USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > History of Waterbury and the Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 16
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Pastor, Rev. Leslie H. Perdriau; clerk, Fred Jackson; treasurer, Arthur L. Edmond ; superintendent of Sunday school, William Broughton.
BUNKER HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
The Bunker Hill Congregational Church has been in existence as a chapel and regularly organized church for twenty-five years. It was established by members of the older organizations, who felt the need of a church near their homes, in the Bunker Hill district. On June 24, 1905, it was established as a separate church and took its present name. Its first minister was Rev. Ira T. Hawk, who is now chaplain of the Iowa State Penitentiary. Rev. C. W. Fisher succeeded him and served his congregation for five years. Rev. Milton Wittler, the present pastor, succeeded him.
The membership of the church is close to two hundred and the need of a new house of worship has long been apparent. The site for this has been selected, and as soon as building conditions warrant, a fund already in existence will be used for the new edifice. It is probable that the year 1918 will see it erected and dedicated.
The officers of the church are as follows: Clerk, Eugene Rogers; deacons, Messrs. Young, Thomas and Clapp ; treasurer, William L. Platt.
ITALIAN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Largely through the efforts of its present pastor, Dr. Pasquale Codella, the Italian Congregational Church was organized December 6, 1904. Its services are held in the Second Congregational Church on Sunday afternoons. The mem- bership is now over two hundred, with over one hundred in attendance at the Sunday school. Dr. Codella, the pastor, came to America in 1901 and was ordained a Congregational minister in 1904. He was born in Calitri, Italy, July 1, 1868, and
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is a graduate of the Salerno Musical College of Italy. The officers of the church are as follows :
Clerk, Pietro Dello Russo; treasurer, Rev. Robert E. Brown, D. D .; superin- tendent of Sunday school, Mrs. Loretta Codella ; organist, Lucy Codella.
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
St. John's Episcopal Church of Waterbury, established in 1737, is the mother church of Trinity Church and of St. Paul's, Waterville, and more recently, Decem- ber 17, 1916, the organizer of All Souls' Church.
Its influence throughout its long, eventful career has not been confined to its own membership, but has been felt in every effort of community uplift which has marked the nearly two centuries of its existence. Thus, for example, through its present rector, Rev. John N. Lewis, Jr., it established the Waterbury Visiting Nurses' Association, now a distinct organization, but in its earlier days sponsored entirely by St. John's.
The present parish house on Leavenworth Street was erected in the early 'gos of the last century.
Rev. John N. Lewis, Jr., present rector, came to the church in September, 1900, as associate to the Rev. Edmund Rowland, becoming rector in August, 1901. Prior to that, he had been curate at St. George's, New York, rector of Grace Church, Honesdale, Pa., and dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington, Ky. The vicar at All Souls' Chapel is Rev. Roscoe C. Hatch. The first assistant to Rev. John N. Lewis, Jr., was the Rev. Morton A. Barnes, who left in 1905. Later assistants were Rev. Jacob Albert Biddle, Rev. Royce R. Miller, and Rev. Charles Taber Hall.
The Diocesan Convention was held in Waterbury under the auspices of the local Episcopal churches in 1897. In 1892, Rev. Dr. Rowland decided to introduce an entire male choir, the soprano and alto being carried by boys' voices, and all the choir uniformly dressed in cassock and collar. In January, 1893, the parish received from H. H. Peck the gift of a chancel organ. This organ, built by Far- rand & Votey, was placed in the north gallery with a console in front of the chan- cel, stalls being placed there for the choir. Joseph E. Bartlett, as organist, took charge of the music. He was succeeded by William H. Minor, who is still in charge.
On April 19, 1897, the church property at Waterville was formally conveyed to St. Paul's Parish.
On April 8, 1901, Doctor Rowland was formally elected Pastor Emeritus.
Nelson Jones Welton, who had been senior warden for twenty-five years, died in June, 1917. He was succeeded as senior warden by John P. Elton.
The vestrymen of St. John's are: H. B. Snow, R. G. Hannegan, W. E. Ful- ton, H. S. White, J. M. Burrall, E. O. Goss, H. H. Peck, H. L. Rowland, J. P. Kellogg, F. S. Chase, James Crompton, J. E. Kennaugh.
The other officers for 1917 are as follows: Rector, Rev. J. N. Lewis, Jr. ; clerk, Charles F. Mitchell ; treasurer, Edwin S. Hunt; secretary, Giles R. Ander- son ; senior warden, John P. Elton ; organist and choirmaster, W. H. Minor.
The Rev. Edmund Rowland, D. D., former rector of St. John's Episcopal Church and Rector Emeritus from 1901 to the date of his death, March 22, 1908, was born in Springfield, Mass., March 24, 1835, and entered Harvard with the class of 1857. He later went to Trinity, from which college he graduated. In 1882 his Alma Mater gave him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. He studied theology under Bishop Williams in the Berkeley Divinity School, and was or- dained to the priesthood in 1862 by Bishop Horatio Potter.
REV. F. D. BUCKLEY For twenty-five years rector of Trinity Church, Waterbury
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He married Miss Sarah Belknap of Hartford. He was minister in charge of the American Church in Rome for some time, later returning and becoming rector of Bethesda Church, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. He was rector in turn of St. James' Church, Goshen, N. Y., Grace Church, New Bedford, Mass., and from there went to Calvary Church, Cincinnati. He became rector of St. John's Parish, Water- bury, in 1884.
Doctor Rowland was first to suggest the formation of the Waterbury Hospital Association. He was foremost in all the great moral movements that gave Water- bury its rank among the best cities in the country.
TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Trinity Church, which was set off as a parish from St. John's Episcopal Church on Trinity Sunday, 1877, is therefore celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year. On October Ist this event was given added significance by the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary as rector of the incumbent, Rev. Frederick D. Buckley, who officiated for the first time in the pulpit of Trinity on October I, 1892. The Rev. Frederick Dashiels Buckley was born at Fishkill, N. Y., in 1855. He studied theology at the Berkeley Divinity School, was ordained dean June I, 1887, and priest March 23, 1888. He was rector of Grace Church, Stafford Springs, from 1887 to 1889, and of St. Andrew's Church, St. Johnsbury. Vt., from 1889 to 1892.
During his pastorate the church has grown in membership and has greatly increased its beneficent activities.
The parish house, which was built in 1900, was dedicated by the bishop of the diocese May 24, 1902. In that year also the present rectory, adjoining the church, was added to the church property. The old rectory on North Willow Street was the probable site of the birthplace of Rev. James Scovill, the first resident rector of the Episcopal Church in Waterbury.
On Trinity Sunday, 1907, the occasion of the church's thirtieth anniversary, an endowment fund of $10,000.00 was raised. This is now over $26,000.00.
During the summer of 1914 extensive changes were made in the church. These consisted in the construction of an organ chamber on the north side of the church and the installing of a new organ.
Sidney Webber, the present organist, assumed that position in May, 1914, and organized the first boy choir, which sang for the first time on June 7, 1914.
At the Easter meeting in 1903, Rev. Dr. Francis T. Russell, who from the inception of the parish had been closely connected with it, resigned as assistant pastor. He died in February, 1910. Rev. Dr. Richard B. Micou, the first rector of the parish, passed away in June, 1912.
Trinity Church is rich in its beautiful memorial windows. The last of these to be placed is that in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Lamb and their son, Richard. The subject of this is The Annunciation, after Hoffman's painting.
A chancel window in memory of Samuel W. Hall was contributed by the ladies of the parish.
In 1901 a beautiful memorial window was unveiled to the memory of Edward Daniel Steele.
Societies for carrying on the institutional work of the parish are: Altar Guild, Babies' Branch of Junior Auxiliary, Junior Auxiliary, Young Women's Guild, Girls' Calisthenic Club, Boys' Club, Women's Missionary Society, St. Elizabeth's Guild, Parish Sewing School, Elocution Class, and Sight Singing Class.
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The officers of the church elected in 1917 are as follows: Senior warden, J. K. Smith ; junior warden, H. M. Steele ; clerk, C. F. Davis ; treasurer, E. H. Perry ; vestrymen, Geo. E. Boyd, Dr. F. E. Castle, F. S. Gorham, E. H. Horn, F. L. Nuhn, C. J. Pierpont, R. D. Pierpont, H. S. Root, E. K. Samson, C. A. Templeton, G. H. Wayne, F. B. Williams.
ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, WATERVILLE
About the time the Rev. John M. McCracken became assistant at St. John's Episcopal Church, there was a revival of business in Waterville and the mission which had been established in 1851 gained in members and became quite active in its church work. It flourished under his care and a parish hall was built and opened. Mr. McCracken started a movement to have the mission organized into a parish, but resigned before this was accomplished. His successor at St. John's, the Rev. H. N. Tragitt, became the first rector of St. Paul's and the parish was organized and received into union with the Diocesan Convention, June, 1895. The first wardens were Louis Gates and E. E. Bacon, Harry O. Miller being the first elected delegate to convention. During Mr. Tragitt's rectorate the Parish Society and Young People's Association were organized, both of which societies have contributed in great measure to the development of the parish and are active in good works at the present time.
In 1898 Mr. Tragitt resigned and was succeeded by the Rev. W. A. Rafter. Mr. Rafter stayed only two years. His successor was the Rev. C. W. Bentham. For a few years the parish languished, and in January, 1902, the bishop sent Mr. J. Attwood Stansfield, a student from the General Theological Seminary, to assume direction of its affairs. The following Easter the parish requested Mr. Stansfield to take charge, and when he was ordained he was elected minister-in- charge. In April, 1897, the mother parish, St. John's, gave a deed of the church and lot to St. Paul's. The manufacturing interests of the village have prospered and the parish has kept pace with the growth of the village.
The present rectory was built about five years ago, during the incumbency of Rev. Wm. P. Waterbury. In February, 1915, he was suceeded by Rev. Geo. W. Griffith, the present rector. The officials for 1917 are as follows :
Rector, Rev. George W. Griffith, D. D .; wardens, Williams A. Faber, Homer C. Senior ; parish clerk, Charles H. Draper ; treasurer, Homer C. Senior.
FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF WATERBURY
One of the most notable events in the recent church history of Waterbury was the Centennial celebration of the First Methodist Episcopal Church. This began Sunday, October 17, 1915, and continued throughout the week. The anniversary address was delivered by Rev. Elmer A. Dent, D. D. A notable feature of the celebration was the presence of four of its former pastors.
The history of the church for the past quarter century knits it closely into the great work of Methodism all over the country. It has been especially active in its work in missionary fields, its Woman's Home Mission Society, its Woman's Foreign Missionary Society, its Queen Esther Circle and its Ladies' Aid Society being classed as the most active among kindred organizations in New England The membership of the church April 1, 1917, was 1,040.
Since September 20, 1896, Ariel Chapter of the Epworth League No. 19,025, has been a constituent part of the church, with a membership approximating 300.
The Sunday School has grown with the church. On March 26, 1893, this
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great branch of the local church celebrated its sixtieth anniversary, and a notable feature of that event was the presence of one teacher, Mrs. Julia A. Pritchard, and one scholar, Mrs. Jeanette Cowell, the only survivors of the original organ- ization.
During the existence of the Sunday School, now over a century, there have been but nine superintendents. Those of the past twenty-five years were Fred- erick Gillmore, Elmer J. Bassford, Whitman W. Bowers and John A. Coe, Jr.
At the time the congregation moved into the East Main Street Church, the Sunday School numbered 208. Today it is rapidly nearing the 1,400 mark. This includes teachers, officers, scholars. The average attendance is over 500.
The ministers during the past quarter of a century were Rev. Wm. H. Barton, 1892-3; Rev. Gardner S. Eldridge, 1894-1898; Rev. F. Watson Hannon, 1898- 1901; Rev. F. P. Tower, 1901-02; Rev. F. B. Stockdale, 1902-1905; Rev. F. Dunwell Walter, 1905-1909; Rev. James E. Holmes, 1909-1911; Rev. Charles E. Barto, 1911-1914; Rev. Walter E. Thompson, 1914-1916; Rev. A. F. Campbell, 1916.
The officers of the church at present are: Pastor. Rev. A. F. Campbell ; secre- tary, William L. Woodruff ; treasurer, John W. Potter ; superintendent of Sunday School, John A. Coe, Jr.
GRACE M. E. CHURCH, WATERVILLE
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church of Waterville, though small, has been classed in recent years as one of the most active churches in the district. Since its separation from the First M. E. Church in 1882, it has organized activities along the splendid lines of the mother church and has contributed liberally to all Methodist activities.
This year it mourns the death of Rev. J. J. Moffatt, who was its first pastor, and who later again served the congregation.
In 1896 the Sunday School addition and the present parsonage were erected. In 1909, during the pastorate of the Rev. Otto Brand, now field secretary of the Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, the entire church indebtedness was wiped out. In 1912 the land at the rear of the present house of worship was donated and will be used later for additional church buildings.
At present its membership is 115, with nearly an equal attendance at Sunday School.
The pastors of Grace Church in the past quarter century have been Rev. A. H. White, Rev. N. W. Wilder, Rev. W. J. Judd, Rev. A. L. Hubbard, Rev. H. O. Trinkus, Rev. J. J. Moffatt, Rev. F. L. Buckwalter, Rev. N. E. Honald, Rev. Otto Brand, Rev. Samuel Johnson, Rev. E. S. Belden, and the present incumbent, Rev. Geo. W. Servis, who began his pastorate in August, 1916.
The present officers of the church are: Pastor, Rev. Geo. W. Servis; secre- tary, E. W. Wightman ; treasurer, James Clift : superintendent of Sunday School, Roy Ferris.
ST. PAUL'S METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, 101 East Farm Street, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 1913. In IQUI the Sunday School, which had been organized two years prior to the establishment of the church, celebrated its quarter centennial.
On April 1, 1917, the membership was 372. Its present pastor, Rev. Charles
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E. Benedict, came to the church in April, 1915, succeeding Rev. A. J. Smith, dur- ing whose pastorate the new pipe organ was installed. Other pastors of the last quarter century are Rev. Geo. A. Brunson, Rev. E. D. Bassett, who was with the church seven years, Rev. C. Lepley, and the Rev. J. P. Wagner, who died during the present year.
The new parsonage next to the church on East Farm Street was erected during the last decade.
The present officers of the church are as follows: Pastor, Rev. Charles E. Benedict ; secretary, Elmer L. Hough; treasurer, Albert J. Smith ; superintendent of Sunday School, Robert Buik.
SOUTH M. E. AND WEST SIDE HILL CHURCHES
The South M. E. Church, at 1338 Baldwin Street, had on April 1, 1917, a membership of 213, but this has been slightly reduced during the year by the establishment of a sister church, the West Side Hill, of which the need has long been apparent. For some time Rev. R. F. Shinn has been in charge of a mission at that point, which now has developed into a separate church, with Rev. R. F. Shinn as its first pastor. It has taken over the mission property.
The Rev. W. J. Ashforth is the pastor of the South M. E. Church. Other officers of this church for the year 1917 are as follows: Recording secretary, William A. Houston ; financial secretary, Walter A. Rose; treasurer and Sunday School superintendent, Myron Hutch.
MOUNT OLIVE A. M. E. ZION CHURCH OF WATERBURY
In 1904 Mount Olive A. M. E. Zion Church celebrated the quarter century of its establishment, with the building of its new church at 86 Pearl Street. Its membership has shown a steady growth, being close to 150 in 1917, with a Sunday School attendance of about 140.
The church has taken a prominent part in the national work of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination. This has been particularly true during the present pastorate, that of the Rev. J. W. McDonald, now going on its fourth year, and of his predecessors, the Revs. J. S. Cole, H. M. Mickings, Calvin S. Whitted, Fisher and McCallum.
The officers of the church in 1917 are: Pastor, J. W. McDonald; secretary, Willis W. Holland ; treasurer, R. L. Brinkley.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF WATERBURY
Two events of transcendent importance in the history of the First Baptist Church of Waterbury during the past twenty-five years are, first, its centennial celebration in 1904, and, second, the dedication in the fall of 1917 of its mag- nificent new church building, at the corner of Grove Street and Central Avenue, which has just been completed.
The centennial celebration began November 1, 1904, on which day the sermons, both morning and evening, were delivered by the pastor. Rev. Oscar Haywood, D. D. On Monday, November 2d, the joint meeting of the Baptist Ministers' Conference of New Haven and Hartford, and the Protestant Ministers' Club of Waterbury were held.
In the evening of that day a memorable address on "The Best Way of Van- quishing" was delivered by the Rev. Wayland Hoyt, D. D., LL. D., of Phila-
NEW FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, WATERBURY
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delphia, before the Society of Christian Endeavor. On Tuesday, Woman's Day, Doctor Hoyt spoke on "Soul Worship."
Wednesday was Missionary Day, with the address by Rev. Albert Arnold Bennett, D. D., of Japan.
On Thursday, Old Home Day, an address was delivered by Rev. P. G. Wightman and the First Church took part for the first time in the conference of the Centennial Churches of the New Haven Association. This conference com- prised, in addition to Waterbury, Meriden, 1786; Middletown, 1795; Southington, 1738; Cromwell, 1802; Clinton, 1797; Winthrop, 1744, and Wallingford, 1790.
Later in the day addresses were delivered by Prof. D. G. Porter and Rev. T. A. T. Hanna.
It was in 1897 that the women of the church began the great work of co- ordinating their denominational labors. The women of the church thought they could do better work if all the lines, viz .: social, parish, and missionary, were brought under one organization.
On April 20, 1898, they decided to make this change, and formed the Mission- ary and Social Union of the First Baptist Church of Waterbury. In this new departure, they were largely assisted by the wise counsel of the late Doctor Parry. The society embraces all of the women's distinctive work, and aims to include in its membership every woman of the church. It has three departments: Parish Work, Home Missions, and Foreign Missions. It has a chairman in charge of each line of its work. Thursday of each week is its "At Home" day, two hostesses being in charge of the parlor all day, while all women's meetings are scheduled to appear at some specified hour.
A. D. Field, a man of affairs and of large experience in the management and control of finances, devised, during the year 1901, a plan of endowment for the church known as "The Surplus Fund." It is incorporated under the laws of Connecticut, and no investment as a public benefaction could be more diligently safeguarded by legal enactment. In the year 1901 $1,000 was contributed by members of the church to this fund,-that amount being required by the articles of incorporation before the fund could be established. It is more especially designed to afford security for money and property which may be given to the church through wills and deeds of gift.
It is a perpetual endowment, of which the trustees are custodians, under bond in the amount of the market value of the assets of the fund.
Among the pastors of the past twenty-five years were many celebrated church- men. Rev. W. P. Elsdon, who, after a serious illness, went totally blind, had in 1892 increased the membership by 200 during his four-year pastorate. He was succeeded by Rev. Francis J. Parry, D. D., who died during his pastcrate. After him came Rev. Oscar Haywood, Rev. Albert G. Lawson, and in 1912 the present pastor, Rev. Horace B. Sloat.
The membership of the church's Italian mission, which is showing a steady growth, is now sixty. Its present pastor is Rev. John Barone. The memberhip of the church in 1917 is 802-605 resident and 150 non-resident members.
Dedicatory and Old Home week, in which the new church edifice was first occupied, took place from September 23 to 30, 1917.
The officers of the church, elected in 1917, are: Trustees, Loren R. Carter. Wm. H. Robbins, C. P. Haight ; deacons, V. M. Shaw. Wm. R. Dixon, Geo. H. Carter, David Crandall, Wm. O'Neill, Loren Durner, A. J. Shipley, E. G. Terry ; deaconesses, Mrs. E. W. Smith, Miss Margaret McWhinnie ; treasurer, Warren S. Trott ; clerk, Burton J. Hine ; assistant clerk, C. A. Peck ; collector, Geo. W. Wat- son : assistant collector, Lyman Rich.
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SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH OF WATERBURY
The twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Second Baptist Church of Waterbury was celebrated in the fall of 1917, although the actual date of the organization of the church was May 17, 1892. The postponement for a few months was due to the desire to dedicate the new pipe organ, the intallation of which was a feature of the anniversary.
Twenty-five years ago the congregation put up a small chapel for services, and this has since been moved back to make place for the fine auditorium built a few years later. The chapel is now used for the Sunday School. The membership of the church is IIO. The Sunday School has an enrollment of 150, with an average attendance of 100.
The Rev. Harvey W. Funk came to the church in November, 1915, succeeding Rev. J. F. Vaught, who had been its pastor for eight years.
The officers of the church elected in 1917 are as follows : Pastor, Rev. Harvey W. Funk ; clerk, Esther Mitchell; treasurer, Edward J. Morgan.
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
The Grace Baptist Church was organized on April 15, 1900, to provide a place of worship for the colored population of that denomination. Rev. Isaac W. Reed, the present pastor, has been with the congregation during its entire existence, except the first eight months. The pastor at its organization was Rev. J. Moses Hopkins.
The church building, which was erected immediately after the organization, was cleared of debt six years ago.
At the outset, the membership was 17. This year it has enrolled 160, with IIO in the Sunday School. In fact, the growth has been so continuous that a new and larger house of worship is now in contemplation.
The officers elected for 1917 are: Pastor, Rev. Isaac W. Reed; clerk, Caroline Lee ; superintendent of Sunday School, Miss M. L. Benton.
SWEDISH BAPTIST TABERNACLE
On May 10 and 12, 1917, the Swedish Baptist Tabernacle celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary as a church. During its struggling years it worshipped in a chapel near the site of the present church, 22 Bishop Street. Twelve years ago. during the pastorate of Rev. A. O. Lawrence, it began the erection of its present church home, worshipping in the basement for some time. During the pastorate of Rev. A. Linde, the church was completed and dedicated. For the past two years its pastor has been the Rev. O. W. Johnson, who succeeded Rev. Nils Berg, who had come to the church direct from Sweden. The membership of the church is 68, with a Sunday School attendance of 30. The services are well attended, those present on Sunday evening, including visitors, numbering from 75 to 100 regularly.
The officers of the church, elected in 1917, are as follows : Pastor. Rev. O. W. Johnson ; treasurer, Gustaf R. Erickson; clerk and superintendent of Sunday School, Nils A. Hilding.
GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF WATERBURY
In October, 1916, the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Waterbury cele- brated the quarter century of its existence. Its present pastor is Rev. Martin J.
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