USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > The First Church of Fairfield : being a brief account of three hundred and twenty three years in the First Church, Congregational, of Fairfield, Connecticut > Part 6
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
Furthermore the Committee was of the opinion that any new building should be in harmony with the present church building, from the architectural standpoint. The Committee proceeded to sub- mit specific proposals listed as Propositions A, B and C. Proposition A called for a building attached to the church, extending the church building west or north. Proposition B called for a detached building, perhaps connected with the church by a colonnade or covered pas- sage. Proposition C called for the assembly rooms of the Sunday School to be located within the present church building, with the class rooms being in a separate building. All three plans were dependent upon securing additional land close to the church.
The Committee recommended securing an architect and asked for an appropriation of one thousand dollars to cover the preliminary expenses of the architect's sketches. It also recommended enlarging the size of the Parish House Committee.
The conclusion of the Committee was that the detached building, namely Proposition B, would be most satisfactory in the end. It asked permission to proceed with the securing of an architect, also to have the preliminary sketches prepared, and the taking of steps to pur- chase land from the adjoining Mills property.
Among the features of a new building listed as desirable by the Committee were class rooms, an assembly room on the main floor, a gallery with rooms on the second floor, a ladies parlor with kitchen facilities, church offices, and bowling alleys, perhaps also a gym- nasium in the basement.
The meeting then proceeded to vote on the specific recommenda-
58
N
tions of the Parish House Committee. The majority of the members present favored an attached building, if the expense was reasonable. It was voted to secure an architect and proceed with plans for secur- ing the necessary funds. A committee of three members was to be appointed for that purpose. The sum of one thousand dollars was approved for the preliminary sketches of the architect. A motion was passed appointing Charles B. Jennings and Frederick Sturges Jr. as a committee of two to negotiate with the Mills family in the hope of securing additional land near the church. The committee for se- curing the needed funds consisted of W. M. Redfield, E. Carlisle Hunter and Fred A. Burr. The Parish House Committee was to be composed of W. Warren Cowles, H. Edgar Riker, Miss Ruth Hall, Mrs. W. O. Burr, and a fifth member to be selected by the Society's Committee.
At the Sunday morning service on June 29th, 1924, a number of short addresses were made to inaugurate the financial appeal for funds necessary in the building of a parish house. At the suggestion of Mr. Grant, the new pastor, Miss Emma Wakeman proposed that the new building be called the "Child Memorial Parish House" in memory of Dr. Frank S. Child who had served as pastor of the church for thirty-two years. This suggestion was put as a motion and carried unanimously.
At the annual meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society held on Jan- uary 14th, 1925, a report of progress was made concerning the appeal for funds for the new parish house. Over $40,000 had already been pledged, of which $22,000 were now in hand. A goodly number of the members of both the church and the Society had responded generously to the appeal. There were two initial gifts of $10,000 and $5,000 respectively. The mounting list of givers and the amounts opposite their names were an impressive testimonial of their church loyalty and their desire to contribute to the improved facilities for the religious education of the children of the parish. Mr. Warren Cowles spoke briefly outlining the work done in preparing pre- liminary sketches for the proposed parish house. Further details would have to await the purchase of the land and a final decision regarding the location of the new building.
On March 18th, 1925 there was a joint meeting of the First Church and the Ecclesiastical Society to hear the latest reports touching on the proposed parish house, with about sixty members
59
الساعد .
I
ـى لأحد
present. The Parish House Committee reported that they had en- gaged the services of William Gregory of New York City, for many years a partner of Mr. J. C. Cady who had designed the present church building, under the direction of a committee headed by Mr. Frederick Sturges Jr. A contract had been signed with Mr. Gregory which included a payment to cover the expense of the preliminary sketches.
Rough estimates indicated that the new building would cost around $100,000 including the land and equipment. But definite plans must await the purchase of the land. If the land were not available from the Mills estate it was suggested that a parish house might be built on parsonage land on the opposite side of Center Street. It was also suggested that the need of the church for religious education facilities took precedence over the social or recreational activities of the parish. The Parish House Committee felt that the athletic field was not a desirable location for the new building be- cause of its distance from the church and the fear that it would stress the recreational interests of the church members. The Com- mittee said that the difference in cost between the two locations was not an important factor.
On April 29th, 1925 there was another joint meeting of the First Church and the Ecclesiastical Society. At this meeting a number of resolutions were adopted to expedite the project of the new build- ing. The meeting approved the purchase of land on Center Street, now Beach Road, and if this were not possible, the members voted to erect the new building on the east side of Center Street. The meeting approved the use of the invested funds of the church for the purchase of the land, stating that the combined cost of the land and the building should not exceed $75,000.
It was brought out in the general discussion that there was a difference of opinion in the Parish House Committee regarding the use of Mr. Ziroli as the architect. Three members of the committee were in favor of cancelling the contract with Mr. Gregory and paying him $400 for his past services. They desired to make use of the services of Mr. Ziroli, drawing up a contract similar to that now held by Mr. Gregory. Two members of the Parish House Committee felt such a course to be unwise. They disapproved of cancelling the present contract with Mr. Gregory as there were not sufficient grounds for doing so.
60
L
-
Thus the meeting was faced with both majority and minority reports. It was recognized that there was a certain delicacy about the matter since Mr. Ziroli was a member of the First Church. The final vote was that the contract with Mr. Gregory should be ter- minated and a new contract should be entered into with Mr. Ziroli as the architect for the parish house project. It was further decided to proceed with the purchase of the necessary land from the ·Mills estate, the price not to exceed $125 per front foot.
At a special meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society on March 13th, 1925, the clerk of the Society presented a written statement in his capacity as Chairman of the Parish House Committee. He spoke of an interview with Mr. Gregory. He read a letter from Mr. Gregory expressing surprise over the proposal to employ Mr. Ziroli as the architect for the parish house project. The clerk then read the terms of the contract with Mr. Gregory. The decision of the meeting was that the contract with Mr. Gregory be terminated and that he be paid for his past services at the regular rate adopted by the American Institute of Architects. The meeting accepted with regret the resig- nation of Mr. Cowles as chairman of the Parish House Committee.
Now that Mr. Ziroli had been employed as architect the way was cleared for the preliminary plans for the new building. At a special meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society on October 16th, 1925, Mr. Lavery reported as the new: chairman of the Parish House Com- mittee. He offered two plans for discussion known as Plan A and Plan B. Plan A would cost $91,000 and would include a parish house of three floors, containing bowling alleys in the basement floor.
Plan B would contain additional facilities and cost $110,000. Mr. Lavery put it up to the meeting to make the decision as to which plan was preferable and financially feasible. It was the view of the majority present that Plan A was preferable but no final decisions were made at this meeting. At a later meeting of the Society on November 4th, 1925, it was voted to proceed with the construction of a parish house according to Plan A, as presented by Mr. Ziroli.
The time was approaching for the receiving of bids and the granting of contracts. At a meeting of the Society on May 19th, 1926 it was voted to authorize the Building Committee, of which Mr. W. O. Burr was chairman, to sign contracts with four different firms, totalling $68,000. With certain additions voted by the meeting, the total amount of expenditures approved came to $78,000. It was
61
land
1
1
also voted that the cost of the building and equipment, not covered by money in hand, should be raised by a mortgage on the parish house building and property.
The laying of the corner stone was an impressive ceremony. Those taking part included Walter Redfield Jr. representing the Sunday School, Frederick Sturges Jr. representing the Ecclesiastical Society, William O. Burr, the chairman of the Building Committee, Rev. John H. Grant, pastor of the church, and Dr. Frank S. Child Jr. representing the Child family.
The exercises followed a Sunday morning church service. There was a procession of Sunday School children led by the church choir. Mr. Grant led the congregation in a special responsive reading. There was the ceremony of laying the corner stone, using a silver trowel in the laying of the mortar at the base of the corner stone. The cere- mony concluded with a memorial prayer, given by the pastor.
At a meeting of the Society on August 4th, 1926, it was voted that Bacon Wakeman and Frederick Sturges Jr. should institute a suit in the Superior Court of Fairfield County to obtain a judgement, authorizing the sale of farm land belonging to the parsonage prop- erty. It was furthermore voted that when the authority to sell the land was obtained, the land should be sold jointly to Andrew L. Riker, Miss Annie B. Jennings, James T. Roche Jr., and Charles B. Jennings, for the sum of $27,000. At this same meeting a vote authorized the Society's Committee to borrow such sums of money as might be necessary to complete and furnish the parish house.
On June 24th, 1927, the Society received the permission of the Superior Court to sell the parsonage land. The Court ruled that the net proceeds of the sale were to be held in trust by the Society for the benefit of the minister and that the income from the trust fund should be paid to the minister. This issue was amicably adjusted both to the satisfaction of the pastor and of the Society.
The combined efforts of both church and Society to build a new parish house reached a happy culmination on Sunday, May 15th, 1927. On that day the Child Memorial Parish House was dedicated. The program took place at 4:30 P.M. and was as follows: Hymn, "Come Thou Almighty King," Invocation and Lord's Prayer, Anthem by the combined choirs, Responsive Reading led by Rev. Delmar S. Markle, Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Gloria Patri, The Ceremony of the Keys, presented by William O. Burr of the Build-
62
ing Committee to Bacon Wakeman of the Society's Committee, Memorial Address by Samuel C. Morehouse, Poem by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright, Anthem by combined choirs, Address, "The Church of Tomorrow," Rev. Claris E. Silcox, former pastor of the church, Violin Solo by Pemberton Sturges, The Service of Dedication led by Mr. Grant, Prayer, Hymn, "Faith of Our Fathers," Benediction by Rev. Allen E. Beeman, Pastor Emeritus of St. Paul's Church.
During this service of dedication there was a presentation of a table and three chairs, to be used on the platform of the parish house. Mr. Grant explained that this was a combined gift by a member of the Building Committee, also some members of the Fairfield Roman Catholic Church, and several Jewish residents of Fairfield and Bridgeport.
Mr. Grant read a letter of congratulation from Rev. John E. Bushnell of Minneapolis who was the pastor of the First Church from 1884 to 1888. Mrs. Wright read the following poem which was composed for the occasion:
"He was our Friend, Friend of this town, beloved, He spread its storied past beside the way, Whereby Tomorrow, knowing Yesterday May deeper push its roots for anchorage. The doorways of the people opened wide To him who knew no chafing bonds of creed Who wove the human ties with love for all God's miracles of earth and sky and sea. Hle was our Friend: For peace his spoken words.
The sunset his Te Deum, stars his compass points For charting the beyond, the rhythmic waves His pacemakers of moods, exalted, calm. Who knew him miss him. They miss who knew him not.
"Tis said no one is dead so long as he
Is named with words of love. Then he lives on,
Is with us at this hour. In Love, chief of the three Immortal proofs of Immortality:
Faith, Hope and Love; with work the manifest.
He was our Friend and Good. Can man say more? Upon the everlasting hills seek ye for strength. Amen."
There were special gifts made for the parish house equipment by Sunday School classes and various church organizations. The fur-
63
الدو
١١ سماء:
nishings of the kitchen were presented by the Women's Guild of the church. The Men's Assembly helped to equip the bowling alleys. Three rooms were furnished as memorials, a Junior class room by Mr. and Mrs. Harold C. Bullard, another Junior class room by Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Judd, and the new Kindergarten room by Mr. and Mrs. Lester H. White.
The Memorial Tablet to Dr. Child, placed inside the front door, was unveiled on December 11th, 1927. It is a bronze tablet, fash- ioned by the Tiffany Studios of New York City. It was given by Miss Annie B. Jennings and accepted by Rev. John H. Grant on behalf of the parish. The inscription reads as follows :-
"To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of Frank Samuel Child D.D.
Pastor of this church 1888-1920
Pastor Emeritus 1920-1922
For nearly thirty-four years he served this church and town with a sympathy and understanding that endeared him to all. A loyal follower of the Master, he taught by word and deed the love of God and his fellowmen, leaving us an enlarged conception of the Chris- tian ministry. Deeply interested in all good works, he gave freely of his time and thought to every cause of benefit to community and town. The memory of his life among us is hallowed and will remain forever a blessed inspiration. He kept the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
The new building was a great addition to the church program. Soon after its dedication Mr. John Forsyth became its janitor. The church members were aware that the maintenance of the parish house would add to the church budget, perhaps as much as $8000 a year. Hence there was an interest in having the new building used in a rental capacity whenever it was not needed for the church program.
64
لا
7 ,
Chapter Eight MR. GRANT'S PASTORATE.
With the resignation of Mr. Silcox the First Church faced the necessity of securing a new minister, a task that requires a con- siderable amount of time and good judgement on the part of the pastoral committee. Rev. Carlos C. Rowlison of La Crosse, Wis- consin was asked to serve as a supply minister during the summer months and live at the Sherman Parsonage with his family. This gave additional time to the pastoral committee in the search for a new pastor. In view of the brief pastorate of Mr. Silcox, the members of the First Church were undoubtedly desirous of finding a new minister who would have a substantial pastorate in Fairfield.
Among the candidates for the First Church was Rev. John H. Grant of Elyria, Ohio, where he had been the minister of a Con- gregational Church for fifteen years. He was invited to occupy the Fairfield pulpit on June 24th, 1923. The church members were greatly attracted to Mr. and Mrs. Grant, with the result that a special church meeting was held on July 18th, 1923 to hear the report of the pastoral committee and take whatever action seemed desirable. There was also a special meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society on that same evening for the purpose of taking similar action.
It so happened that about this time all the members of the church of voting age were invited to become members of the Ecclesiastical Society, with the suggestion that applications for membership be sent to the clerk of the Society, Mr. Edward Osborn. A committee of the Society was already investigating the question whether under the Bylaws of the Society it was possible for women to become members of the Ecclesiastical Society.
As a result of the two meetings on July 18th, a call was sent to Rev. John H. Grant, inviting him to become the minister of the First Church. Mr. Grant accepted the call sent to him by both the First Church and the Society, suggesting that he begin his pastorate on the first Sunday in October.
In his letter of acceptance Mr. Grant wrote as follows:
"As indicating my conception of the appeal presented by the Fair- field Church, the following words are quoted from my letter of resignation read in Elyria,- The tradition of the Fairfield Church is one of service to community and commonwealth. The parish is
65
£
F
. 41 60 00
1
7 ni tối cá
1
..
growing by a steady influx of homemaking families. A parish house is in prospect which can be made the center of a varied program for the younger life of the village, in addition to the purposes of religious education. The church is not unmindful of the stranger within its gates. Former pastors have been active in promoting the schools, library, historical and patriotic societies, the fresh air sum- mer camp, and helpful agencies. It is the type of church to which I am naturally drawn for my third and last pastorate. I will only add my confidence that the church in Fairfield desires to meet fully the challenge of this new day.'"
Soon after their arrival in October a reception was held for Mr. and Mrs. Grant so that the church members would have the oppor- tunity to get to know them personally. A large number were present and heard Mr. Grant's words of appreciation for their welcome and the efforts made to make them comfortable in the Sherman Par- sonage. Mr. Grant announced that he and Mrs. Grant would keep "open house" in the parsonage on two separate evenings and thus give the members the opportunity to see the improvements made in the parsonage, especially in the East Room. It was the desire of Mr. and Mrs. Grant that various committee meetings might be held in the parsonage from time to time.
An Ecclesiastical Council was asked to meet in the First Church on March 20th, 1924 for the purpose of installing Mr. Grant as the seventeenth minister of the First Church. Following the examination there was a church supper at 6 P.M. sponsored by the Women's Guild and the Eunoia Club. The Installation Service was held at 7:30 P.M. in the sanctuary. Rev. Charles E. Burton, Secretary of the National Council, preached the sermon. Mr. Silcox gave the prayer of installation. Rev. Shepherd Knapp of Worcester gave the charge to the minister. Rev. Sherrod Soule, Superintendent of the Con- necticut Conference of Congregational Churches, gave the right hand of fellowship. Dr. William Horace Day of the United Church in Bridgeport gave the charge to the church members.
As Mr. Grant expressed it in his letter of acceptance, Fairfield was now a rapidly growing community. Many changes were taking place. Former landmarks were gradually disappearing. For example, at a special meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society held on May 15th, 1924 there was a discussion about the removal of the stone hitching posts along Center Street thus increasing the space available for the
66
F
in
0
parking of automobiles. The issue was deferred for future decision and the hitching posts were eventually removed.
The early years of Mr. Grant's pastorate saw the construction and dedication of the new Parish House for which much spade work had been done during the ministry of Mr. Silcox and the late years of Dr. Child. The Parish House was a great stimulant to the weekly program of church activities. Not only did the Sunday School now have ample facilities for the various classes but the other church organizations were also greatly benefitted. There was a Young Couples' Club during Mr. Grant's pastorate.
The bowling alleys were in frequent use by youth groups and young adult groups. The upper level near the kitchen was in demand both as a dining room and as a gymnasium for games like basketball. A part of the upper level could also be used as a stage for dramatic productions, the audience sitting on the lower level.
During the pastorate of Mr. Silcox the Eunoia Club for young adults had been organized in 1921, with the help of Mr. and Mrs. Lavery. This club quickly became an active working group in the life of the church, helping occasionally with church finances, and also helping to integrate new members into the church. One of the club's notable activities in the early years was dramatics. The mem- bers put on one or two plays each year, using the Parish House stage on the upper level.
The list of plays given by members of the Eunoia Club included the following: "Mail Order Brides," "Only 38," "Green Stockings," "The Little Clodhopper," "A Rose o'Plymouth Town," "Oh Kay," "Middle Years," "Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh," "The Patsy," "Miss Wash- ington," "Intimate Strangers," and "What Ails You?". Needless to say these plays not only gave great pleasure to the participants but also to the church members as a whole.
Mr. and Mrs. Grant with their family had not been long in the parsonage before realizing that it was a rather large and expensive home in which to live. The building was old and in frequent need of repairs. The grounds required continuing attention. As a result Mr. Grant discussed the matter at various times with the appropriate committees of the Ecclesiastical Society, and financial assistance was usually forthcoming.
During the years of Mr. Grant's pastorate there were various gifts presented to the First Church. In 1924 Miss Annie Jennings offered
67
1
السدالا
to defray the cost of installing cup racks in the pews to be used during the Communion Service. This offer was gratefully accepted by the Society's Committee.
A silver vase to be used for flowers was given by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright. It was a family heirloom and had been presented in 1864 to Mrs. Wright's father, Rev. Samuel Osgood D.D., while pastor of the Church of the Messiah in New York City.
Five communion chairs were given by a church member, har- monizing in design with the other furnishings of the church. They were designed by the J. and R. Lamb Company of New York City, and were dedicated on January 4th, 1931.
Miss Annie Jennings helped with the redecorating and refurnish- ing of the church in 1930. She also helped greatly in the purchase of a new organ and in the remodeling of the chancel.
The First Church received from the Wakeman family a set of Mayland Memorial Chimes for the new organ. The chimes were donated in memory of Andrew P. Wakeman, Cornelia K. Wakeman and Mary A. Sturges.
A service of dedication for the new organ, chimes and remodeled chancel was held on Sunday morning, January 24th, 1932. The new organ was a three manual instrument and its construction was carried out by the Harry Hall Company of New Haven. The pipes of the old organ, being of excellent quality, were incorporated into the new organ. The J. and R. Lamb Company of New York City had charge of the remodeling of the chancel.
A short time after the dedication a Vesper Service was held in the church with a program arranged by the Harry Hall Company. Mr. Raymond Clarke, organist of the Plymouth Church of New Haven, was at the organ. Miss Ida Hippolitus was the soprano soloist and Mr. Demander played the violin.
A notable occasion for the First Church was the dedication service of the Children's Chapel on January 29th, 1935. In a certain sense it was a memorial service to Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright who passed away in July 1934 and who was well known as a naturalist, writer, and who had such great interest in the Fairfield Bird Sanctuary.
The original gift to the Children's Chapel was Mrs. Wright's painting, "The Good Shepherd" which had hung in her father's home. Mrs. Wright also gave the table with its cover, the cross, the vase and the candle-sticks.
68
السعر
...
The curtain in the Children's Chapel, used as a background for the painting, was the gift of Miss Annie B. Jennings. The lighting and installation were the gift of Dr. and Mrs. Edward N. Dewitt. The chapel chairs were the gift of Katherine Anne Dewitt. The brass vases were the gift of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. S. Pickett. The lectern was donated by the Women's Guild of the church in memory of Mrs. Frank S. Child.
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.