USA > Connecticut > New London County > Stonington > History of the town of Stonington, county of New London, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1649 to 1900 with a genealogical register of stonington families > Part 10
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
The first church organized in the town of Stonington was formed June 3, 1674. The preliminary steps taken for the or- ganization of the church originated in the following vote, passed at a town meeting held at Stonington, on the 6th day of April, 1669: "It was voted that those of the inhabitants whose hearts God shall move that way, may have liberty to address them- selves to the General Court for liberty to erect and gather a church among us."
It was legally passed by vote, "That there should be another town meeting on Thursday, next come a seven night, being the 15th day of April next ensuing the date thereof, for any who have a desire to propound themselves as to be beginners of the Church, may give in their names to Mr. Noyes at that meeting at the Meeting house, about nine of the clock in the forenoon."
Whether this adjourned meeting assembled or not does not appear from the record, but a petition to the General Court was preferred, asking liberty to associate in church order, which after due consideration was passed upon as follows, viz .: Several inhabitants of Stonington petitioning this Court for their appro- bation that they might settle themselves in church order, this Court grants them their petition. But before they organized themselves into church order they (the town) set out five hundred acres of land for the support of the ministry, met and agreed to build a new meeting-house and fixed the site, and laid out home lots of twelve acres each for every inhabitant around it. Built the meeting house in 1672-3, dedicated it and on the 3rd day of June, 1674, organized the church with nine members, viz .: Mr. James Noyes, Mr. Thomas Stanton, Mr. Nathaniel Chese- brough, Mr. Thomas Miner, Mr. Nehemiah Palmer, Mr. Ephraim Miner, Mr. Thomas Stanton, Jr., Mr. Moses Palmer, Mr. Thomas Wheeler. They established a covenant when they formed the church, in harmony with the Savoy confession.
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
Previous to the organization of the church, all of the religious services here were held and conducted by ministers, called by a vote of the town and paid for from its treasury. Such services were at first held at the dwelling-houses of the planters. In 1661 the town erected a meeting-house which stood a short distance west of Mistuxet avenue, southwest of the residence of Mr. Henry M. Palmer. This house was used for religious and town meetings until 1672-4 when the town voted to build, and did build a large edifice for religious and town service and located it on Agreement Hill, so named by the town as a compromise settlement between the (then) inhabitants of the town. This meeting-house stood until 1729, when it was taken down and another house was built on its enlarged site. These two meeting- houses stood a few rods west of the present church edifice at the road on the original Agreement Hill. Rev. James Noyes was called by the town to preach here as a licentiate in 1664, and so continued until Sept. Ioth, 1674, when he was ordained, and labored successfully with the church as its pastor until his death, which took place Dec. 30, 1719. Before the close of Mr. Noyes' pastorate the people who had settled in the north part of the town became anxious to have religious services held in their vicinity. As early as 1722 the town was divided into two relig- ious societies for the public worship of God. Subsequent pro- ceedings show that a controversy arose about the location of the dividing line, which was referred to the General Assembly in 1720, who appointed a committee to arrange it, but their report was set aside by the Assembly on a remonstrance of certain persons, and another committee was appointed in 1721, who came to Stonington and established the dividing line, which is substantially the dividing line between the towns of Stonington and North Stonington. The Rev. Ebenzer Rossiter of Guilford, Conn., by ordination, succeeded Mr. Noyes as the pastor of the church Dec. 19, 1722. During his pastorate the Second Con- gregational Church of Stonington, now the North Stonington Congregational Church, was formed. Owing principally to the location of the site of a new meeting-house which the church and society had in contemplation, a serious controversy arose, which resulted in a division of both and the erection of a meeting- house at the center farm or Putnam Corners, and the call and settlement of the Rev. Nathaniel Eells of Scituate, Mass., who
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was ordained June 14th, 1733. Mr. Rossiter and Mr. Eells preached in their respective parishes in Stonington until the death of Mr. Rossiter. The church and society became recon- ciled and were again united under the pastorate of Mr. Eells, who preached for six months alternately to each church for a while, when yielding to the wishes of his parishioners, who resided at Stonington Point he commenced preaching at the Road meeting-house Sunday mornings and at the Academy at the Point in the afternoon, and so continued while he lived, and just before his death the meeting-house at the Putnam Corners was taken down and rebuilt at Stonington Point.
Mr. Eells was succeeded in the pastorate of the First Church by the Rev. Hezekiah N. Woodruff, of Farmington, Conn., who was ordained July 2nd, 1789, and continued pastor of the church until June, 1803, when he was dismissed by a mutual council. After him, came the Rev. Ira Hart, of Bristol, Conn., who was installed Dec. 6th, 1809, and labored with them successfully as their pastor until his death, which took place Oct. 29th, 1829.
Next came Mr. Joseph Whittlesey, of Washington, Conn., who was ordained May 27th, 1830, and continued their pastor until Dec. 14, 1832, when he was dismissed at his own request by mutual council. He was succeeded by the Rev. N. B. Cook, of Long Island, followed by the Rev. Pliny F. Warner, Rev. Paul Couch, Rev. John C. Wilson, and the Rev. John O. Bar- rows, the present pastor by installation.
The Second Congregational Church of Stonington, now North Stonington, was organized in 1727. The controversy over the boundary line, dividing the town of Stonington into two religious societies, and the location of their first meeting-house, served to divide the people as to the choice of a pastor for the church. After calling Mr. William Worthington, Mr. Thomas Craghead and Mr. Jabez Wight, they finally agreed upon Mr. Ebenezer Russell as and for their gospel preaching minister, who was or- dained Feb. 22, 1727, at which time the church was organized. Rev. Mr. Russell continued pastor of the church until his death, which took place May 22, 1731.
The church and society then invited Mr. Joseph Fish, who was ordained Dec. 27th, 1732, and for a few years Mr. Fish's pastorate was eminently successful. "The new light" awakening, as it was generally called by the people, served to divide the
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church, which resulted in the organization of a strict Con- gregational or Separatist Church, Sept. 1I, 1746. These two Congregational churches maintained separate religious worship until March 16th, 1827, when they were reunited under the min- istrations of the Rev. Joseph Ayer.
The next church in the town of Stonington was the Baptist Church, organized at Pung-hung-we-nuck Hill in 1743, and was the outcome of the great awakening (so called) which com- menced under the preaching of Drs. Edwards and Whitfield. Mr. Wait Palmer, one of the awakened converts, became their first pastor, but for something not now fully known he was excluded from the church after nearly twenty years' service. He has been succeeded by pastors worthy of their calling.
The next church organized in Stonington was formed in 1765, and its meeting-house was erected on Shunuck Hill. Simeon Brown was ordained their first pastor in March, 1763. He was a native of Stonington, and a man of sterling worth, but not a pulpit orator. Other ministers, natives of Stonington, succeeded him in the pastorate of this church.
The next church of Stonington was the Baptist Church, or- ganized in 1775 at Long Point (now Stonington Borough), where most of its members resided. During the years of its organiza- tion Sir James Wallace bombarded the place, which with the events and scenes of the Revolutionary war, doubtless, delayed the progress of the church. This church was gathered under the pastorate of the Rev. John Rathbone. Its first meeting- house was not built until the close of the Revolutionary war and was a substantial building, some forty feet square. This church has had twelve pastorates and a membership at one time of three hundred and fifty. The present house of worship was erected during the pastorate of the Rev. Albert G. Palmer, and is a magnificent building of modern architecture, and most admirably arranged. Owing to the want of a proper title to the site of its former meeting-house, and the questionable authority of using its funds in the purchase of the site of its present church, and in order to vest the property entirely in the church, independent of trustees or societies, the members of the church were in 1889 constituted and created by the Legislature of Connecticut a body politic and corporate by the name of the First Baptist Church of Stonington Borough, with full power to receive, hold and
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mortgage any and all, both real and personal, that may be given or descend to said church. The present pastor of the church is the Rev. Henry Clark, who was called to the pastorate in 1891.
No more churches were organized in Stonington before the division of the town in 1807. Pending the agitation and con- troversial feeling between the inhabitants of the northern and southern sections of the town of Stonington, relative to the old mail stage route, and the layout of the new highway from Ston- ington Borough to Old Mystic, and the construction of the bridge over Lambert's Cove, Pine Tree Point to Quana duct, in order to give the electors of the town an opportunity to decide the matter in question, a town meeting was legally warned and held at the old meeting-house at the Road, April 5th, 1807, for the express purpose of dividing the town of Stonington so as to relieve the taxpayers of the northern section of the town from the cost of the new highway and bridge. The meeting was largely attended, and after an animated and heated discussion of the matter in question, it was voted, by a small majority thereof, to divide said town into separate townships by the old society line, and that the north part shall be called Jefferson. When the General Assembly met the May following, the division of the town was duly considered and adopted and divided on the line suggested, but the name of Jefferson for the new town was not adopted for the reason that the society of North Stonington had been so named by the General Assembly, and had had charge of the schools therein for a great many years, and the name had become identified with its vital interests, so it was considered not best to change it, and the new town was called North Stonington.
The first church organized in Stonington after the division of the town was the Methodist Episcopal Church at Old Mystic.
As early as 1816 several Methodist clergymen visited Old Mystic, and preached occasionally ; but no efforts were made to organize a class, preparatory to the promotion of a church until 1824, when a class was organized consisting of seven persons. No minister was stationed at Old Mystic until 1826, when the Rev. Newell S. Spauding was assigned to that place. The first Quarterly Conference was held Aug. 13 and 14, 1828. The first house of worship erected by the Methodist Society was dedicated January, 1849. Prior to this time they had worshipped in the
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
Union meeting-house, now used as a livery stable. The first house of worship (Methodist Episcopal) was forty-two by thirty- three feet, costing about eighteen hundred dollars. Unfortu- nately it was destroyed by fire Feb. 17th, 1851. The loss was very severe, but undismayed the church and society resolved to build another and a better church, which was completed before the close of the year, and the people were again worshipping God under their own vine and fig tree. In 1882 it was renovated and re-dedicated, and again in 1894. This church has been under the pastoral care of eminent ministers, and is now enjoying the pastorate of the Rev. A. E. Legg.
The Second or Third Congregational Church and Society of Stonington was organized as follows: The First Congregational Society of Stonington, after several unsuccessful attempts to divide itself into two societies by metes and bounds, called a meeting to assemble on the 28th day of September, 1833, and after mature deliberation took a new departure and adopted a plan for organizing a new church and society in Stonington, viz .: "That whenever forty members of the First Society should withdraw and organize a new Congregational Society at the Borough and elect society officers, and shall give notice to the old society of their doings within thirty days from the day of the meeting, the new society shall then be regarded as organized and receive $1,825 of the old society's fund." The conditions
were immediately complied with at the meeting. Forty-five members of the society withdrew, formed a new society, and took their money and invested it in a new meeting-house. As soon as the new society was formed, ninety-three members of the First Church seceded and organized the Second Church in con- nection with said society Nov. 11th, 1833. Their first settled pastor was the Rev. John C. Nichols, who was called and in- stalled May 17th, 1834. After laboring with that people for about five years, he was dismissed by a mutual council. Since then that church has had a succession of pastors, whose labors have been blessed to them as follows: Rev. Jonathan Erskine Edwards was ordained and installed April 7th, 1840, and was dismissed by a mutual council, April 13th, 1843. He was fol- lowed by Rev. William Clift, who was ordained and installed Dec. 17th, 1844; dismissed by a mutual council April 21st, 1864. He was succeeded by Rev. Edward Whiting Gilman, who was
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installed Sept. 14th, 1864, dismissed by a mutual council April 25th, 1871. After him came the Rev. Henry Wheaton Wales, who was installed Oct. 18th, 1871, and dismissed by a mutual council Aug. 2nd, 1874. Following him was the Rev. Henry Barnes Elliott, who labored with the church as acting pastor thereof until April Ist, 1880, when the Rev. Henry B. Mead was called to the pastorate of the church, and was continued as such until the Rev. Charles J. Hill was called to the church to become the pastor, which he accepted, and was installed May 19th, 1888, and labored with that church until his dismissal by a mutual council. The present clergyman officiating as the pastor of the church is the Rev. William C. Stiles, who was installed by a mutual council in 1898.
The Methodist Episcopal Church at Mystic, Conn., was or- ganized in 1835, under the labors of a circuit preacher, the Rev. Hermon Perry. The first house of worship was built, and the Rev. Wm. S. Simmons was the first pastor. In 1867 this present church edifice was built. " They sold the first church building to the Roman Catholics. The Rev. Wm. S. Simmons has been suc- ceeded by eminent clergymen, whose labors have been most ac- ceptable to the people of their charge. The present pastor is the Rev. John McVey.
Pawcatuck Congregational Church .- During the year 1843 six members of the First, with sixteen members of the Second Congregational Church of Stonington residing in the vicinity of Pawcatuck Bridge united, with the advice and consent of a council of neighboring churches with them assembled, and formed a new church there, Feb. 14th, 1843, under the name and title of the Pawcatuck Congregational Church. Their first public religious services were held at the old Union meeting- house and in the hall of the Academy until 1849, when they erected their new meeting-house which, to accommodate their increasing congregation has since been twice enlarged.
The first settled minister was the Rev. S. B. Goodenow, who was called and settled April Ist, 1843. He remained but one year. The next pastor was the Rev. Joshua Brown, settled May Ist, 1844, and after two months' labor terminated his connection with the church. Rev. James D. Moore commenced his labors with the church July 21st, 1844, and remained until 1846, when Mr. Whitmore came and remained for one year. Rev. A. L.
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
Whitman was settled in 1847, and continued to labor with the church until 1866, when he resigned, and was dismissed by a mutual council that year. Mr. Whitman was followed by the Rev. E. W. Root, who came in 1867, and remained until 1870. Then came the Rev. A. H. Wilcox, who was settled in 1872, but whose failing health compelled him to resign. He was suc- ceeded by the Rev. D. N. Beach, who in turn was followed by the Rev. John P. Hawley, who resigned Sept. 30th, 1883, and was dismissed by a mutual council soon after. March 18th, 1884, a call was extended to Rev. George L. Clark, which he accepted by letter April 9th, 1884, and was installed by mutual council May 29th, 1884, and continued his labors with the church suc- cessfully until he resigned his pastorate August 15th, 1888, which was accepted by the church August 27th, 1888, after which he was dismissed by a mutual council.
April 15th, 1889, the church voted to extend a call to Rev. Hiram L. Kelsey, of Boston, Mass., which was accepted by him, April 23rd, 1889, when he came to Westerly and commenced his labors with the church and so continued until April 6th, 1890, when he tendered his resignation, which the church declined to accept. On May 7th, 1891, Mr. Kelsey again resigned, to go into effect July Ist, 1891, which resignation was accepted by the church May 29th, 1891, after which he was dismissed by mutual council.
During the fall of the year of 1891, Mr. D. L. Moody recom- mended a young man, Mr. Samuel M. Cathcart, to supply the church for a while, and the church formally requested him to come and remain with them one month, which was acceeded to by him, and on the 26th day of October, 1891, the church voted to invite Mr. S. M. Cathcart to remain with them for an indefinite period. After the expiration of the month, Mr. Cathcart con- sented to remain as supply for an indefinite period, but upon further reflection and consideration with the church, decided to give his preparatory studies his entire attention, so the church on Dec. 14th, 1891, gave a call to Rev. Samuel H. Woodrow, of Yale Divinity School of New Haven, Conn., which was accepted by him Dec. 30th, 1891, and he was ordained and installed by a mutual council, and remained with the church as their pastor, preaching with great acceptance until Oct. 15th, 1895, when he resigned his pastorate and was dismissed by a mutual council.
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On Feb. 29th, 1896, a call was extended to Rev. Edgar L. Warren, of North Attleboro, Mass., and by him accepted March IIth, 1896, after which he was installed pastor of the church, and continued as such until his dismission by a mutual council. He has been succeeded by Rev. Frank H. Decker, who was in- stalled by a mutual council in 1898 as pastor of the church.
The Third Baptist Church of Stonington .- This church was gathered and organized Oct. 14th, 1846. Their pastors have been Rev. Flint, Rev. Joseph Lewis, Rev. William Spellman, of New York, William Smith of Groton Bank, Conn., Rev. Erastus Denison of Mystic, Conn., D. B. Bailey of Mystic, Rev. G. N. Hamblin of Providence, Rev. Solomon Gale of Mystic preached nearly 12 years; Rev. William L. Francis of Brook- lyn, N. Y .; Rev. William J. Nayter of Florida was with the church for a time; just now the church has no settled pastor.
Greenmanville Seventh-Day Baptist Church .- This church was organized in 1850, consisting of about forty members. Their meeting-house was erected in 1851. The Rev. Sherman S. Griswold was the first regular pastor, and held the position for about fifteen years. During his pastorate he became interested. in our common schools, and held the position of school visitor for several years, laboring very successfully for the promotion of public education. He was succeeded by Rev. L. E. Livermore, whose pastorate commenced in 1866. He was succeeded by Rev. Charles A. Burdick, whose pastorate commenced in 1869. He was followed by Rev. S. L. Gardiner, whose pastorate com- menced in 1875. He was followed by Rev. O. D. Sherman in 1880.
Calvary Episcopal Church .- The Calvary parish, under the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, diocese of Connecticut, was formed May 31st, 1847. The corner-stone of this beautiful little stone church (built from plans by Upjohn, the celebrated architect) was laid Sept. 3, 1847. This church went forward to completion, and was consecrated May 31, 1849. The Rev. Junius Marshall Willey was the first rector, being called to the rectorship March 23rd, 1847. He remained till 1854, when Rev. W. W. Bronson entered upon his rectorship, and remained till 1856. The third rector was the Rev. Daniel C. Weston, D. D., who continued till the spring of 1863. Upon his resignation, the Rev. J. C. Middleton became its rector and
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
continued till 1871. He was followed by the Rev. Rufus Emery until 1873, when the Rev. W. C. Hyde became the rector and remained till 1874. He was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Mallaby, who remained five years. In 1880 the Rev. Alfred Goldsborough took charge and remained till 1884. After him came the Rev. Stevens Parker, D. D., until 1888, when the Rev. S. H. Gallaudet came, who remained only a few months, and he was succeeded by the Rev. Charles Westerman. After his res- ignation in 1890, the parish was in charge of the Rev. Joseph Hooper, rector of St. Mary's Church at Mystic, until 1892, when the Rev. Edward W. Babcock became rector, resigning Feb. Ist, 1896, upon the same Sunday the Rev. Erit B. Schmitt, the present rector, assumed charge.
Pawcatuck Catholic Church, St. Michael's .- About fifty years ago, Father Felton, of Boston, came to Pawcatuck to celebrate mass, and preach for the benefit of the Catholics then residing at Pawcatuck and Westerly. There being no church edifice of that order then at Pawcatuck, he held and conducted his services in the open air. The trustees of the Union meeting-house ten- dered him the use of that building for religious services as he might have occasion to use it. He continued his ministrations for about five years, and was succeeded by Father Daley for one year, who was followed by Father Duffy, under whose regime the Roman Catholic Church at Stonington Borough was erected and dedicated by Bishop O'Reilly in the year 1851, who after- wards perished at sea in the ill-fated "Pacific." Father Duffy remained pastor for two years, and was succeeded by Father Thomas Dray, who remained for six years, who in turn has been succeeded by several priests, whose ministrations have been ac- ceptable to the people of their charge. During these years, the present church building, parsonage and convent school have been erected on Berry Hill at Pawcatuck.
Mystic Congregational Church .- This church was organized by thirty-seven seceding members from the First Congregational Church of Stonington, with five persons from other churches, on the 30th day of January, 1852, under the approval of a committee of the Consociation of Congregational Ministers and Churches of New London County, consisting of Rev. Messrs. A. McEwen, D. D., moderator, Timothy Tuttle, Jared R. Avery, William Clift, and Myron N. Morris, clerk. For the first year the pulpit was
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supplied by several ministers of the gospel. A call to settle was first extended to the Rev. D. R. Austin, which was declined. An invitation was then extended to the Rev. Walter R. Long to become the pastor of the church, which he accepted, and was duly installed Sept. 15th, 1853. He continued with the church for about ten years, preaching very acceptably to the people of his charge. He was dismissed by a ministerial council March 29th, 1863. He was succeeded by the Rev. Charles H. Boyd, who was settled as the second pastor of the church in May, 1859, and continued to labor with the church and people until May 6th, 1865, when, on account of failing health he was obliged to re- sign. He was formally dismissed by mutual council in January, 1866, and died soon after. Mr. Boyd was succeeded by Rev. Algernon Goodnough, who was settled pastor of the church, and was installed June 3rd, 1866, and dismissed by mutual council Feb. 26th, 1867. Rev. William Clift succeeded Mr. Goodnough. He was installed March 9th, 1869, and after laboring with the people of his charge until Nov. 13th, 1879, he was dismissed by a mutual council. Rev. Charles H. Oliphant commenced his labors with this church as its acting pastor June Ist, 1879, and continued as such until Aug. 3Ist, 1884, when he closed his labors with them. Rev. Herbert S. Brown succeeded Mr. Oliphant. He was installed June 23rd, 1886, and labored with the people of his charge until Aug. IIth, 1890, when he was dismissed by a mutual council. Rev. Austin H. Burr began his labors with the church Oct. Ist, 1890, as their acting pastor, and continued with them until failing health compelled him to resign his charge, dying Dec. 5th, 1891. J. Romayn Danforth succeeded Mr. Burr, and was ordained and installed Oct. 25th, 1892, by a mutual council. Mr. Danforth's labors with the church have been productive of the best results, with flattering prospects of increasing usefulness in the future. The corner- stone of their present church edifice was laid with appropriate ceremonies Nov. 24th, 1859, and went on to completion and dedication. It was enlarged in 1869 by the addition of fourteen feet to its length. The present officiating clergyman with the church is the Rev. Claire F. Luther.
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