply involved in debt that a tax of seventeen cents on the dollar was assessed to meet expenses. The church edifice was only partially fin- ished, and for want of support Mr. Clarke resigned in 1816; he died in 1839.

"Several candidates supplied the pulpit from 1816 to 1825, among them Rev. Lauren P. Hickok, D.D., since president of Union College, and Rev. Mr. Bur- ritt, whose labors were blessed in the conversion of at least sixteen persons who united with the church and greatly strengthened it; but still the membership was comparatively small, and many recorded as mem- bers were absent from the place."

PASTORATE OF REV. WILLIAM MITCHELL.

" Rev. William Mitchell was elected pastor and installed Jan. 14, 1825. Mr. Mitchell was a faithful and laborious pastor, -one of the best, I should judge, the church has had. During his ministry there was a powerful revival, chiefly in Taunton, which resulted in many conversions and twenty ad- ditions to this church. A 'Ladies' and Gentlemen's Missionary Society' was successfully established, also a temperance society. The church and society, how- ever, unfortunately lost about onc-half of the fund (which had accumulated during successive pastorates ) by the failure of the Eagle Bank in New Haven. Although crippled by the loss, five hundred dollars were spent in repairing the church edifice and eighty- five dollars in procuring the communion-set now in use.

Mr. Mitchell resigned and was dismissed May 31, 1831. He moved to Vermont and then to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he died of yellow fever, Aug. 1,1867."

PASTORATE OF REV. N. M. URMSTON.

"Rev. N. M. Urmston's pastorate began Dec. 5, 1832, and ended April 1, 1838. He, as well as Mr. Mitchell, lived at the head of the street where Mrs. Bennett Fairchild now resides. Nothing of special interest occurred during his pastorate. The church records abound in accounts of trials and excommuni- cations ; it is to be regretted, I think, that names and facts were not suppressed. It is better to hide a brother's fault than to make it the subject of a lengthy record. It is well that the church should be purified and cleansed, but not at all necessary to pre-

serve the filtli and the rubbish. . 'Let the past, then, bury its dead from our sight.'

" Mr. Urmston, after leaving Newtown, preached in Cornwall and Sherman, in this State, and then went to Ohio. I received a card from him recently ; he is very feeble and infirm, and may not be living now. Hewas succeeded by several temporary supplies-Rev. Mr. Leadbetter, Rev. Mr. Ambler, and others-until 1845, when Rev. Jason Atwater became stated sup- ply."

PASTORATE OF REV. JASON ATWATER.

"Mr. Atwater, like Mr. Mitchell, was a conscien- tious and faithful pastor. He resided where Mrs. Booth Terrill now lives; indeed, there is scarcely a building in Main Street that does not seem at some time to have been occupied by a minister of this or some other church. The interests of the churches in general, and of this church in particular, were dear to Mr. Atwater, and he labored hard and successfully in this his chosen field. At first there was a decided ad- vance under his leadership; the broken walls of Zion were literally and figuratively repaired, for after a three years' effort twelve hundred dollars were raised, and the church edifice, which had again become some- what dilapidated, was renovated, put in good repair, and dedicated anew Jan. 7, 1847. The congregation increased in numbers, and a new life seemed infused into the church. But a decline or a reaction set in, and the question of abandoning the ground and re- moving the church to Sandy Hook was seriously agi- tated. A council, however, advised against it, and God set his seal of approval upon the decision by graciously reviving his work and adding to His church thirty-five members, many of whom have been, and are now, the most valued and useful of our number.

"In 1852 the basement was fitted up and new seats and a new pulpit provided for the audience-room of the church, at an expense of five hundred dollars. There seems, however, to have been another reaction. Some of the strong arms upon which the pastor leaned were taken away by death or removal, and, somewhat discouraged, Mr. Atwater accepted a call to South- bury. He showed his continued love for and interest in this church by leaving it a legacy of one hundred and fifty dollars at his death, which occurred in 1860."

RECENT PASTORATES.

" The remaining pastors of this church until the year 1874-Rev. W. H. Moore, Rev. W. F. Arms, Rev. D. W. Fox, Rev. H. B. Smith-are yet among the living ; their work is not yet done, and of them and their work, therefore, we will not speak at length. Mr. Moore's pastorate lasted from 1856 to 1862, when he was dismissed to be a bishop over our Connecticut churches. He still fills the responsible position of State secretary. Mr. Arms' pastorate was very short, only about a year, from May, 1863, to September, 1864. He went from here to Greenwich, Conn., then re- moved to Pennsylvania, and is now in Sunderland,

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NEWTOWN.

Mass., pastor of a church of more than three hundred members. Mr. Fox was the first minister who occu- pied your pleasant and commodious parsonage, which cost about two thousand dollars but is now worth more than twice that amount, proving our Saviour's words, 'Give, and it shall be given.' No society or individual loses by a generous act. Mr. Fox, like his predecessor, Mr. Moore, was the registrar of this Con- sociation ; his health unfortunately soon failed and he was dismissed; he is now pastor of a church in New Jersey.

"This church, therefore, had three pastors during the late civil war, in striking contrast with the Revo- lutionary period, when it had one pastor for a third of a century and until he died.

" Rev. Henry B. Smith was the next pastor, from 1867 to 1873. From here he removed to Green- field Hill, thence to Staffordville, Conn., and is now living in South Amherst, Mass. He was a faithful pastor and an earnest worker, especially in the Sab- bath-school."

THE PRESENT PASTORATE.

"The present pastorate has been the longest this church has had in more than one hundred years (with two exceptions). Your minister* preached his first sermon in this church Jan. 11, 1874. The previous year the interior of the church had been remodeled and beautified, as you see it to-day, at an expense of two thousand five hundred dollars. Since then seventy have been added to the church and fourteen hundred dollars to the fund (five hundred dollars being donated by Miss Sarah Blackman, of New Haven, a descendant of the first pastor, Rev. Thomas Tousey). The debt resting on the society has been paid; we are at peace among ourselves; this church, I am assured, numeri- cally and financially, is now more prosperous than at any time for a century past. And yet it never needed the help of all its members and friends more than now. If this help is given, this church may recover what it has lost and be in generations to come what it was in colonial times, before the war for our liberty drained it of its resources and members. If so, we will be thankful; if not, we will be hopeful and still do our work. For this church has a work to do; it is a ' free union church,' where all who love our Lord and cherish a hope of immortality and heaven may have a home; where an evangelical gospel shall be preached, but each one be permitted and expected to think for himself. 'We preach as those who must give an account,' but we 'judge not, that we be not judged.' God is the Judge of all. Our motto is, 'In essentials, unity ; in non-essentials, liberty ; in all things, charity.' Bretliren and friends, if all you who are, or ought to be, interested in the welfare of this church do your whole duty its future is assured. Such is the past and present of this church; the past has told its story.

"One hundred years from now the pastor of this church (who will he be?) will doubtless prepare a centennial sermon similar to this, and to him we will commit the record. What will that record be? What will be the future of this nation, this town, and of this church ? Will the changes of the future be as great as those of the past? Who will comprise this audience one hundred years hence? When the con- gregation is dismissed on that day and the people go to their homes, how will this street and village look to them ? What will be the religious sentiment of the place and day ? Will the immortal soul thien be estimated at its true value ? We cannot answer these questions ; they belong to the future, and to the future we leave them. We have performed our task; we have (as directed in the text) asked questions only of the 'days that are past,' and we have recorded the answers. And now, farewell to the past. We break the connection again; we busy ourselves with the present; we leave the future with God, praying that he will bless this aneient church, this loved town, with its churches, and schools, and interests, this il- lustrious commonwealth, this great nation, and trust- ing that when another century has rolled by, and we for many years have slept with our fathers, church and town and State and nation may be stronger and purer and better than now."

TRINITY CHURCH.t

The first church building was erected in 1733, and stood in the road nearly opposite the present brick town-house. Rev. Dr. Beardsley, in his " History of the Church in Connecticut," remarks,-

" It is said that the frame of the building in New- town, twenty-eiglit feet long and twenty-four fcet wide, was raised on Saturday, the roof boards were put on the same evening, and the next day the hand- ful of churchmen assembled for divine service under its imperfect protection, sitting upon the timbers and kneeling upon the ground."

Previous to the erection of this first church build- ing, history informs us that, because there was no suitable place for assembling, the Rev. John Beach, rector, invited the few professors of the Church of England to meet in his own house, where for a con- siderable time he conducted the church services ; and the first sermon preached by him was under an immense buttonball (or sycamore) trce that stood on the green in front of the present residence of Charles C. Warner, Esq.

In 1746 a second church building was erected, which Dr. Beardsley says-doubtless quoting the words of Rev. John Beach in his report to the Propa- gation Society-" was a strong, neat building, forty- six feet long and thirty-five wide."

Forty-four years passed away, during which time the people continued worshiping in that church, but, probably owing to its prosperity and growth, it was

* Rev. J. P. Hoyt.

+ Contributed by E. L. Johnson.

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

found to be too small to accommodate the worshipers, and we find from the parish records that a society's meeting was held Nov. 2, 1790, when a vote was taken " to build a new church house."

We find that then, as now, there were obstacles in the way of pushing such things along, for at an adjourned meeting, held Nov. 25, 1790, an effort was made to rescind the aforesaid vote, which was de- feated. At a meeting held Dec. 30, 1790, " Voted, That if we do build a new church, that it shall be erected where the town-house now stands."

Passing along until Oct. 3, 1791, it was " Voted, That we will build the church by signation, provided we can get subscribed one thousand pounds lawful money by the second Tuesday in November next." At an adjourned meeting held Nov. 8, 1791, "Voted, That the bigness of the church-house shall be sixty-eight fect by forty-eight."

March 5, 1792, another meeting was held, when it was voted that the price of the common timber for building the church be four pence per square foot, brought to the place of building and well dressed ; and a committee was also appointed to appraise the extraordinary timber.

This church was finished in 1793, and received its name at a parish-meeting held June 17, 1793, when it was voted that the new church be called "Trinity." It stood just north of the present site of the stone edifice. No record can be found giving an account of its consecration, but it was consecrated by the venerable Bishop Seabury, the first bishop of Amer- ica. It was said to have been for a long time the largest house of Episcopal worship in the State, and tradition records that it excited the wonder of the surrounding country, so that people came from all directions to visit it ; and for more than three-quarters of a century it stood a noble monument of the liber- ality, public spirit, and piety of the men who crected it.

At the time of its erection Rev. Philo Perry was rector, on a salary of one hundred pounds per year, officiating one-fourth part of the time in Brookfield, and the salary was provided for by a tax of three per cent. on the pound on the grand list of the town. Stoves and fire in church were then unknown, and for twenty-seven years the worshipers had no tax to pay for fucl, but at a mecting held Jan. 24, 1820, it was "Voted, That a committee of three be appointed to erect a stove in Trinity Church." In this church were held three Diocesan Conventions, in the years 1801, 1806, and 1826.

Although missionary work had been done to some extent in Newtown as far back as 1722, and perhaps previous to that year, yet there could properly be said to be no church organization here until 1732, when the Rev. John Beach, then a young man, who had been settled for eight years among the Inde- pendents at Newtown and very popular with all classes, publicly informed his people of a change in

his views in favor of the Church of England. He was entered as a communicant at Stratford, his native place, Easter Day; April 9th of the same year, went to England for holy orders, and, returning with them in September, 1732, commenced his work, and in six months after speaks of having forty communicants. His rectorship extended over a period of fifty years,- from 1732 to 1782.

He was followed by Rev. Philo Perry, rector from 1787 to 1798. . He was succeeded by Rev. Daniel Burhans, D.D., rector from Aug. 5, 1799, to Nov. 1, 1830; Rev. Samuel C. Stratton, 1831-39; Rev. S. S. Setocking, 1841-48; Rev. William Carmichael, 1850-52; Rev. Benjamin W. Stone, D.D., 1852-56 ; Rev. Newton E. Marble, D.D., 1857-78, when he was obliged to resign on account of physical infirmi- ties ; Rev. Thomas W. Harkins, Oct. 14, 1878, to Oct. 1, 1880.

From the report made to the Diocesan Convention by the rector in June, 1880, there were then one hun- dred and eighty-nine families and three hundred and thirty-one communicants in the parish. At the meet- ing of the Diocesan Convention in June, 1880, a new parish was formed within the limits of the present Trinity Church, Newtown, to be known as St. John's Parish, Sandy Hook.

We have no means of ascertaining who were the first officers of the church. The officers at the present time are as follows : Wardens, Beach Camp, William B. Prindle; Vestrymen, Simeon B. Peck, Charles Skidmore, Philo Clark, E. Levan Johnson, Hobert B. Camp, Albert W. Peck, Homer A. Hawley ; Clerk, Daniel G. Beers; Treasurer, Frederick San- ford.

The first movements towards building the present beautiful stone edifice, that stands just south of the site of the old church building, were inaugurated at a parish-meeting held Sept. 12, 1866, but the building was not completed until January, 1870. The first sermon delivered in the new church was by the rector, Rev. Newton E. Marble, D.D., on Feb. 6, 1870, from 2 Cor. v. 17: "Old things are passed away, bchold all things are become new."

Heretofore the churches erected by the parish had been temporary structures, as all wood buildings are, and could last but a comparatively short time, but the noble edifice of which we now write will stand sound and solid when centuries have rolled away and the many generations that have worshiped within its sacred walls shall have mouldered to dust,-unless it shall be destroyed by some unforeseen catastrophe or convulsion of nature,-a noble monument to the memory of those men and women who contributed of their time and means to accomplish so desirable . an end.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SANDY HOOK.

As nearly as we can ascertain, about the year 1800 a class was formed and Methodist preaching was given.

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NEWTOWN.

by two local preachers, Levi Bunson and Joseph Pierce, in a house that stood upon the ground where Trinity church now stands, in Newtown Street. The first preaching by an itinerant minister was by Sam- uel M. Erwin, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, about the year 1804.

In 1805 a class was formed as a nucleus to forming a church organization. Here follow the names of the original class-paper : Isaac Sanford, Ann Sanford, Benjamin Curtiss, Polly Curtiss, Sally Curtiss, Amea Summers, Hannah Gamley, Saralı Lyon, Jacob Ray- mond, Hannah Platt, Nemiah Sanford, Sabia Booth, Polly Nap, Betsey Hand, Beach Bennett, Sarah An- derson.

The circuit over which the itinerants traveled was from Milford to New Milford, and from Dantown to the Housatonic River, about forty by fifty miles. At this time there was but one Methodist Episcopal church building, and situated at Easton.

A class was formed at Flat Swamp (western part of Newtown) as early as 1828. Circuit preaching was had, once in about four weeks at school-house or at private dwelling. There was circuit preaching in Newtown once in two weeks on a week-day. In 1831 John Lovejoy held a love-feast at tlic town-hall. It was on this occasion that the speaking of a certain female produced such an impression that some of the citizens said the Methodists shall have a church .;

About this time trustces were appointed, viz. : Uriah Hays, of Brookfield, Isaac Scudder, Alanson Gilbert, Ebenezer Blackman, Zera Blackman, and Benjamin Curtiss, Jr. They entered at once upon the work of building a church edifice, which was dedicated by William Dykiman in 1831, situated on Newtown Street, south of Dick's Hotel.

Here follow a list of preachers who have labored in the circuit from 1805 to 1850: Peter Monarty, Sam- uel Mervine, 1805; Nathan Felch, Oliver Sykes, 1806; J. M. Smith, Zalman Lyon, 1807; N. W. Thomas, Jonathan Lyon, 1808; Billy Hubbard, Isaac Candor, 1809; Nathan Emery, John Russell, 1810; A. Hunt, O. Sykes, J. Reynolds, 1811 ; Seth Ornville, G. Lyon, S. Beach, 1812; A. Hunt, H. Eames, 1813; E. Washburn, R. Harris, 1814; Elijah Robbins, Ben- jamin English, 1815 ; R. Harris, 1816 ; R. Harris, E. Canfield, 1817 ; Samuel Bushnell, A. Pierce, 1818; Beardsley Northrup, David Miller, 1819; Bela Smith, David Miller, 1820; Bela Smith, James Coleman, 1821 ; Labem Clark, Eli Bennett, 1822; Labem Clark, John Nixon, 1823; E. Denniston, John S. Pierce, 1824; E. Denniston, Julius Field, 1825 ; S. O. Fergu- son, W. V. Buck, and - Lucky (supply), 1826; Eli Bennett, W. V. Buck, 1827; John Lovejoy, J. H. Romer, O. Sykes (supply), 1828 ; John Lovejoy, J. H. Romer, 1829; Horace Bartlet, Charles Shuman, 1830; John Lovejoy, 1831; Luther Meade, O. Sykcs (supply), 1832 ; J. Hunt, J. B. Beach, 1833 ; J. Bower, J. B. Beach, 1834; H. Humphrey, John Davis, 1835; John Dykiman, 1836; C. Silliman, 1837; John D.

Bangs (died here), 1838; N. Meade, 1839-40; S. J. Stebbins, 1841-42; L. Clark, G. L. Fuller, 1843; A. S. Hill and G. L. Fuller, in 1844-45; S. W. Smith, 1846-47; L. D. Niekerson, 1848; N. C. Lewis, 1849 -50.

During the year 1850 the church edifice at New- town was sold and a more commodious one built at Sandy Hook, a small village one mile and three-quar- ters east of Newtown, at a cost of three thousand three hundred dollars. The Rev. Dr. Kennedy preached the dedication sermon, and the following have filled the pulpit to the year 1880: W. H. Bangs, 1851-52; F. Lovejoy, 1853-54; A. McAlister, 1855 -56; - Gidman, 1857; Benjamin Redford, 1858; R. K. Reynolds, 1859 *- 60; Edward Oldine, 1861-62; S. H. Platt, 1863-64; S. C. Lamb, 1865; B. A. Gil- man, 1866-67; F. W. Lockwood, 1868-69; A. M. Sherman, 1870; Sylvester Smith, 1871-72; without supply, 1873; Joseph W. Pattisson, 1874-75; James Taylor, 1876-78; Cornell S. Dykiman, 1879-80.

This church recommended Luman Sanford for ad- mission into the Conference about 1830; Isaac San- ford, 1840; G. A. Hubbell, 1845 (now presiding clder in New Haven District) ; S. H. Platt, 1853; William T. Hill, 1855 (now presiding elder in Bridgeport Dis- trict).

This church has Deman Blackman and Edgar Butt as local preachers; local deacons, Thomas Clin- ger, H. L. Wheeler.

The present officers are Ezra Patch, Henry L. Wheeler, Silas E. Fairchild, Elias S. Sanford, B. B. Curtiss, Trustees.

OTHER CHURCHES, ETC.

The disintegration (as we may term it) of the Con- gregational Chureh must have encouraged the Metli- odist brethren to form a separate church organization, for we are informed that their first elass met in 1800, the first preaching services being held in the house of Mrs. Plæbe Peck, just above the village, and after- wards in the old town-house. Their first meeting- house stood near Mrs. Briscoe's residenee. Since that time there have been eighty-six ministers of that de- nomination who have supplied the pulpit, either in the old Methodist ehureh at Newtown (which was dedicated in 1831) or in the present ehurel edifice in Sandy Hook, which was built in 1850.

A Universalist Society, organized carly in the cen- tury, built a commodious house of worship in the central part of the village, but afterwards sold it to the Catholic Society, and now hold no separate ser- vices. This church cdifiec, with the small Baptist church in Zoar and the Union chapel in Taunton, erected by the generosity of Mrs. Polly Beers in 1878, completes the list of churches, St. James' ehapel, which once crowned Zoar Hill, having years ago been abandoned.

* During the year 1859 the society built a parsonage at a cost of eight- teen hundred dollars.

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470

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

The Catholic Church is now so strong that a change to the plain near the depot and the erection of a larger building and series of buildings is in contemplation.

MASONIC.

For history of Hiram Lodge, No. 18, F. and A. M., and Hiram Chapter, see Appendix.

GRANITE LODGE, NO. 122, I. O. G. T.

This lodge was instituted May 5, 1869, witlı fifty- seven members, as follows: Rev. F. W. Lockwood, Mrs. O. P. Gately, Mrs. M. A. Tomlinson, W. W. Perkins, Silas N. Beers, Martha A, Akley, Sarah N. Beers, George R. Couch, Charles M. Parsons, Ezra J. Hall, Cornelia M. Tucker, Saralı Woffenden, Mary C. Tenant, Ella C. Gateley, M. Ella Couch, Julia S. Gibson, Annie White, Mary C. Woffenden, Mary E. Beers, Mary F. Peck, Grace Nichols, Emily Sandford, Augustus Allen, Eliza Crofut, Mrs. N. R. Couch, Sarah E. Northup, Eva E. May, Anu E. Sanford, Arthur D. Allen, Ann Gillett, Mrs. Sarah Wheeler, Abel F. Gillett, Mrs. Z. S. Peck, N. R. Couch, Annie B. Northup, Mrs. M. C. Perkins, Fannie E. Hurlbut, Julia H. Towle, Charles E. Jones, Frederick Beehler, Chester Hard, Emily A. Bennett, Robert M. Prindle, Charles Hurlbut, Mary E. Hough, Annie E. Bootlı, John J. Haight, William Brewer, James E. Parsons, Sarah E. Haight, P. H. Skidmore, H. B. Smith, John D. Bolan, Annie M. Sherman, Reba J. Lockwood, Bella Judson, Sylvester Beers.

The first regular meeting was held May 14, 1869, with the following officers: W. W. Perkins, W. C. T. ; Julia H. Towle, W. V. T .; Rev. F. W. Lockwood, W. Chap .; Charles M. Parsons, W. Sec .; Mrs. O. P. Gately, W. A. S .; Silas N. Beers, W. T. S .; Sarah N. Beers, W. T .; Ezra J. Hall, W. M .; Julia S. Gibson, W. D. M .; Eva E. May, W. I. G .; George R. Couch, W. O. G .; Emily A. Sanford, W. R. H. S .; Cornelia M. Tucker, W. L. H. S .; Charles E. Jones, P. W. C. T. Since the lodge was instituted two hundred and fifty members have been enrolled. Among the fruits of its efforts are three lodges of juvenile Temples,-Alpha, No. 1, being the first lodge of juvenile templars instituted in the State, and located at Sandy Hook; Olive Branch, No. 14, at Newtown, South Centre District, and Myrtle, No. 26, at Newtown, North Centre District.

Alpha Juvenile Temple, No. 1, was instituted Marclı 6, 1871. The charter members were Curtis P. Gately, Ada J. Leland, William H. Perkins, Julia H. Gibson, Olive P. Gately, Sadie D. Gately.

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 115

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1572

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572