History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 53

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: New York, Preston
Number of Pages: 1506

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In the early part of the present century Pomfret was greatly agitated by the proposed construction of various turnpike roads through her territory. Progressive spirits favored these enter- prises, but the heavy outlay and prospective imposts terrified a majority of the tax payers. At the first proposal "to lay out a road from Hartford towards Boston to the Massachusetts or Rhode Island line," the town appointed Colonel Lemuel Gros- venor, Lemuel Ingalls, Esq., and Captain Josiah Sabin, to make such preparations for surveying as would be necessary for in- formation, and to wait upon the committees sent by the general court. In December, the town deferred acting upon raising money to pay assessments to individuals for road laid by state committee, and appointed Peter Chandler, Seth and Joshua Gros- venor to confer with neighboring towns respecting laying out a road from Hartford to Douglass, and for preparing a memorial for alteration of road or repeal of act. In the following year the town refused to raise money to pay assessments to the persons who waited upon them. When, in spite of their grumbling and resistance, the Boston and Hartford turnpike was actually com- pleted through the whole length of the town, Lemuel Ingalls and Seth Grosvenor were appointed to have it altered in certain points and the expense lessened. All efforts proving unsuccess- ful, the town was reluctantly compelled to levy a tax of three and a half cents to meet expenses and pay assessments, but declined

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

to accept shares in the company or to allow Captain Sabin for attendance upon the committee. Projects for a new road in the west part of the town through Joseph Sharpe's land to Brook- lyn, and for two other turnpikes, increased the town's ill humor. They would not view the different routes through Killingly nor do anything about it, and appointed agents to oppose the memorial of Sampson Howe and others, and also acceptance of a road laid out through Pomfret from Norwich to Massachusetts line, but were again obliged "to raise money to pay assessments made by state committee for said road." The Pomfret and Kil- lingly turnpike was also carried through after much opposition and refusing to pay the cost of the jury that laid it, and in 1803, it agreed to build a bridge in company with the town of Kil- lingly over Quinebaug river, south of Noah Perrin's-Caleb Trowbridge, Benjamin Durkee and Freeman James to build said bridge. It also voted to build a bridge across the stream near the burying ground, and also one on Mashamoquet "where the turnpike crosseth it where old road is discontinued." Sogreat was the outlay caused by all these turnpikes and bridges that it was proposed to sell the newly constructed town house. Be- fore accounts were settled another turnpike was demanded-a direct road from Providence to meet the Boston and Hartford turnpike in Ashford. Oliver Grosvenor and Sylvanus Backus were at once empowered to oppose this farther imposition. Sur- veys were, however, made and two routes offered for considera- tion. In 1806 the town voted that the north route by Samuel White's to Cotton's bridge would best accommodate town and public, and to oppose the route from said White's to the Landing, but as in previous cases they were forced to submit to road and taxes.

A new road was laid out to the Brick Factory, intersecting with the Woodstock and Thompson turnpike, in 1812, facilitating travel and trade with both those towns. A road was also cut through the woods over Park's hill in 1818, and the previous road pitching down to Bundy's mills discontinued. The finan- cial affairs of the company were very flourishing. Yarn was sent out for weaving all over the country, even as far as Brimfield, Mass. A dividend of $36,000 was made in one of the years of war, and so well established was the company that it was able to continue work during the succeeding embarrassments. Mr. Wil- kinson was a strict disciplinarian, and looked carefully after the

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

morals of the community. At his especial request the Windham Association furnished " religious instruction " at stated intervals, holding meetings in the brick school house. A Pomfret Woolen Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1817, and erected buildings upon the Mashamoquet, but it suffered severely from the great flood the following year, and other causes, and disband- ed after a time with pecuniary loss to its associates. Bridges and dams at Pomfret Factory and Bundy's mills were carried away by that almost destructive freshet, which inflicted great damage upon all the manufacturing corporations of the country. The Killingly & Pomfret turnpike was discontinued after a time and the bridge built for its accommodation removed. The great flood of 1817 compelled the erection of new bridges at Pomfret Factory.

After receiving confirmation of bounds in 1713, one of the first things Pomfret did was to settle religious worship. The town, October 28th, voted to give an orthodox minister one hun- dred and fifty pounds toward buying land and building himself a house, and fifty-five pounds annual salary, until the town should contain sixty families. A committee was appointed to look for a minister. Reverend Ebenezer Williams was secured for six months. He boarded at the house of Captain John Sa- bin, in the northeast corner of the town. Religious services were held in some convenient private house. February 16th, 1714, the town gave Mr. Williams a call to settle permanently, offering him one hundred and seventy pounds for settlement and sixty pounds salary. He accepted the offer and entered upon the work. Two hundred acres of land that had been reserved for the encouragement of preaching were made over to Mr. Williams in June, 1714, by the Mashamoquet proprie- tors. Work was now begun upon a meeting house, which the town in December previous had voted to build "with all con- venient speed." The frame was raised April 27th, and it was covered during the summer. It stood on the east side of the road, about a quarter of a mile south of the spot where the present Congregational church stands. A burial plot was set apart adjacent to it. The house was completed so far as to be opened for public use in autumn. Privileges were granted to build pews in specified parts of the house. Mr. Belcher was granted the privilege of building a pew on the west end of the pulpit, next to it, which privilege he probably never exer- cised.

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

A church was organized with eleven male members, October 26th, 1715, and Mr. Williams was at the same time ordained pastor over it. An ordination dinner was ordered for the oc- casion, sufficient for forty guests from abroad. The expense of the dinner was ten pounds. In 1716 the meeting house was fenced in, and the privilege was granted Nathaniel Gray to build a "Sabba-day house" in the highway near the meeting house, for himself and his family. The "Sabba-day house" was an institution of that period, common in many parts of New England, though this is the only instance of any record of them in Windham county which we have discovered. It was a small house with a good fireplace and chimney, in which a few persons could sit and warm themselves, and eat their lunch, when they had come a long distance to church and wished to stay through both morning and afternoon services. A good fire was kept up, and from the coals thus accumulated their "foot-stoves" were filled to carry into the meeting house to help them keep warm during the long service, there being no fire kept in the meeting house other than what was carried in in the foot-stoves. Sometimes a single family owned a "Sabba-day house," and sometimes a few families joined in building one. Sometimes a number of them might be seen in the neighborhood of a single church. In 1722 the inhabitants were given liberty to build stables for themselves near the north side of the meeting house. In 1719 Mr. Jonathan Belcher ap- pears to have offered the town a bell for their church, and straightway they vote "That there shall be a bell cony built at one end of the meeting house." But for some unexplained rea- son the bell did not arrive. In 1729 the church had fifty male members. Mr. Williams was greatly respected at home and abroad, and his counsel was sought in many difficulties through- out the colony. In 1731 he was chosen Fellow of Yale College.

The religious disturbances which attended the Separate move- ment in the middle part of the last century seemed to make but little if any impression upon the First church of Pomfret. No record is left of any agitation or loss to this church during that period that can be attributed to the elements spoken of. Mr. Williams died March 28th, 1753, thus closing a term of pas- toral service with this church extending through nearly forty years. This blow came to the people at a time when they were somewhat discomforted over the removal of much of their for-

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

mer strength by the division of the town into three distinct societies. A re-organization of the society and church, and the building of a new meeting house and settlement of a minister were questions which confronted them.

Reverend Noadiah Russel, of Middletown, preached through the summer of 1753, and October 16th, was called to the pas- torate. The pay offered him was £1,500 for settlement, and £650 a year salary. These figures look large for that period, but their magnitude is easily explained away by the recollection that the currency at that time was highly inflated. At that time it took three pounds ten shillings to be equal to a dollar in value. Mr. Russel accepted the terms, but before ordination took place a disagreement arose in regard to church discipline, and in the early part of 1755 Mr. Russel withdrew. Reverend Aaron Putnam was next called, and he was ordained March 10th, 1756. The frame of a new meeting house, after long discussion in re- gard to its site, was raised September 5th, 1760, on the home lot of Zachariah Waldo, where two acres had been purchased for the purpose. The size of the house was sixty feet long, forty- eight feet wide, and twenty-four feet "stud." It was probably completed during that and the following year. Galleries were built around the sides of the house, a high pulpit and massive canopy was erected, and the outside of the house "cullered " in the most approved fashion of the day. The main body color was orange, with trimmings of chocolate on the doors and bottom boards, and white on the window frames, corner boards and barge and eaves boards. A preliminary lecture sermon, when the house was all completed, was given by Mr. Putnam, Thurs- day, January 20th, 1763. The old meeting house and training field adjacent were sold by order of the society, and liberty was granted to build sheds on the east line of the common, within four rods of Reverend Mr. Putnam's house.

While yet in the prime of life Mr. Putnam was in a great measure disabled by a failure of voice and physical weakness, which obliged him to seek the aid of a colleague. The young man invited to act in this capacity was Oliver Dodge, of Ips- wich, a recent graduate of Harvard. While on probation here Mr. Dodge manifested at times an alarming license in speech and conduct, and unfavorable reports concerning him came from abroad, so that some objection was made to his ordination, on charges of disregard to truth, neglect of duty, irreverent ap-

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

plication of Scripture, and unbecoming levity. The council called April 19th, 1792, to ordain him, refused to do so, and later another council was called to consider the charges against him, which they found sustained. But despite the decision of the church court, the people had become so much attached to him that many refused to give him up, and a division was made in the church. A majority, both in church and society, were strongly in favor of Mr. Dodge. When the church was called together to concur with the society in making out a constitu :- tional call, Mr. Putnam, exercising what was called the "nega- tive power," which the Saybrook Platform allowed to ministers, dissolved the meeting without permitting a vote to be taken upon the question. Thus by a strategic manœuvre the desire of the majority was defeated.

But the majority were not to be so easily silenced. Thus debarred from further expression and action, they indignantly repudiated all connection with the First church and society and straightway organized in a new form as the Reformed Christian Church and Congregation in Pomfret. A satisfactory covenant was hastily drawn up and adopted, and divine service instituted in friendly private houses. The young minister, thus released from previous restrictions, was more eloquent and fascinating than ever. Crowds flocked to the new places of worship, and the old meeting house and minister were almost deserted. Only twelve male members were left. These were Reverend Aaron Putnam, Oliver, Asa, Seth, Ebenezer and John Grosvenor, John and John H. Payson, Caleb Hayward, Josiah Sabin, Simon Cot- ton and Jabez Denison. Conflict of sentiment now ran high, over this occasion and the Ecclesiastic Constitution of Connect- icut and the principles of Saybrook Platform, which gave the occasion its destructive force. A recriminative war of words, from platform and from press, was waged, not only in Pomfret, but throughout the county and state.

The first public act of the new society, December 28th, 1792, was to invite Mr. Oliver Dodge to settle as its minister; and in the following February he was ordained over it. So strong was the feeling against him that ministers of good standing shrank from the responsibility of introducing him into the ministry, and of many invited only the Reverend Isaac Foster, his sons and son-in-law-all of doubtful orthodoxy-assisted in the ordain- ing services. This ministerial reprobation only increased the

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

fervor of his adherents. His personal friends clung to him with unwavering fidelity. His levities and indiscretions, which all were forced to acknowledge, were but the irrepressible exuber- ance of a free and generous spirit, and were more than compen- sated by his ingenuous confessions of wrong and great social attractions. The newspaper controversy and Swift's avowed championship gave him great notoriety, and attracted many hearers from abroad. The old Grosvenor House, in which his church now worshipped, could hardly contain the congregation. No minister in the county had so wide a popularity. Some of the most respectable families in Brooklyn, Abington parish, Woodstock, Thompson and Killingly left the churches of their former attendance and united under the Reformed church of Pomfret.

But while the masses were carried away by the fascinations of the popular preacher, a small but powerful minority were banded . together against him. This minority were supported and en- couraged by the ministry of the county and sober men in the neighboring towns. An attempt made by the Reformed society to obtain possession of the house of worship was unsuccessful, the Windham county court deciding "that Mr. Putnam's adher- ents were the First Ecclesiastic Society and had a right to the society property." This legal action and decision only made the controversy more bitter. Friendly intercourse between the contending parties was wholly suspended. The controversy was carried into town elections. Opponents of Mr. Dodge were excluded from office. Josiah Sabin, who had served as town clerk for many years, was defeated, and, in vacating his office, he wrote in the record, "Here ends the services of a faithful servant of the public, who was neglected for no other reason than because he could not DODGE."

This breach and controversy continued till near the close of the century. For more than six years Mr. Dodge maintained his ascendency, and his church grew and flourished, while the old church withered and wasted. Even some of the faithful eleven were lost to it. The family of Captain Seth Grosvenor removed to New York state. Through these weary years, how- ever, the faithful few maintained the stated Sabbath service in the great desolate meeting house, the deacons praying and reading the sermons prepared by the speechless pastor, who cheered them by his presence and silent participation in their worship.

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

The conduct of Mr. Dodge grew at length more and more scandalous, until he became openly profane and drunken, even entering his pulpit in a condition of intoxication. The eyes of his most ardent followers were at last opened, and the tide of popularity was suddenly and strongly turned against him. He was tried by his own church July 4th, 1799, and found guilty of drunkenness and profanity, and was forthwith excluded from the rites and privileges of the church until by his reformation he should be restored to their charity. The restoration never came. Like Jonah's gourd the Reformed church of Pomfret now withered and died. Their last meeting was held Novem- ber 4th, 1799, when they determined to return to the First church and society. No obstacles being in the way, they read- ily effected a union with the old church, and Mr. Asa King was now engaged as assistant to Mr. Putnam. After a reason- able probation Mr. King was approved, and May 5th, 1802, he was duly installed pastor of the First church of Pomfret, Mr. Putnam having been dismissed from the position which his phys- ical disabilities would not permit him to fill. Mr. King grad- ually led his people to a higher sense of the duties and respon- sibilities of life and the demands of Christian character upon them. Material things of the church were not overlooked. The meeting house was repaired, its back seats replaced by fashion- able pews and an additional sounding board suspended under the massive canopy over the pulpit. His pastorate was har- monious and fruitful. A special revival season was enjoyed in 1808, when seventy members were added to the church. An imposing addition, a lofty tower or steeple, was now added to the meeting house. An unfortunate casualty marks the history of that improvement. Barnard Philips, a youth of nineteen, who was assisting in raising the structure, was thrown from the top of the frame and so injured by the fall that he died in a few days. This was done in 1810. With the completion of the improvements a bell was placed in the tower by the generosity of Mr. Benjamin Duick, which served the purpose of a town clock, being rung three times a day. Mr. King was dismissed from his charge in 1811. An interval of three years followed, after which Reverend James Porter was inducted into the pas- torate. He was a very active man, setting forward every good work that came to his hand. He established the first Sabbath school in this region; began the first monthly concert for prayer,

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

and took the first collection at such meetings for foreign mis- sions; was one of the most earnest promoters of the temperance cause, and helped organize in Pomfret a Moral Society, having for its aim the suppression of gambling, lottery dealing, Sabbath breaking and the excessive use of liquor.

Always forward in culture and worldly refinements, it was in keeping with the character of this church that it should be among the first to introduce the grand church organ. This was done during the second decade of the present century. Deacon Sweeting's son, Nathaniel, was the first organist, and many were the comments called forth by his orchestral performances. The plain old Quakers and the Methodists of the town were much scandalized by this culmination of worldly vanity. Still the church seemed to go forward, engaging with much interest in any progressive movement. A Duick Charitable Society was organized in 1817, having for a permanent fund a legacy left for charitable purposes by Mr. Duick. A Bible class met every week at the parsonage. In 1819 the Sabbath school was organ- ized with one class of boys and two of girls and Major Cope- land for superintendent.

About ten years later a new church edifice was built. The site was secured from Doctor Waldo, on a lot east from the former site, the ladies of the church paying for the same by knitting a hun- dred pairs of stockings. Materials from the old house were used as far as it seemed advisable in the construction of the new one, which was completed and dedicated in October, 1832. Mr. Por- ter asked to be dismissed in 1830. Reverend Amzi Benedict was installed pastor in 1831. The organ was retained in the new church, being now played by Miss Elizabeth Vinton, the only person in town, it was said, who was competent for the service. A deep and powerful revival was experienced by the church dur- ing Mr. Benedict's time, bringing many into the church. His successor, Reverend Daniel Hunt, was ordained April 4th, 1835, and most worthily filled the place of his esteemed predecessors. At this time two brothers, Zephaniah and Job Williams, served as deacons. Lewis Averill was elected to that office at a later date. Reverend Daniel Hunt enjoyed a pastorate of nearly thirty years, and was succeeded by Reverend.Walter S. Alexan- der, who was ordained here November 21st, 1861, and was dis- missed January 17th, 1866. Reverend Henry F. Hyde was in- stalled April 24th, 1867, and dismissed June 20th, 1872. Reverend

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

William A. Benedict was acting pastor from January, 1873, to May, 1874. Reverend W. S. Alexander returned and served as acting pastor from August, 1874, to August, 1875. Reverend Charles E. Gordon was acting pastor from January, 1876, to May, 1877. Hamilton M. Bartlett was installed as pastor in May, 1878, and dismissed in February, 1883. Reverend Frank H. Palmer was installed in February, 1884, and dismissed in May, 1885. Rev- erend Egbert N. Munroe was acting pastor from December, 1885, to May, 1889. The membership of the church in 1889 was one hundred and eight. A parsonage was built in 1883, at a cost of $3,000, not including the lot upon which it stands, which was given by Mrs. C. Comstock. The church was repaired and an organ purchased in 1878, at an expense of about $1,800, and fur- ther repairs and improvements to the outlay of $800 were made in 1886.

During the year 1776, a Baptist society was organized in Pom- fret. The Baptist element which had then spread considerably in different parts of the county came by the way of Canada par- ish, Abington having furnished many adherents of that sect to the Grow church of the former locality. In Pomfret public re- ligious services were held by Mr. Manning at the houses of the Thurbers and other friends, which excited much interest. Bap- tist sentiments for a while gained strength and a branch was also established in the Quinebaug valley, including members from the eastern part of Pomfret and from Killingly. The Rev- erend Mr. Kelly labored for a time with the Pomfret Baptists, holding services at convenient residences, which were attended by large numbers. Hitherto the Baptists of Windham county had been mostly of the lower and uneducated classes of society, and their ministers had been men of little or no education. Now, men of higher standing were entering the ranks and a different ministry was demanded. President Manning urged the importance of education and endeavored to influence the people to attend to having their children educated. The society here maintained its organization and held services occasionally for many years, even though they had no minister and no house of worship. After a number of years, in 1803, the people on the Pomfret and Killingly line were constituted a branch of the Woodstock church. Under the preaching of James Grow, of Hampton, or Canada parish, their numbers were multiplied. Regular services were held in the Gary school house at Pomfret

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

Landing. Here, on September 18th, 1805, James Grow was or- dained to the ministry, by a council of elders and deacons from the neighboring Baptist churches. In April, 1806, a distinct church was organized here, the members of which were dis- missed from the Woodstock church as follows: Elisha Sabin, Artemas Bruce, James Grow, Pardon Kingsley, Smith Johnson, Thomas Bowen, Charles Robbins, Guy Kingsley, Stephen Chap- man, Alvin Easting, Lucretia Cady, Mary Brown, Hannah Sabin, Patty Bruce, Phebe and Sarah Stone, Azubah Bowen, Polly M. Spalding, Orpha Easting, Susanna Kingsley, Katharine Ash- croft, Sabra Withey, Hannah Kent, Betsey Leavens, Hannah Fling, Celinda Copp, Lucy Goodell. Services were still held in the Gary school house and at other convenient points. A great revival visited this church in 1813-14, and many were added to its numbers. Services were held in the Gary and the Brick school houses. Soon after this a meeting house was built on Pomfret street. The branches at Pomfret Factory (now Putnam) and the Killingly border, were rapidly increasing in strength. Soon after this the Pomfret church seemed to have reached its zenith and began to decline, while its branches grew stronger. It, however, maintained services and pastors for several decades, but was finally absorbed into its former branch at Putnam. Among the last of its pastors were Bela Hicks, Warren Cooper and Isaac Burgess, the last of whom closed his service here about forty years ago.

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History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 53

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: New York, Preston Number of Pages: 1506

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: New York, Preston
Number of Pages: 1506