USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Stamford > History of Stamford, Connecticut : from its settlement in 1641, to the present time, including Darien, which was one of its parishes until 1820 > Part 26
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Dr. Todd continued in the rectorship of the parish until his
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
death, June 22, 1861 ; and his assistant, Mr. Mitchell, was insti- tuted rector Nov. 13, 1861. Under his rectorship the church was increasingly prosperous. He was assisted by Rev. F. W. Braithwaite. On the resignation of Mr. Mitchell, in 1866, Rev. William Tatlock entered on the rectorship, Aug. 30, 1866. He is assisted by the Rev. Joseph W. Hyde. The continued prosperity of the parish is evinced by the building of Emman- uel Church, at Shinoh, in 1867, to meet the wants of the north- east part of the parish.
The following is the list of the clergy who have officiated in this parish, as far as the records of the church and contempo- raneous history have furnished their names :
JAMES WETMORE, 1735-1741.
HENRY CANER, 1744-1747.
EBENEZER DIBBLE, D. D., 1747-1799. (See later biography.)
CALVIN WHITE, 1798.
J. H. REYNOLDS, S. WHEATON, and AMMI ROGEIS, the latter of whom was degraded from the ministry, by Bishop Jarvis, in 1804.
JONATHAN JUDD, instituted rector October 10, 1810, and resigned in 1822. BENNET GLOVER.
AMBROSE TODD, D. D. (Seo later biography.)
WALTER MITCHELL, instituted rector Nov. 13, 1861, and resigned Feb. 4, 1866.
WILLIAM TATLOCK, instituted rector, August 30, 1866.
ST. LUKE'S, DARIEN. - The Rev. W. II. C. Robertson, an English gentleman, commenced preaching in 1854, in the chapel which was more recently used by the Presbyterian Church. In August, 1855, the Episcopal parish was regularly organized. James E. Johnson was chosen senior, and Ira Sco- field, junior Warden. John W. Waterbury, Edward A. Weed, and Isaac H. Clock, were appointed Vestrymen. The corner- stone of the present church was laid August 11, 1855, by the Rev. Dr. Todd, of Stamford, to whose jurisdiction this part of Darien had previously belonged. It was consecrated by Bishop Williams, March 27, 1863.
The rectors of St. Luke's have been :
W. H. C. ROBERTSON, from the organization of the parish, in 1855.
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SEPARATE CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.
GEORGE D. JOIN SON, instituted September, 186t.
LOUIS H. FRENCH, August 2, 1863, the present incumbent.
ST. ANDREW'S CHAPEL. - The corner-stone of this chapel, between Washington avenue and Northfield street, was laid May 14, 1860, and the house was finished and consecrated May 8, 1861. The persons who have officiated at this chapel have been THOMAS W. PUNNETT, who, in November, 1861, accepted the rectorship of St. Paul's Church, Staten Island, and ARTHUR MASON, NATHANIEL E. WHITING, and F. WIND- SOR BRATHWAITE, who was ordained deacon in St. Andrew's Chapel June 17, 1862, and ordained priest June 17, 1865. About the same time, St. Andrew's was organized into an in- dependent parish, and Mr. Brathwaite was called to be rector. This is a free church.
EMMANUEL CHURCH, SHINOH. - The corner-stone of this church was laid June 29, 1867. This neat, Gothic structure, of stone, was built by the Missionary and Benevolent Society of St. John's, as a chapel of the parish church. It stands on the New Hope road, about three miles from the village; and religious services are held here by the rector of St. John's and his assistant.
BAPTIST CHURCHES.
The records of the Baptist Church and society are preserved much more fully than those of the other denominations in town. The first item of information respecting the Baptists is a state- ment made in 1769, by Ebenezer Ferris. He had united with the Congregational Church, here, with his wife, Abigail, Feb. 12, 1769, and by Oct. 27th, of the same year, he had become so far convinced of the invalidity of his baptism as to seek immer- sion, at the hands of Elder Gano, of New York city. His own statement of the change is as follows:
" Having been some time exercised in mind, in disputes upon religions subjects, searching the Scriptares, for understanding, and becoming con- vinced that the Baptist, in their practice, are agreeable to the order of the gospel, (I) made application to the Baptist Church in New York, under the pastoral care of Elder Gano. Desiring to unite with them in the privi- leges of the gospel, after being examined, they manifested their freedom. Was baptized Oct. 27, 1769, and received into church fellowship.'
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
From the same records we learn that Elder Gano, in April, 1770, preached here, and baptized Nathan Scofield and John Ferris, of Stanwich, the former having been a member of the Congregational Church from the settlement of Dr. Welles, in 1647. In June he came again, and baptized Nehemiah Brown and David Wilson, of Horseneck, and Moses Reynolds, of Stanwich.
In the following March, 1770-1, the persons above-named, as being baptized " with Moses Fountain, a Baptist, who lately came to this place, having joined the church of New York, our number seven was by said church considered as a branch of the same, residing in Stamford; and to have the privilege of having ordinances of the gospel administered here by the Elder Gano, and to receive into church fellowship such persons as should be judged meet subjects by this brauch and the Elder."
It was further provided that Mr. Gano should preach here once a month, for six months ; upon which the branch "agreed to meet statedly on Lord's-day, for public worship, at the house of Moses Fountain. Begun first, in April, 1771."
The following persons were baptized during this year: Oli- ver Sherwood, of Horseneck ; James Winchel Elizabeth Davis, Hannah Ferris, Rebecca Reynolds, of Stanwich; Elizabeth Rowel, of Ilorseneck; Mindal Smith, of Bedford; William Brundage, and Nathan Sutton, of Horseneck-making the number, at the end of 1771, sixteen.
In July of this year Ebenezer Ferris had been chosen deacon. The record states that of the above persons Mindal Smith had been previously baptized.
The Congregational Church records of 1772, have this vote in them, the first allusion to the existence of the Baptists which these records contain: "Samuel Youngs shall be exempted from paying society rates as long as he continues in thi society, a Seventh Day Baptist."
Another vote of the Congregational Society, Dec. 27, 1773, is worthy of preservation. It abates the society rates for the
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year 1771 of the following Baptists : Moses Fountain, Nathan Scofield, Ebenezer Ferris, Nathan Scofield, Jr., Daniel Scofield, Samuel Clason, Joshua June, and the widow Sarah Mead. At the same time they abate the rates of 1772, of the following ad- ditional names : Joseph Webb, Jr., Daniel Turney, Stephen . Longwell, Peter Mead, Jesse Smith, and John Lockwood, Jr.
The above names are probably all which constituted the pio- neers in the Baptist movement in this place.
Deacon Ferris purchased a piece of land, in October, 1771, for a church site, for which he paid £4 10s., York money ; and on this site the frame of the first Baptist church this side of New York was raised, June 11, 1772. The same frame stands on the same lot, in the Bangall district, to this day. It is the only surviving representative in town of the almost universal type of the "Lord's house " which prevailed in New England a hundred and fifty years ago.
On the 6th of November, 1773, those Baptists who were liv- ing in this vicinity were organized into a separate church, El- der Gano being present, and giving them "the right hand of fellowship." The list of the new church numbered twenty-one names. They are Ebenezer Ferris, Ezariah Winchel, Nathan Scofield, John Ferris, Nehemiah Brown, Sylvenus Reynolds, Gabriel Higgins, Joseph Webb, Jonathan Whelpley, Moses Reynolds, John Higgins, Elizabeth Brown, Mindal Smith, Han- nah Ferris, Rebecca Reynolds, Mary Reynolds, Elizabeth Da- vis, Mary Miller, Sarah Higgins, Esther Smith, and Hannah Tyler.
The ministers who labored here for the next ten years were Elder Coles, 1773; Thomas Ustic, 1775; President Manning, of Providence, 1775, and Robert Morris. Mr. Morris had been licensed by the church to preach, in 1776, but he became loose in his doctrinal views, and in 1780 his license was withdrawn, and he was excommunicated. In October, of this year, Elka- nah Holmes, of Nine Partners, came here and took the charge. His family followed him the next spring, and he continued here until October, 1784. Mr. Ferris, who had well discharged the
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
office of a deacon, was also thought worthy of the ministerial office, and accordingly, in October, 1783, he was licensed to preach, and on the 3d of the next July he was ordained formal- ly to the work of the gospel ministry.
The Baptist Church seemed from the first to prosper. It established branches in the lower part of the town, in Salem, Bedford, Yorktown, and Sing Sing, N. Y. In December, 1784, they dismissed twenty-five of their members, to constitute the church of Salem, N. Y., and Elder Holmes was transferred to the charge of that new church. Elder Ferris remained in charge of the Stamford church for the rest of his life.
In 1787 they dismissed seventeen, to constitute the Baptist Church of Bedford, N. Y. In October, 1788, they dismissed thurty-two, to constitute the Church of Courtland Manor, N. Y., and in 1790 they dismissed thirty-four, to be organized into the Church of Mount Pleasant (Sing Sing), N. Y. The records show that after these several dismissions there still remained on the list of the Stamford church thirty-nine communicants.
The Baptists in the lower part of the town becoming more numerous, demanded a place of worship nearer than the one on Fort Hill, and accordingly, on the 24th of June, 1790, they raised the second Baptist house of the town, on the lot on River street, a few rods south of the bridge. This house- similar in form to that on Fort Hill-gave way, in 1856, to a neat church, and this, in 1860, on the completion of the present elegant house on the corner of Broad and Atlantic streets, was converted into the block now overlooking our village pond.
In June, 1791, the Stamford parish being so large, and the work in the vicinity so burdensome, Marmaduke Earl, who was a licensed preacher at Scott's Plains, was invited to come to the assistance of Mr. Ferris. He removed to Stamford the next month, and entered upon his labors. In February, of the next year, Mr. Earl made a formal proposition to the church, if they wished him to remain another year, to provide for him a home, by fitting up the parsonage, and allowing him forty pounds a year, with the privilege of teaching school. This
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SEPARATE CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.
proposal the church and society accepted. Before the year had closed Mr. Earl had taken exceptions to the action of the church upon doctrinal points, and a long and spirited contest com- menced.
Mr. Ferris, who was, to the last, sustained by the church, commenced his labors in the new building on River street, in 1792, and the old church on Fort Hill was for a while held by the opposition, and was finally, in 1806, transferred to the Long Ridge Baptists, and became the Second Baptist Church of Stamford.
There have been from this church five members licensed to preach, four of whom were afterwards ordained to the work of the ministry. They were Robert Morris, who, being licensed in 1776, soon proved himself unworthy of the trust, and his li- cense was withdrawn ; Ebenezer Ferris, Greenleaf S. Webb, Frederick Smith, and Henry Little.
The following record we preserve here, as too illustrative of the devotion of a member of this church, and of the wants of the earlier age to which it belongs, to be lost :
"Oct. 8, 1797. Died, at Norwalk, Sybil Whitehead, aged 116, as pub- lished in the public prints, a member of this church, baptized and added, Oct. 5, 1780, which must have been in the 99th year of her age. She lived at Norwalk, where she taught a school, and for years frequently attended public worship with the church in this place, which was thirteen miles dis- tance. Came on Saturday and returned on Monday, horseback. The last time she came was May, 1789. She came nine miles on foot, and returned on foot, in the 99th year of her age-said person having never been mar- ried.
FREDERIC SMITH, Cleik."
The ministers of this church who have officiated since Mr. EARL's co-pastorship with Mr. Ferris have been :
FFEDERICK SMITH, co-pastor, from Angust, 1807, to February, 1817.
GREENLEAF S. WEBD, co-pastor, from June, 1816, to April, 1821.
JOHN ELLIS, pastor, from December, 1822, to October, 1836. WILLIAM BIDDLE, from October, 1836, to January, 1839. JAMES M. STICKNEY, from April, 1839, to April, 1842
ADDISON PARKER, from April, 1843, to April, 1845.
HENEY H. ROUSE, from November, 1845, to April, 1848. JAMES HEPBURN.
J H. PARKS, to the union of this and the Bethesda Church,
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
In 1848, the Bethesda Baptist Church was organized, by sixty-two members from the First Church. They built on the corner of Atlantic and Cottage streets, where they continued a separate organization until the two were happily re-united in 1858.
On the organization of the Bethesda Church, in 1848, Mr. Rouse became the pastor of the new church, where he continued to officiate until January, 1857.
ALANSON II. Briss, succeeded him, and remained until the re- union of the two churches, in October, 1858.
At the union of these two village churches, disposing of the two lots and church buildings which they owned, they pur- chased a lot on the corner of Broad and Atlantie streets, and erected the elegant brick structure which now stands there. Its corner-stone was laid in August, 1859, and the house was dedicated.
Its two pastors have been PHILIP S. EVANS, installed in Nov., 1858, and resigned in 1865, and EDWARD LATHROP, D. D., who was installed Feb. 22, 1666.
METHODIST CHURCHES.
MAIN STREET .- There seems to have been no record of the early Methodist movement in this vicinity, and it is doubtful whether any was made for several years after this denomination began its labors here. The earliest records, now existing, are those begun in 1830, by Rev. Daniel De Vinne, who was then stationed here. He introduces his records with a historical sketch, from which I take the following statement :
"The first regular society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in this town, was formed about the year 1788. What circum- stance led our ministers to this place, who was the first preach- er, or who formed the first class, cannot at present be ascer- tained. But it is most probable that it was the Rev. SAMUEL Q. TALBOT OF PETER MORIARTY, who traveled on the New Ro- chelle cireuit. The next year, 1789, the Rev. JESSE LEE and ANDREW VAN NOSTRAND were appointed to Standford circuit. On their arrival at this place they found kindred spirits, who
LOSSING-BARRITT
BAPTIST CHURCH, CORNER OF ATLANTIC AND BROAD STREETS.
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SEPARATE CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.
had drunk at the same fountain with themselves. Sister Elsie Scofield, who is now (1830) living, had been awakened by his ministry in this village, at the house of Mr. Gurnsey, some years previous to 1791, the time at which she joined the infant socie- ty in this place. Mrs. Martha Reed, who had been awakened by the ministry of the Rev. Freeborn Garretson, in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, settled in this village in 1790. Immediately on her arrival she attached herself to the class, which consisted of about twelve, over which one Enos Weed was placed as leader. The stated meetings were held at the house of a Mr. Lockwood, now owned by Mrs. Smith, near the present Methodist Episco- pal Church; and the preachers were entertained by General Waterbury, near the harbor, whose wife and sister were mem- bers.
Mr. Isaac Reel, who, during the Revolutionary war, had become a Christian, joined the church, at the same time, with his wife, and invited the congregation and ministers to hold their public meetings in his house. In this place the ark of Methodism rested for nineteen years; and this excellent family subjected themselves, during all this time, to the inconvenience of accommodating, almost weekly, meetings, supporting the preachers and their horses, and also furnishing more than their quota of traveling expenses.
After frequent petitions, the town, which was at that time under the influence of the Congregational order, granted to the " Fanatics " a place-a mud-hole-on the commons, on which to build a church. About 1813 the church was finished and dedicated, and six years after was cleared of debt."
Such, probably, was the origin of this enterprising denomi- nation of Christians in this village. Our town records show that the selectmen were empowered, Feb. 17, 1814, "to give a lease, for ninety-nine years, to the trustees of the Methodist Society, of a spot of ground near the dwelling-house of Fred. Hoyt, on the west side of the old burying-ground, for the pur- pose of erecting a meeting-house." This must have been the " mud-hole " referred to in the preceding statement. It was a little to the east of the present site of the Methodist church on the park; and the frame of that first church still stands on River street, the second house from the corner of Park place.
The only names on the record of this church for thirty years
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
are the following : Martha Reed, Elsy Scofield, Lanney Garn- sey, Jonathan Brown, Ezra Garnsey, John Thompson, William Waterbury, Lois Waterbury, Hannah Brown, Richard Scofield, Hephzibah Scofield, Joseph Selleck, Phebe Selleck, Solomon Smith, Polly Smith, Isaac Wardwell, Jane Weeks, Mary Trowbridge, Joanna Augusta Devinne, Nancy H. Lockwood, James H. Trowbridge, Phebe Adams, Nancy Knapp, and Mar- garet Valentine.
From such beginning, so recently made, to quote from the records of the movement, the Methodist "Cion continued to grow, notwithstanding the shade of public sentiment and the rude attempts of the bulls of Bashan to devour it."
The second Methodist church built in the village was finished and dedicated Oct. 12, 1843. It stood north-west of the first house, where it was used by the society until 1859. It still occupies mainly the same ground, on the corner of River street and Park place, having been turned round and converted into tenements.
The present Methodist church was dedicated Feb. 16, 1859. This denomination has made very rapid progress, as our notice of several congregations in town will indicate. Yet its growth was not very marked until about 1855, since which its progress has probably had no parallel among our congregations.
The following list of the ministers of this denomination who have been located in Stamford, embraces all whose names have been recovered, with the dates of entering upon their labors here :
1788. S. Q Talbot and P. Moriarty.
1789. Jesse Lee and Andrew Van Nostrand.
1790. Freborn Garretson. 1812, Samuel Luckey.
1813. Tho nas Drummond and Benj. Griffin.
1814. Phineas Rice and Benj. Griffin.
1815. Coles Carpenter and Theodosins Clark,
1816. Theodosins Clark and Aaron Hunt.
1817. John Reynolds, two years.
1810. John M. Smith and Samuel D. Furguson,
1820. Elisha P. Jacob and John M. Smith.
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SEPARATE CHURCHI ORGANIZATIONS.
1821. John B. Matthias, two years.
1822. Eli Denniston, two years. 1823. Jarvis Z. Nichols.
1824. Nathaniel Porter and Noble W. Thomas, two years. 1825. Cyrus Foss.
1826. Elijah Woolsey, two years, and Luman Andrews.
1827. Samuel U. Fisher, two years.
1828. Daniel De Vinne, two years. 1829. Edward Oldren.
1830. Samuel Corcoran and Daniel I. Wright, two years.
1831. Henry Hatfield, two years. 1832. John Lovejoy.
1833. E. Hibbard, Abraham S. Francis, and Geo. Brown.
1834. Oliver V. Ammerman and Charles Stearns.
1835. Richard Seaman and Zachariah Davenport. 1836. A. S. Hill, two years, and D. B. Ostrander, Jr.
1837. Wm. Gothard, two years. 1838. Edward Oldren, two years.
1839. S. J. Stebbins, two years. 1840. John Tackerbury.
1842. George Brown. 1844, Peter C. Oakley.
1846. Aaron Rodgers. 1850. Friend W. Smith.
1852. Albert Nash. 1854. Samuel Smith.
1856. George Dunbar. 1858. Robert M. Hatfield, D. D.
1860. L. S. Weed, D. D. 1862. Thomas Bureb, D. D.
1861. E. G. Andrews, D. D. 1867. Wm. C. Stecle.
HIGHRIDGE .- From the historieal sketch, drawn up by Mr. De Vinne, in 1830, we learn that this organization, then ealled the Duntown Church, is the oldest Methodist church on the Stamford circuit. We learn, also, that the Stamford eircuit is the oldest eireuit in New England. It appears that one Henry Eames, who had been converted under Wesley's preaching, in Ireland, came to this country and settled in the south part of Poundridge. He soon gathered about him a number "of the sons, in the gospel, of his spiritual Father, and invited them to his house." These became the nucleus of a church and society.
Some time in the year 1787, the Rev. Samuel Q. Talbot, sta- tioned on New Rochelle eircuit, came to these neglected parts, preached in several places, and formed several in a class, some of whom remain to this day " (1830).
The first house of worship built by this society stood just across the Stamford line, in Poundridge, where the ehnreh held their meetings until 1841, when the present chapel was built or them on Highridge. The only two names now on the ree-
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
ords of the Dantown church, for the year 1787, are Samuel and Ruhamah Dann. In 1797 these two are added: Sarah Selleck and Hannah Deforest; and in 1799 these four: John Slanson, Rhoda Slauson, Enoch Stevens, and Ruhamah Bishop.
It will appear from these records that we had organized here a Methodist church, enjoying the ordinances of the gospel at least two years before the time when, according to Dr. Bangs, "the first seeds of Methodism were sown in Connecticut." This church was earlier by two years than that society in Strat- ford which is called the first in Connecticut, consisting of three women, and which was formed Sept. 26, 1789.
The Stamford circuit was already organized before 1790, the year in which the three circuits of New Haven, Hartford and Litchfield were established; and when, according to the " Con- tributions to the Ecclesiastical History of Connecticut," there were but four Methodist ministers in New England. The min- isters of this church have been the same as those who have officiated at Hunting ridge and Poundridge.
DARIEN .- That there were meetings of this denomination in Darien as early as 1788 is testified by the certificates of that date, which Samuel Quinton Talbott gave to Joseph Waring, Jr., Gershom Raymond, and Edward Raymond. Cornelius Cook also gives similar certificates, in the same year, to Ezra Slason and Jesse Waring. These certificates testify that the five gentlemen above-named were considered as "members of the Methodist congregation." During the next six years the following ministers give similar certificates to relieve the bear- ers from the legal obligation to pay their ministerial rates to the Congregational treasurer: Jesse Lce, Daniel Smith, and John Clark, and the number of such certificates is ninc.
LONGRIDGE .- My account of this church is also taken from the records of the Stamford circuit, as made out in 1830, by Mr. De Vinne: "About the year 1809, Mrs. Phebe Mcad moved into this neighborhood, and finding no religious meet- ings, invited the Methodist ministers to come and preach at
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SEPARATE CHURCHI ORGANIZATIONS.
her house. The first who accepted the invitation and preached was Daniel Welpley, a local preacher. Some time after him the Rev. Eben Smith occasionally visited the place and preached.
When the Rev. John Reynolds was appointed to this circuit, he preached here some time statedly, although it was even to a single family. About the year 1819, when the Rev. John M. Smith traveled, the preaching was moved to the school-house, in which place it has continued ever since; " that is, until 1830.
BANGALL CHAPEL .- This chapel was built before 1834, and is supplied with preaching by such ministers of this denomination as are living in the vicinity.
HUNTING RIDGE .- This chapel, making the sixth place of worship for this denomination within the territory of the an- cient Stamford, was built in 1850, the Rev. Walter W. Brewer having previously labored successfully for two years in gather- ing a congregation on the Ridge. Mr. Brewer subsequently made the Ridge his home, where he died, in 1868, much es- teemed for his piety and usefulness. Since then, the following ministers have been stationed here, the most of them for two years each : MILES OLMSTEAD, JOSEPHI HEUTON, JOHN A. SIL- LECK, HARVEY HUSTED, T. D. LITTLEWOOD, WILLIAM CRAW- FORD, WILLIAM ROSS, - MONSON, and - MAGUIRE.
UNIVERSALISTS.
LONGRIDGE SOCIETY .- For the following facts, respecting this society, I am indebted to Rev. Eber Francis, formerly of this town :
During the Revolutionary war, Richard Sibley, a Universal- ist, came from Long Island and settled on Longridge; and, so far, as is known, he was the first resident who openly avowed Universalist sentiments in the town. Solomon Glover, of New- town, Connecticut, a few years later, came down occasionally, and preached in the school-house on the Ridge. Mr. Ferris, Mr. Dykeman, Mr. Babbitt, and Thos. F. King were successive- ly employed, as preachers on the circuit to which Longridge
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