USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Litchfield > St. Michael's Parish, Litchfield, Connecticut, 1745-1954; a biography of a parish and of many who have served it > Part 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15
In 1934 the enrollment had climbed to 128, with 10 officers and teachers. The high rank among church schools in the Diocese was held until 1939, when St. Michael's was dropped from the list; in 1940, however, it was restored to its former place.
Mr. Kelly strove for a strong church school, with frequent re- minders to the congregation of the importance of this part of pa-
151
EDUCATION
rochial work, and warning against the danger of slipping back- ward. Teachers during his rectorate included Mrs. Melville Wooster, Mrs. W. M. Wanklin, Mrs. Rollin Sanford, Mrs. A. D. Deacon, the Misses Hilda M. and Ruth E. Deacon, and Mr. Cud- worth Beye. The church school hour was changed from 10:45 to 9:30, and began with service in the church.
The church school at the present time also emphasizes the im- portance of church worship. Every Sunday the children, with the exception of the kindergarten, take their places at the regular morning service with their teachers, and sit by classes through the first part of the service. Before the sermon a church school reces- sional is sung and the school marches out, led by the school cross. Then follows the formal part of the instruction in the parish house. Work with the church school and with young people generally is under the direction of a seminary student selected by the rector. The special feature of the instruction program is centralized teach- ing. After the classes come from the service they are kept together for a talk or simple lecture, sometimes with the help of slides, by the seminarian, on one aspect of a topic to which the year's work is devoted. After the talk the classes separate and, led by their teachers, discuss, or ask questions about, the talk they have heard. The program has proved interesting and stimulating. That it is successful seems evident from the number of children in church each Sunday, and the hearty participation of most of them in the responses. During the summer the children are encouraged to at- tend service regularly, and are given an award for such attendance in the fall. Special feasts and occasions are marked by special ob- servance. In every way effort is spent on making of the children of the parish the churchmen and churchwomen of tomorrow.
XV
THE MINISTRY OF MUSIC
MUSIC today plays such an important part in the services of the Church that money and effort are freely spent on it as an enrich- ment of the church program. It is interesting to find that attention to music was not wanting in the earliest days of our Church's his- tory.
In the records of St. Michael's Parish the first mention of it is found in the minutes of the annual meeting of the First Episcopal Society on November 20, 1800, when $30 was appropriated for the support of music for the ensuing year. A second vote imme- diately following provided
that the Society's Committee employ three teachers from the chosen Quaristers to teach Music in the three Churches in said Society, viz. one third or ten dollars at St. Michael's Church, one D° at the West Church & one Ditto at Milton.
From the wording of the vote it is evident that there were choris- ters already functioning, and perhaps had been for some time, and it also seems reasonable to assume that this was not the first time money was appropriated for music.
While our information on the subject in connection with St. Michael's is meager, it is possible to learn something about the practice of church singing in the early days. What we find applies more particularly, to be sure, to the practice in the Congregational churches, but it is probably applicable to the practice in Episcopal churches of the period as well. In The New England Meeting
153
MUSIC
House, by President Noah Porter of Yale, we read that the cul- ture of sacred song was a most important accessory of public wor- ship. The early eighteenth century was a time of change from psalm singing, which had been the general practice, to the songs of praise advocated by Isaac Watts and others. The "new way" was not easily accepted and caused some disagreement, but it tri- umphed in the end. With the change, Dr. Porter says, "came in that cultivation of sacred music which for nearly a century at least has made the New England meeting house so efficient an incitement to the musical culture and incidentally to the refinement of the community." President Porter continues his account with stories of singing schools, which became common throughout this part of New England, with a leader or teacher, native or from a neighbor- ing parish, and of the way an entire community would become engaged for a winter attending a new singing school under a new teacher.
With this background we can understand more fully the mean- ing of the Society's vote appropriating $30, and another vote at a meeting on November 8, 1802, "that the Society pay to some suit- able teacher or teachers of music said money one third to be paid out for the benefit of singing in Milton one third for the New Church and one third for the Old Church."
In 1814 at the annual meeting of the Society, among other offi- cers the following-Levi Stoddard, John Palmer, Solomon Marsh, Gad Guild, Noah Beach, and Benjamin Johnson-were ap- pointed choristers. In 1815 the same men were reappointed, with the addition of Eli Gibbs. A question arises whether all the chor- isters sang in all three churches, or, what seems more probable, two were appointed from each church to be responsible for the singing there. We know that Gad Guild was a member of the Milton church, which makes us the more ready to conclude that each church was represented among the choristers.
The same choristers were appointed year after year, with now and then an addition, and again one omitted. One of those whose
154
MUSIC
name appeared every year was Solomon Marsh. In 1825 a new- comer was Elihu Harrison, whose name appeared regularly there- after.
In 1823 Mr. Solomon Marsh bought a "fine toned organ" for St. Michael's. As far as is known this was the first organ in the Society. Before its appearance the pitch pipe was probably the only musical instrument in the churches. Evidently a musician himself, Mr. Marsh, by providing an organ, made a major contri- bution to the part of the service to which he was especially de- voted. The first organist was another of the choristers, Mr. Elihu Harrison.
We are told that in 1830 the singers' gallery was altered and brought forward for the accommodation of the singers. This is the first mention of the gallery, but it is not surprising to learn that there was one.
Mr. Marsh's organ was not given to St. Michael's at first, but after the new church was built in 1851 he formally presented it and was warmly thanked. Fifteen years later the organ was appar- ently no longer usable, for in 1866 a committee was appointed to make arrangements to purchase a new organ, to be paid for by subscription. In his report of 1866 Mr. Perry, the rector, spoke of the purchase: "A new organ to cost nearly, or quite $3,000 is in process of building at the manufactory of Simmons, of Boston, and will be placed in the Church in the autumn." The organ com- mittee was authorized to sell the old organ to the highest bidder, provided the sum bid was $300 or over, otherwise to sell it at pub- lic auction. Offers for it had been received from Trinity Church, Milton, Miss Julia Beers, and Mr. F. Baldwin. Apparently Trinity Church was the highest bidder, for the organ now in use there, in a handsome mahogany case, carved and ornamented, bears an oval plate saying: PRESENTED FOR THE/ USE OF ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH/ BY/ MR. SOLOMON MARSH/ 1823. From Mr. Perry's report of 1867 we learn of the installation of the new organ, "built by J. Simmons, of Boston, at a cost of nearly $3,000" which was giving perfect satisfaction.
155
MUSIC
There is record of a vote, at a meeting of the vestry in June, 1866, to
pay to Dr. Howard E. Gates a Salary of Seventy Five Dollars from the Treasury of this Parish for playing the organ and leading the Choir for one year from the 2nd Sunday of July 1866 and also to pay him his expenses for organ blower for practice a sum not exceeding twenty five dollars in addition to the above.
Of Dr. Gates, Dr. Arthur E. Bostwick, who grew up in Litchfield, tells in his Life with Men and Books that he was accustomed to practice in the church but, being absent-minded, he frequently forgot his key. He provided for his forgetfulness by leaving a convenient window unlocked. One evening, on making his entry through the window, he found when about half-way through that the church was full of an attentive congregation engaged in eve- ning prayer. The doctor had forgotten that it was Lent! Dr. Gates' memory of the awkward incident was of the look on the face of the rector's wife, which was one of fascinated horror. Dr. Bostwick makes his story even better by adding that the account of this affair was reported to the Police Gazette, of New York, which published the story with lurid details.
Another name connected with the church's music is that of Dr. Algernon S. Lewis, clerk of the Episcopal Society for many years. Dr. Seymour wrote of him in the Record of St. Michael's, which was started by William Payne, that he remembered Dr. Lewis as a long-time leader of the choir and as devoted especially to the musical interests of the Parish. He added that Dr. Lewis had taken no active part in the music for many years before Mr. Perry be- came rector in 1864.
An article which appeared in a local paper in 1881, though in amusing vein, tells something of the condition of St. Michael's organ. The article says: "The dropsy is what ailed St. Michael's organ in Litchfield. Dr. J. M. Morris, of Danbury, tapped it and got a quart of water." It was in 1881 that Dr. Seymour entered in the parish record that, at an expense of about $600, the galleries in the church had been removed and the organ brought forward and
156
MUSIC
protected from the rain, which had badly injured it. The news- paper article is a humorous corroboration of Dr. Seymour's state- ment.
About the organists who served St. Michael's during this time we do not have exact information. Dr. Bostwick says that his mother played the organ in St. Michael's for many years. He is also responsible for the information that George A. Hickox, editor of the Litchfield Enquirer, and a musician as well, formerly officiated at the organ, but gave it up when he gave up church-going as in- consistent with his modernist views.1
In 1881 John J. Karl became organist. He was a member of St. Michael's Parish, one of a musically gifted family. He, with several brothers, had an orchestra. At least one brother sang in St. Mi- chael's choir. Mr. Karl became organist at the age of sixteen. A notice in the local paper in 1882, reporting the Christmas services, speaks of the excellent music and says: "Mr. Karl played the organ with great taste and skill throughout the services, and shows a very marked improvement since his first taking charge of the in- strument one year ago."
At a vestry meeting held on April 21, 1885, a choir committee was appointed, consisting of Edward W. Seymour, chairman, John T. Hubbard, and the rector. It was "voted that Professor Robert Weiss be appointed to play the organ one month, coming April 26, 1885, on trial, prior to a regular engagement." Professor Weiss received a permanent appointment. At a vestry meeting in June, 1886, it was voted to assume the expenses, not to exceed $500, for organist and choir for the next year. In 1889 the sum ap- propriated was not to exceed $400 for music for the following year, and in 1890 the same amount was voted. In October, 1891, the music committee was instructed to secure the services of an organist for the balance of the year, in place of the late Professor R. M. Weiss. Mr. Bissell, in an entry in St. Michael's Record, writes: "Prof. Robt. M. Weiss, for seven & a half years organist
1 Bostwick, A Life with Men and Books.
157
MUSIC
of St. Michael's died on Sunday, Sept. 13, 1891. An accomplished, gentle, faithful man."
At a vestry meeting in June, 1892, the resignation of C. R. Duffie, Jr., as organist was read. Mr. Duffie was later a member of the music committee. Still later he played the organ at St. Paul's Church, Bantam, for many years and accepted no salary. Appar- ently Mr. Karl had been studying during Professor Weiss' period as organist, and again became organist following Mr. Duffie, and continued in that office until his death in March, 1915, altogether a period of about thirty years. Miss Frances E. Hickox seems to have been assistant or substitute organist during part of that pe- riod.
It must have given satisfaction to Mr. Karl and the choir to re- ceive from the vestry in April, 1898, "their thanks to the persons composing the choir on Easter Day, for their effective service ren- dered on the morning of that day." On another Easter some years later, in 1911, a new organ was used for the first time. This organ was a very fine one, modern and equipped with tubular pneumatic action. The organ it replaced had tracker action. The latter was presented to St. Paul's, Bantam, where it is still in use. The new organ was the gift of Mrs. Edward W. Seymour as a memorial to her husband who, while a vestryman, was identified with the music committee. The Litchfield Enquirer of the week following that Easter Sunday had this account of the new organ:
Easter was a red letter day at St. Michael's. The new organ, the gift of Mrs. Edward Seymour, who came up from New York especially for the initiatory performance, seemed to be endowed with almost human intelligence and under the manipulation of that expert, old tried and true John J. Karl, gave forth a melody of sounds of excep- tional sweetness. The large choir sang most beautifully, the program having been arranged with special care.
Mrs. George S. McNeill, who was organist when Mr. Brewster became rector in 1916, followed Mr. Karl. The choir in 1916 was a paid quartet. With the approval of the vestry Mr. Brewster
158
MUSIC
changed to a volunteer choir, which continued for some years very satisfactorily. When Mrs. McNeil asked to be relieved of her duties as organist, she was appointed as a permanent member of the music committee. Miss Josephine Brewster succeeded her as organist in August, 1916.
When the present church was being built the organ was sent to the Hall Organ Company, of West Haven, the original builders, to be made a trifle larger and equipped with electro-pneumatic action. In the new church, the organ and the choir were brought from the gallery at the back to the front of the church. One result of the change was a vested choir.
The volunteer choir which had served from 1916 was excellent in many ways, but, as is often true of volunteers, not entirely re- liable. A full choir would be present on Easter Sunday, and the following Sunday there would be no one! At the annual parish meeting in 1930, a committee composed of Miss Brewster, Mrs. Cunningham, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Wetmore, and Mr. F. N. Mc- Kenzie was appointed to look into ways and means of providing for a paid quartet. The committee brought in a report from which has evolved the choir which is serving at the present time with great satisfaction. It is composed of a professional quartet, with a group of volunteers. From time to time a junior choir has assisted the adult choir; at times it is composed of boys, again girls, and again both boys and girls. In her report on the Sunday school in 1931, Mrs. Wetmore spoke of a junior choir of 10 boys and 14 girls. The junior choir, in addition to assisting the adult choir, has been responsible for special services, particularly those connected with the church school.
In Mr. Dunn's rectorate a boy choir was organized and trained, and sang for a time. The boys outgrew the choir and their place has been taken by girls. Use of both boys and girls is part of the general youth program of St. Michael's, which has as its goal the preparation of the young people to take an active part in the adult work of the parish as soon as they are of age.
XVI
THE FOUR ST. MICHAEL'S
OF THE FIRST CHURCH called St. Michael's, built in 1749, little is known, even as to the exact spot on which it stood. In 1922 a marker was placed on the east or south side of the road going west from the village, about a mile from the center, to indicate its ap- proximate location. The only description of the building is the very brief mention of it in Mrs. Anna Dickinson's Narrative, in which she says merely that it was covered, that seats were made for it, and apparently a pulpit, reading desk, and chancel were added later. The pulpit was probably high, in the manner of pul- pits of that day, for when the old church was abandoned it was placed in Trinity Church, Milton, and somewhat later cut down to the more customary height. It is from President Stiles' Itiner- aries that we have any record of the size of the church. From a conversation with Mr. Viets, the missionary at Simsbury, in 1761, he learned that in Litchfield there were forty-four families con- nected with the Episcopal church, and that the church measured 40 by 36 feet. A drawing of the exterior of this early church was made in 1900 from a description given by D. C. Kilbourn. It has more the appearance of a meeting house than a church. But it must have been of sturdy construction, for it served its congregation for sixty years or more, at the end of which time it was, to be sure, in a state of decay and delapidation. Undoubtedly it was unheated and unlighted.
About the second church building only a little more is known than about the first. It was built on land given in 1808 for the pur-
160
THE FOUR CHURCHES
pose by Samuel Marsh, brother of Truman Marsh, the rector. The land, 60 by 64 feet, was part of the property on which the present church stands. In 1809, when plans to build were made we are told that the size of the building contemplated was 40 by 64 feet; it was estimated that the church could be built for $1,600. The building was of late colonial style, with a spire at the west end. Started in 1809, it was partly built during that year and the next, but was then left unfinished because funds were lacking. In about two years, however, more funds were raised by subscription, the church was finished, and the first service was held in December, 1812. The church was consecrated on June 3, 1824, by Bishop Brownell.
Little is told us about this church. It was small, though larger than the church it replaced. It is not known if it was heated, but in all probability it was not. Dr. Fuller in his 1848 report speaks of the desirability of having a separate building for the Sunday school "where likewise," he says, "the Divine Service could be held on occasions during the cold season when it is now thought inex- pedient to open the Church." It was probably poorly lighted, if at all. There was a singers' gallery. In 1823 an organ was placed in it by Mr. Solomon Marsh. In 1826 the sum of $250 was raised by subscription and spent on the seats and pulpit and the interior of the church. In that year, too, the church underwent repairs. In July or August of 1828 a bell weighing 546 pounds was bought for $220, raised by subscription. In the early 1830's a vestry room was finished under the east end of the church, and also a Sunday school room under about a third of the building. This cost $300, which was also raised by subscription. At the time these improve- ments were added the church building and organ were insured for $3,500.
In the chancel were two chairs of interesting history. They had been part of the parlor furniture of Oliver Wolcott, Jr., when, as Secretary of the Treasury under Washington and Adams, he
THE THIRD ST. MICHAEL'S, 1851-1920 Courtesy Litchfield Historical Society
THE PRESENT ST. MICHAEL'S, CONSECRATED JULY 13, 1921
-
-
-
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, BANTAM, 1843
-
PZ.
---
-
---
---
--
----
-----
-- -
----
- .
---
7
---
----
TRINITY CHURCH, MILTON RAISED IN 1802; COMPLETED IN 1826; CONSECRATED IN 1837 From J. F. Kelly: Early Connecticut Meetinghouses
-- ----
161
THE FOUR CHURCHES
lived in Philadelphia. They were brought by him to Litchfield when he returned in 1812. When, in bad repair, they later became the property of his son, Dr. John S. Wolcott, Mr. D. C. Bulkley begged them of him and in 1837 became their owner. He repaired them and presented them to St. Michael's where they stood in the chancel, probably serving as chairs for the Bishop and other dis- tinguished visitors.
Part of what we know about the second church we learn from Dr. Fuller's report in 1849. In this he made a plea for a new build- ing, saying:
The present wooden church, built towards half a century since, and now the poorest in the whole county, has barely sixty-two small and uncomfortable pews, which can conveniently seat only about 250 persons.
In 1851, when the new, or third, church was built, the second church was sold for $300 and was taken down. On the first page of the Litchfield Enquirer of April 3 of that year is the following notice:
St. Michael's Parish in this village was last week purchased by Col. Baldwin at public vendue, who is now engaged in pulling it down. A more spacious building, in the Gothic style of architecture will be erected upon its site during the summer. Meantime the congregation will hold their Sabbath services in the Court House.
In 185 1 in his report on the parish Dr. Benjamin W. Stone tells that "a spacious Gothic Church is being erected on the site of the old building . . . at a cost of $6,500." The cornerstone was laid July 15, 1851, and the building raised in five days of the follow- ing week. The building was completed and consecrated on De- cember 16, 1851, six months after the laying of the cornerstone. When construction was completed the building was entirely paid for. The total costs of building and furnishing the third church were as follows:
162
THE FOUR CHURCHES
Contract with the builders
Extra work performed by them
$6,2 50.00 158.37
$6,408.37
Part of foundation, furnace, organ, and other work not in the builder's contract
323.52
Additional work on furnace
27.47
350.99
Carpets, cushions, furniture
441.98
441.98
Additional land bought of E. S.
Seymour, 5 feet farther
north and 10 feet farther
east (back) to make the whole
lot 70 x 103 feet
40.00
40.00
$7,241.34
Subtracting the $300 for which the old building was sold, the re- maining cost was raised by subscription, and by donations from the ladies of the parish toward carpets and cushions.
The new church was also built of wood and was of the same width as the former building, but was 80 feet in length. Its tower, on which there was originally a spire, was also at the west end. There were galleries at the back and around the sides; those on the sides, we are told by Dr. Seymour, were removed in 1881, thus allowing the organ to be brought forward.
The windows and furnishings were almost entirely memorials. Beginning at once after the church was completed many were pre- sented, and gifts continued to be presented while the church was in use. Pulpit, reredos, bishop's chair, altar rail, and sedilia, all were gifts in memory of loved ones gone. Beautiful linens and laces for the altar were made by hand, or bought abroad. Mr. Brewster, in the last sermon preached in the church on its own site, on June 29, 1919, told in detail of the memorials.
Not long after Dr. Seymour became rector for the second time he started a building fund for a new church, fully realizing that the church built in 1851 would not endure many more years. When Mr. Brewster became rector it was apparent to all that the question of a new building should have immediate attention. The matter was being considered seriously by the vestry when Mr.
163
THE FOUR CHURCHES
Towne made his offer to build a stone Gothic church in memory of his wife, Mrs. Cora White Towne. As we have seen, this offer was made in 1919, and was accepted. Mr. Towne's offer was of a building to cost $100,000, but the church eventually cost much more. The architects were Rossiter and Mueller, of New York; the contractors, the H. Wales Lines Company, of Meriden. The foundation was completed in 1919; in April, 1920, work was started on the superstructure under the superintendence of Mr. Willard F. Peck. The cornerstone was laid June 6, 1920; the church was consecrated on July 13, 192 1.
The fourth church, which belongs to the decorated period of English Gothic architecture, is built of Roxbury granite, laid in short bond. The trimmings are concrete. The tower, which is the dominant note of the exterior, is over the crossing. The main en- trance is at the southwest corner, in order to give place for a large west window. An entrance at the northwest corner can be ap- proached by car. On entering the church one is impressed by its length, which is not apparent from the outside because of the tower which hides the chancel. The nave is 40 by 80 feet, and the chancel 22 feet wide by 38 feet long. The delicate tracery of the trusses supporting the roof, in turn supported by stone corbels, is very beautiful.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.