USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 23
USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 23
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The old burial place was set aside, in conformity with the English custom, to inter the dead on ground contiguous to the church. It was never attractive, and for many years it was surrounded by a board fence, painted a dingy red color. After the new place of burial was opened its use was gradually discontinued, the last interment there being made in October, 1812, being the remains of Mrs. Martha Whittlesey, who was buried by the side of her husband, the Reverend Chauncey Whittlesey. Both lie in the crypt of the church, which was properly improved by the society. In the same place lie the remains of Jared Ingersoll, who died August 25th, 1781, at the age of 60 years. He was a judge of the court of vice-admiralty, in the Middle district of America. Reverends James Pierpont and Joseph Noyes rest at the same place. The Center church covers the tombstones of about 140 persons, whose names have been inscribed on the tablets placed in the vestibule. In the rear of the church the tombstone of the regicide Judge Dixwell has been preserved, and a monument has been placed over his grave in more recent years. Aside from these, more than eight hundred tombstones were removed to the Grove Street cemetery, where they have been arranged in alphabetical order, against the north and the west enclosures. The oldest one is that of Samuel Hod- shon, died August 26th, 1673, aged nine years. He was a son of John Hodshon, whose estate after his death. in 1690, was one of the largest that had been probated in the colony.
It is claimed for the Grove Street cemetery that it was the first on the globe which was regularly laid out into family lots, walks and driveways. The honor of originating it and of carrying out the plan after the enterprise was begun belongs to James Hillhouse, one of the
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
most public spirited of New Haven's citizens in the last century. Moved by a proper desire, as he expressed it, " to secure to his own and the families of his fellow citizens a sacred and inviolate burial place," he and 32 others were incorporated, in October, 1797, as the " Proprietors of the New Burying Ground in New Haven." Each of these persons agreed to purchase a family lot, and thus a popular interest was awakened in the cemetery: but for many years Mr. Hill- house had the sole management of affairs, and his efforts placed it upon a permanent basis. To the original tract of ten acres nearly eight more were added in 1814, and the whole area has been substan- tially inclosed. At the main entrance a fine gateway has been erected, upon which are cut the words:
" THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED."
Martha Townsend, who died November 9th, 1797, was the first person here buried. The cemetery is distinguished for the number of graves of notable persons it contains. Here repose statesmen, scholars, inventors and men honored as soldiers and sailors. The great invent- ors, Eli Whitney, S. F. B. Morse and Charles Goodyear are all buried here. The monument of the latter is inscribed plainly:
" CHARLES GOODYEAR, INVENTOR,
Born in New Haven, Dec. 29, 1800; Died in New York, July 1, 1860."
Here are the graves of General David Humphreys, of the revolu- tion, and General Alfred H. Terry and other brave and honored sol- diers of the war for the Union. Here peacefully sleep Admirals Foote and Gregory; those eminent ministers, Lyman Beecher and Leonard Bacon: the learned Professor Silliman and the beloved lexicographer. Doctor Noah Webster. It is doubtful whether any other similar enclosure in this country contains so many graves of the great and the good as does the humble Grove Street Cemetery.
In the course of fifty years but few vacant family lots remained in the above cemetery, when, to meet the increasing demand, Evergreen Cemetery was opened in the western part of the city by an association incorporated for that purpose, which took the present name October 19th, 1848. A little more than a month later the first interment took place: Lewis Fisk, aged 41 years, who died November 29th, 1848, being buried on Lot No. 50, on Myrtle avenue. The cemetery was formally dedicated June 29th, 1849, and has since been largely patronized. To the original area of thirteen acres additions were made in 1856 and since, until the cemetery embraces fifty acres. It is well located. finely laid out, and contains many handsome monuments. Among these is a soldiers' monument, erected in 1870 by the state to the memory of the 204 United States soldiers who died in Knight Hos- pital, 1862-5, and were buried in these grounds. A fine firemen's
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
monument was erected in 1877, by the New Haven Firemen's Benev- olent Association; and about the same time the Odd Fellows put up a handsome granite monument near the main entrance. Among the private monuments that of the Anderson family attracts attention by the beauty of the design and the elegance of its construction. An archway of red sandstone was built at the main entrance in 1873.
North of Evergreen Cemetery is the newly located Maple Dale Cemetery. It has a good location and being well improved for occu- pancy will, no doubt, soon become a popular place for burial.
A mile or more still further north is the cemetery at Westville, whose area has lately been increased to accommodate those wishing to make interment at that place. Near by is a small Jewish place of burial. At Fair Haven are several grave yards which are used by the people of that part of the town, and are also becoming numerously tenanted.
St. Bernard's Cemetery, in the southwestern part of the city, was the first large place of burial for the Roman Catholics of the town; but the first interments were made where is now St. John's church (R. C.). A very large and finely located cemetery, on the west side of West river, for the use of Catholics, was consecrated in the fall of 1890, as St. Lawrence's Cemetery.
FAIR HAVEN is the name applied to that part of the town and city of New Haven lying on both sides of the Quinnipiac river, about two miles east of New Haven green. The part on the east side was in the town of East Haven until its annexation to New Haven in 1881. It is usually called Fair Haven East; the western part is called Fair Haven, in the city, or Fair Haven West. The two sections are united by three fine bridges, the upper one, or Grand avenue bridge, 427 feet long, 50 feet wide and standing on seven piers. It cost $29,000. It is used for the tracks of the street railway, extending from this place through the city to Westville. The lower bridge is called Tom- linson's, from the name of one of the builders. The middle bridge is at Red Rock, at the site of the ferry used before the era of bridges. It was built in recent years. The two sections of Fair Haven have more than five thousand inhabitants. There are half a dozen churches and several very fine school buildings.
At the time of the settlement of the country this locality was called Dragon or Dragon Point, from the following circumstance: On the east side of the river, about forty rods below the bridge, was a sandy strip of shore, upon which seals were wont to disport them- selves. As the settlers had never before seen seals, they were led to think, judging from the Bible description, that they were dragons, hence the name of the point.
Although pleasantly and advantageously located, the growth of Fair Haven was slow for more than two centuries, when the place partook of the growth of New Haven city. Since then it has increased in population and wealth.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
The following interesting reminiscences of this locality were given by Captain Hezekiah Tuttle to Captain C. H. Townsend, from whose writings they are extracted for these pages. Captain Tuttle was born at Fair Haven in 1811, and his remembrance of the place was distinct back to 1820:
" At that time Fair Haven bridge, the old structure on East Grand street, succeeded by the present iron bridge, had a draw in it, or a part of it was so arranged that it could be taken up for vessels to pass, as they did in the war of 1812 to be got out of danger of the enemy's cruisers on the Sound, which would run into our small harbors and destroy shipping and other property within easy reach. The Barnesville bridge was not then built, and frequently has he forded the river there on the ice or waded it on his way to the North church on the Green in New Haven, where most of the Fair Haven ( West) people attended meeting. The Fair Haven (East) people gen- erally attended meeting at East Haven at the 'stone meeting house.' He says the old Ferry road from Neck bridge to Pardee Ferry existed in his day only in part, from Grand street near the New Haven horse car depot, northwest to Neck bridge, through State street or Neck Lane, and that was the only road to town from Fair Haven bridge. There were about this time only very few houses on the west side, and these were situated along the river under the hill. Also all that part of Fair Haven (West) south of the New Haven and Hart- ford railroad was an open common and belonged to the Hillhouse and Everitt families. There was a row of Lombardy poplars on the Hill- house property, south end of the neck which ran westward from Jerard Sanford's line to Mill river. The burying ground had just been fenced in and contained about two acres. The first burial there was Stephen Bunnell, a child, and the second was Captain Tuttle's little brother Charles, aged 4 years. The names of the Fair Haven (West ) residents and their houses, as our informant remembers them, were as follows: Jerard Sanford, father of Captain Titus Sanford, next a red house and now standing north of the west end of Quinnipiac bridge; the Allen house, where Edward Hall's house now stands; Amos Luddington's, now Levi Luddington's, near Rhody Allen's. At the south corner of Exchange street, where the butcher's shop is, was the Grannis house ; also at the north corner and along this street to the Methodist church corner, north side, half way up the hill, was Robert Talmage's; on same side, top of hill, Stephen Bunnell's, and on the corner Lydia Barnes', and opposite, on west corner, in a red house, lived Solomon Johnson. In the next house north of the Gran- nis house, on South Front street, lived Seth Barnes; then came the house of Levi Tuttle, father of Captain Tuttle; next the old Ball house, where the Barnett house now is.
"There was on the King Hotel corner an old house bought of the Grannis family by Herman Hotchkiss, father of Horace R. Hotchkiss,
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
who moved it when the hotel was built upon the Common west of the Methodist church; and Nathaniel Dayton lived in it. On the north side of Grand street was the tavern known later as Finch's tavern and built by Mr. John Rowe. Opposite toward the bridge was a store kept by Elijah and John Rowe. Next north of the tavern, on the west side of the road, was Isaac Mallory's, and next was Levi Grannis', the farthest house north. Toward New Haven and west of Finch's tavern were only two houses, Elophus Gillett's and Captain Everitt's, where Mrs. O. E. Maltby's fine residence is. The stone house belonging to the Maltby family, is not an old house, having been built since Barnes- ville bridge, about 1825.
" We come now to the Fair Haven East section. The location of the houses on the road which leads from East Haven north toward North Haven was, first, the Pardee house of the Revolution, plundered of its silver by the British under Tryon, July 4-5, 1779, and now owned by William B. Goodyear, Esq. Then came old Jacob Mallory's house on the site of Townsend Bros.' ship yard property. Amos Brown's was a few rods up the hill on the street that runs up the hill from Capt. Caleb Ludington's. Next was Isaac Moulthrop's above Kim- berly's blacksmith shop. Then came the Mallory house where Hem- ingway's corner store is. All these were on the west side of the road and south of the bridge except the Brown house on the hill. Toward the bridge, south side, was a shoemaker's shop. On the north corner, and where the store of Mr. Lucius Rowe is, was the Hotchkiss tavern, and this property, from the street towards the bridge to low water mark into the river, was owned, as decided by the court, and belonged to Horace R. and Samuel Hotchkiss, while the same distance to low water mark in the river, south side, belonged to Wyllys and Willett Hemingway, Harry and Levi Rowe. These parties occupied the flats to low water mark with their buildings, now standing.
" In the next house north of the Hotchkiss tavern and west side of the street, Annoni Mallory lived. Then came Will Bradley's, north of Brown's brook. On the south corner of the road that leads north- east to Matthew Rowe's, the Russell farm, lived Capt. Isaac Brown, and on the north corner Ezra Rowe. Opposite on the west side was Levi Rowe and John Rowe, where Mr. Barney Rowe now lives; then came James Mallory, father of Captain Jerard Mallory, and on north- ward half a mile on the Davenport farm was the (red) Goodsell house and the two Davenport houses, one of which, the residence of the late David Bradley, is now standing, and over under Hemingway mountain lived Enos Hemingway, father of the late Judge Willett and Colonel Wyllys (twins) Hemingway.
"Capt Tuttle says the first cargo of oysters brought from Virginia to Fair Haven was in the schooner . John,' Capt. Elophus Gillett, his uncle. They were taken from the Nancy Munn bed in James river, and were laid down above and below the bridge on the flats, east side.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
The Quinnipiac and Newark rivers were sixty years ago the only place north of the Cape of Virginia where oysters grew naturally. The first cargo of oysters planted in Morris Cove was brought to New Haven in the schooner 'Mary and Martha,' Captain Abijah Moulthrop Munson, of Fair Haven (East), in the year 1834. The schooner was of 83 tons burthen and built on the east shore of Maryland, and was owned by William K. Townsend, Daniel Smith and others. This cargo of 1,600 bushels of fishing oysters arrived in April, 1834, and was laid down opposite the Morris wharf for fall use."
After the late civil war oyster planting received a new impetus, about 400,000 bushels being brought here in one year. Large quan- tities of oysters were planted, and after their growth Fair Haven became a great oyster distributing center. Many men were employed in this industry, which included the manufacture of kegs for shipping. etc. Less firms are engaged in this business than formerly, but the interest is still the most important in the village. Vessel building was at one time a great industry, a marine railway also being main- tained in that business. On the east side are wire mills and large chemical works, but the most of the inhabitants find occupation in New Haven city, of which this is the principal suburb.
Fair Haven East was incorporated as a borough by the May, 1872, legislature, with bounds one and a half miles long, on the east side of the river, and about one mile wide. Previous to this the Fair Haven East Fire Association had been created by legislative enact- ment, and by the latter a fire department was established and equipped. This department is also controlled by borough authority and a fair measure of protection against fires has been secured. Water is sup- plied by the New Haven Water Company, and twelve public hydrants are in service. In its police and sanitary arrangements the borough has also been greatly improved. The affairs of the corporation are carried on at a yearly expense of about $3,500.
The following have been the wardens of the borough: 1872 3. E. Edwin Hall: 1874-9, Daniel W. Shares; 1880, W. Hemingway: 1881-5. Horace A. Strong; 1886, Wyllis Hemingway; 1887, William A. Wright. The clerk since 1876 has been Charles E. Bray.
Fair Haven's distinct religious history dates from the great revival in 1808, when 38 of its inhabitants were received into neighboring churches. The revivals of 1816 and 1821 added to the number, and Deacon Amos Townsend established a Sabbath school. The organi- zation of the First Congregational church soon followed, June 23d. 1830, on which day its meeting house was dedicated. Fifty-three per- sons were enrolled as constituent members, thirty having formerly belonged to the East Haven church, the remainder to the North church in New Haven. The growth of the church was so vigorous that a new house of worship was dedicated April 24th, 1854. It is a
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
fine building and has sittings for 1,400 persons. In 1852 the church contributed 119 members to the formation of the Fair Haven East church, but still has a large membership, about 500 belonging in 1890.
Reverend John Mitchell was the first pastor. 1830-6; B. L. Swan, 1836-45; Burdett Hart, 1846-60, and again 1880. The present minister is Reverend I. Lee Mitchell, colleague to Reverend Hart.
The Second Congregational Church at Fair Haven East was organ- ized March 25th, 1852, of 119 members who had withdrawn from the First church of Fair Haven. On the same day the meeting house, erected at a cost of $16,000, was dedicated as the property of the Ecclesiastical Society, organized March 23d, 1852, with nine members, but which number was subsequently increased to 150 members.
Before a pastor was secured a division took place in the society, 41 members being dismissed May 3d, 1853, to form the Third or Center Congregational church of Fair Haven. This body completed a meet- ing house, which stood on the west side of the river, and which was dedicated September 6th, 1854. The Reverend William B. Lee became the pastor of this Third church, which maintained a separate exist- ence about ten years, when it expired. Many of the remaining mem- bers now returned to the Second church, which has since greatly prospered. From 1861 to 1869 136 members were added. In 1871-2, as the result of gracious revivals, 197 persons united with the church.
About this time a new chapel was built, at a cost of $6,000. In recent years the meeting house was renovated and modernized at an outlay of $2,500; and a fine parsonage was secured for $6,500.
In July, 1890, the Fair Haven East church had 787 names on its books, and a present membership of 439. The Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor has 250 members, and the Sabbath school has an average attendance of more than 200 members. John B. Thomp- son is the superintendent.
The pastors have been: Nathaniel J. Burton, D.D., called July 20th, 1853: resigned August 30th, 1857; died October 13th, 1887. Gurdon W. Noyes, called June 30th, 1861; resigned November 8th, 1869; died April 28th, 1887. John S. C. Abbott, D.D., called April 6th, 1870; resigned May, 1874; died June 17th, 1877. Richard B. Thurston, called May 1st, 1875; resigned May 1st, 1876. Horace C. Hovey, D.D., called May, 1876; resigned October, 1883. Erastus Blakeslee, called January 21st, 1884; resigned October 11th, 1887. D. Melancthon James, called July 22d, 1888, and continues as the pastor.
The deacons have been the following: James R. Hunt, elected April 17th, 1852; died July 11th, 1857. Harvey Rowe, elected April 17th, 1852: resigned March 20th, 1853; died December 25th, 1861.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
Charles A. Bray, elected April 17th, 1853; resigned June 20th, 1879. Edwin D. Fowler, elected April 17th, 1853; died January 8th, 1885. *Lucius Rowe, elected April 18th, 1873. * Albert Rowe, elected April 16th, 1877. Henry W. Loomis, elected June 13th, 1879; declined a re-election December 28th, 1888. #Charles N. Hubbard, elected March 25th, 1881. * Jedediah O. Clogston, elected March 27th, 1885. Lewis Frisbie, elected December 28th, 1888; died April 19th, 1890.
Charles A. Bray is the church clerk; and Lucius Rowe the treasurer. The society is very prosperous and the church property has become valuable.
St. James' Church, Protestant Episcopal, Fair Haven East, was organized March 30th, 1843, at the house of James Barnes, and he and George P. Thomas were elected the first wardens. In June of the same year the parish was admitted into the diocese of Hartford. Captain Isaac Barnes donated a lot for a church, whose corner stone was laid July 8th, 1844. The following year the edifice was completed, and the church was dedicated with the above name June 17th, 1845. Previous to its occupancy the members of the parish, most of whom had belonged to Trinity church of New Haven, had called as their rector Reverend William E. Vibbert, who has since continued as the minister. At that time he was a deacon in the church, but, Novem- ber 12th, 1845, priest's orders were here given him by Bishop Brown- ell. Later the degree of D.D. was conferred on him. With one single exception (the church at Greenwich) the rectorship of Doctor Vibbert has been longer continued than that of any other minister in the state. After about 47 years he still ably serves, at the age of 76 years.
In 1854 a recessed chancel was added to the church, which was re-opened November 11th, 1854, by Bishop John Williams. In 1862 the interior of the church was remodelled, about $6,000 being spent on these two occasions.
In May, 1864, James Barnes, the senior warden up to that time, died, bequeathing his residence to the parish for a rectory. More recently the church was thoroughly remodelled and a brass pulpit and brass lecterns were supplied. Chapel accommodations were also supplied, and there are now 400 sittings.
In the parish are 140 church families and 425 individuals. The registered communicants number 198. The Sunday school has 157 members.
The Fair Haven Y. M. C. A. is a branch of the New Haven Asso- ciation, and its principal officers are Reverend D. M. James, presi- dent: Walter A. Downs, secretary. The branch has 200 contributing members and is prosperous. Meetings are held statedly, and fine association rooms are maintained. They embrace parlor, recreation,
*Deacons, 1891.
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IIISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
assembly and reading rooms, all of which are appropriately fitted up and in use since Thanksgiving day, 1890.
The East Pearl Methodist Episcopal Church originated in a class of a dozen persons, of which Ammi Mallory was the leader, in 1832. The first house of worship was dedicated January 30th, 1833, and the building being small, a larger edifice was built in 1835. The third church building was dedicated May 13th, 1873. It is a valuable property, being reported worth $40,000. There are about 500 mem- bers belonging to this church.
St. Francis' Church (Roman Catholic) on Ferry street, was begun in 1867 by Reverend P. A. Gaynor. Services were first held in the basement October 1st, 1868. The building was later completed, a fine priest's house built and near by expensive school houses were added to the already large and valuable property of the parish. This denom- ination is by far the strongest in the village.
WESTVILLE is pleasantly situated on the plain, at the base of West Rock, and on both sides of West river, about two miles from New Haven green. It contains Congregational, Episcopal, Methodist and Catholic churches, a very fine school building, erected in 1868, several large factories, stores and has about 1,500 inhabitants .. Since the completion of the street railway from New Haven, in 1861, the popu- lation has increased and some fine residences have been erected. In recent years the village has grown in favor as a suburban place to the city. On the western borders of the plain, and overlooking the village, is Donald G. Mitchell's (Ik Marvel's) lovely country seat, "Edgewood." On the north West Rock rises more than 400 feet high, and its abrupt face presents a striking appearance. " These rocks are trap and are composed of hornblende and feldspar; iron enters con- siderably into their composition: hence, during their decomposition, iron rust gradually covers the exterior of the stone, thus giving it a reddish brown appearance. It forms an excellent building stone and is extensively employed for that purpose in New Haven."# Northeast from the village, on the summit of this hill, are several large rocks, so arranged as to form a sort of a cave. Here the regicide judges, Goffe and Whalley, were sheltered while they sojourned at New Haven. "On the tallest of the boulders, at ' Judge's Cave,' from time immemorial, has been seen this line, though now mostly if not quite obliterated.
" DISOBEDIENCE TO TYRANTS IS OBEDIENCE TO GOD!"+
While here the judges were supplied with food by Richard Sperry, of Woodbridge.
This locality was long known as Thompson's Bridge, and also as Hotchkisstown, from the numerous members of that family who resided *J. W. Barber. +Henry Howe.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
here. Several of the Hotchkisses lost their lives in the revolution, at the time the British marched through here, on their attack upon New Haven. The Thompsons and Dickermans were also early residents.
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