USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Redding > The history of Redding, Connecticut : from its first settlement to the present time > Part 10
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November 12th, 1730 .- It was voted "that we will build a meting- hous in said society for the worship of God in the Presbyterian way. Voted that the meting-hous shall be thirty feet long, twenty eight feet wide, and two stories high, voted, that Lemuel Sanford, Thomas Wil- liams, and Daniel Lion, (be) chosen committee for (building) s'd met- ing hous."
Feb. 23d, 1730-1 .- "You that are of the minds that all those persons that do, or hereafter may inhabit in this parish, which profess themselfs to be of the Church of England, shall have free liberty to come into this meting hous that is now in building, and attend the Publick worship of God there, according to the articles of faith agreed upon by the assembly of Divines at Seabrook, and established by the laws of this Government, and be seated in s'd hous according to their estats."
November 3d, 1732 .- "Stephen Burr hath undertaken to cart stones and clay for the underpinning the meting hous for I lb. Ios. ood. Daniel Lion hath undertaken to underpin the meting hous and tend himself for 2 lbs. 4s. od. Daniel Lion hath undertaken to get the lath and lay them on for 3 lbs. os. od. Stephen Burr and Theophilus Hull are chosen committee to take care of the parsonage" (probably to secure a par- sonage for the expected preacher, as it is not likely that one was then built).
It was as yet, however, a church without a pastor. Mr. Elisha Kent had been called in October, 1730, but had declined, as we infer from the silence of the records on the subject. A Society meeting held May 8th, 1732, extended a similar call to the Rev. Timothy Mix, and deputed
*The corner-stone of the old church may still be seen on the common, a little south of a line drawn from Prof. Frank Abbott's to the store formerly occupied by Mr. Mandeville.
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Deacon George Hull "to go to the association at Stanford to ask advice concerning the settlement of Mr. Mix"; but this call, as in the case of Mr. Kent, seems to have been declined. At length a unanimous call was made to the Rev. Nathaniel Hun, as follows :
Jan. 31, 1732-3 .- "At a society meeting held in the parish (of) Read- ing, George Hull chosen Moderator for s'd meting, Mr. Nathaniel Hunn by a voit nemine contradicente was made chois of for the minister of s'd parish, furthermore it was voited at s'd meting to settle upon the s'd Mr. Hunn's yearly sallery as followeth, that is, for the first year of his ad- ministration, seventy pounds current money or bills of Public Credit in New England, the second year, seventy-five pounds, for the third year, eighty pounds, for the fourth year, eighty five pounds, the fifth year ninety pounds, the sixth year, ninety five pounds, the seventh year, a hundred pounds, all in currant money as afores'd, and so on a hundred pounds a year during the term of his continuance in the ministry in s'd parish, and also to give the s'd Mr. Hunn the whole and sole priviledge of all the parsonage land belonging to s'd parish, and to provide him his firewood, during the term aboves'd, also to find him a convenient dwell- ing hous for the first five years, also to give the s'd Mr. Hunn, a hun- dred acres of land on or before the day of his ordination."
Feb. 20th, 1732-3 .- "It was voited that the ordination of Mr. Hunn shall be on the 21st day of March next," and John Read and George Hull were chosen a committee "to represent the parish concerning the ordination of Mr. Hunn." From this point we have for a guide the church records in the handwriting of Mr. Hunn, its settled pastor. It is called "A Book of Records Wherein is an account, Ist of the trans- actions of the church, 2d of persons received to communion, 3rd of per- sons baptized, 4th of marriages, 5th of deaths, 6th of persons who re- new the covenant."
The Rev. Sidney G. Law, in his Centennial Sermon, delivered at Redding, July 6th, 1876, thus speaks of Mr. Hunn's pastorate :
"His first record is very brief for so important a matter, viz: 'March 2Ist, 1733, I was separated to the work of the ministry by prayer and fasting, and the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery.' The next record gives the choice of deacons, viz: 'At a church meeting March 29, 1733, we made choice of Stephen Burr for a deacon, and some time after we chose Theo. Hull to the same service. The next records relate to the adoption of Tate and Brady's version of the Psalms, first for one month, and then for the indefinite future. The first mem- bers of the church enumerated by Mr. Hun were as follows: Col. John Read and wife, Theophilus Hull and wife, George Hull and wife, Peter Burr and wife, Daniel Lion and wife, Daniel Bradley and wife, Stephen
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Burr and wife, Ebenezer Hull and wife, John Griffen, Nathaniel San- ford, Thomas Fairchild, Lemuel Sanford, Benjamin Lion and wife, Mary wife of Richard Lion, Isaac Hull, Esther wife of Thomas Wil- liams, Esther wife of Benjamin Hamilton. Thus it appears that the church was organized with twenty-six members, including the two dea- cons, about the time that Mr. Hun was ordained, viz., the 21st of March, 1733. Mr. Hunn married Ruth, a sister of Col. Read .* He was pastor of the church sixteen years. During this time he received about ninety- two members into the church, the most of them by letter of recommenda- tion from neighboring churches. He performed thirty-five marriages and one hundred and ninety-two baptisms. He died while on a journey, and was buried in Boston in 1749. His widow, Ruth Hunn, died in 1766, and was buried near her brother, Col. John Read, in the cemetery west of the parsonage."
Mr. Hunn's administration seems to have been a happy and prosper- ous one, and few events of importance occurred during its continuance. The records are taken up with cases of church discipline, with additions to his salary, providing his firewood, and with repairs to the meeting house.
In 1738 it was voted "to finish glassing the meting hous, and to finish seating the meting hous as is begun, and do something to the pulpit." In 1739, "voted, that Sergt. Joseph Lee shall get Mr. Hun's wood, and have seven pounds for it." "Voted that the place for putting up warn- ings for society meetings be changed from Umpawaug to the mill door." In 1740, "voted to rectifie the meting hous in the following articles, viz. to put in new glass where it is wanting, and to mend the old. To lay some beams in the gallery and double floor. To fasten the meting hous doors ; to make stairs up the gallery ; to put a rail on the foreside of the gallery," and "that the place for parish meeting shall be at the school house, by the meting hous for the future." In 1741, "voted, to seat the meting hous in the lower part with plain strong seats." In 1742, "voted to impower the parish committee to agree with a person to beat the drum as a signal to call the people together on the sabbath." Again, Feb. 15, 1743-4, "It was voted that the timber and boards provided for seating the meeting house, shall be improved to that end for the use of the Parish." These entries though unimportant in themselves give us pleasant glimpses of the healthy and active life of the church. Mr. Hunn died in the summer or fall of 1749, and for the four following years the
*She was a daughter of the Hon. John Read, who settled at Lonetown in 1714. Both Mr. Law and Mr. Barber are in error in supposing that the original John Read lived and died in Redding. He removed to Boston in 1722, and his. son John succeeded to his title, and to the manor at Lonetown. The latter is the one mentioned in these records.
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church was without a pastor. A call was extended to Mr. Solomon Mead in March, 1751, without success, and in November of the same year to the Rev. Izrahiah Wetmore, with a like result. The interim was im- proved by the people, however, in building a new church, which stood nearly on the site of the present edifice.
The first action in this important matter was taken at a Society meet- ing held Feb. 9, 1748, when it was put to vote "whether it be necessary to build a new meting hous in s'd Parish," and passed in the affirmative; whereupon "Left. Joseph Sanford" was appointed agent for the Society to prefer a memorial to the next General Assembly, "to affix the place whereon the meeting house should be built." The successive stages by which the building grew to completion are defined in a very interesting manner in the records. Dec. 29th, 1799, "It was voted that Deacon Burr and others be a committee to see that there is timber got, and saw- mill logs for a meeting house in this Parish, s'd timber to be 37 ft. in width and 46 ft. in length." Jan. 17th, 1750, the County Court in ses- sion at Fairfield, on the memorial of Redding, appointed Thomas Bene- dict, Esq., and Capt. Josiah Starr, of Danbury, and Samuel Olmsted, Esq., of Ridgefield, a committee to affix the place whereon the meeting- house should be built; to act with these, the Society appointed a com- mittee composed of John Read, Stephen Burr, Joseph Sanford and Ephraim Jackson. Jan. 29th, 1751, a committee was appointed "to agree with some persons to build the new meting hous." It would appear that ground had not been broken for it as early as April 25th, 1751, for at that date a committee was appointed to meet the County Court's com- mittee "to find a place for the meeting house."
It was probably completed and ready for use early in the summer of 1752, as on the 22d of June of that year a call was extended to the Rev. Mr. Tammage to be their preacher, and the old meeting house was sold to Jehu Burr for £34. The manner in which this meeting-house was. "seated" (which did not occur until 1763) is an interesting commentary on the manners and customs of the day, and has the further merit of novelty, it being doubtful if another record can be found in New Eng- land detailing so minutely the method of assigning pews in the early Puritan churches. We copy from the records of a Society meeting held at Widow Sanford's, June 23d, 1763 :
"Put to vote whether the meeting house of s'd society shall be seated in ye form following viz. a com'te being appointed to Dignify ye pews and other seats in s'd Meeting House the Respective members of s'd society shall sit in s'd pews and seats according to their Rank and De- gree to be computed by their several lists and age, viz. upon ye two last years lists, and to allow three pound per year to be added to a person's
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List for his advancement in a seat, and all at ye discresion of s'd com'te who shall be appointed to Dignify s'd pews and seats, and to inspect the Respective lists and ages of s'd members."
The committee appointed was Joseph Sanford, Ebenezer Couch, and Stephen Burr; but Messrs. Sanford and Burr declining to act, Ephraim Jackson and Joseph Banks were chosen in their place. This committee was unable to settle the question satisfactorily, and a meeting was held August IIth, 1763, at which the following action was taken :
"It was put to vote whether the Dignity of ye pews and seats in ye meeting house should be in the following manner viz. ye pew adjoin- ing ye pulpit stairs first in Dignity: ye pew adjoining ye grait doors, west side, second in Dignity : the fore seat third in Dignity, the second pew west of ye pulpit, fourth: the second seat, fifth: the second pew north from the west door, sixth: the fifth pew north of ye west door seventh : the third pew north of the west door, eighth: the second pew west of ye grait doors ninth: the first pew south of ye west door, tenth: the third seat, eleventh : the second pew south of the west door twelfth: the fourth seat, thirteenth: the front seat in ye gallery, fourteenth: the fore seat on ye side of the gallery, fifteenth: the pews and seats upon ye east end of ye meeting house of Equal Dignity with those upon the west side in same manner and order as they are above mentioned. Passed in the negative."
Three months later another meeting was called, and adopted the following plan :
"The respective members of the society shall sit in ye pews and seats of the meeting house of s'd Society according to their rank or degree, to be computed by their respective lists and ages, viz. upon the lists given in upon the years 1751 and 1761 and 1762, and to allow three pounds per year to be added to a person's list for his advancement in a seat or pew the Respective lists and ages of s'd members are to be in- spected, also to give the committee chosen at this meeting power to seat those that are new comers, and have not . in s'd society, to seat them at s'd committee's discresion.
"Likewise to seat ye Widows in s'd Society at the best of ye Com- mittee's judgment, which method of seating s'd meeting house shall continue until s'd Society at their meeting shall order otherwise.
"Also voted that s'd com'te shall seat those women whose husbands belong to the Church of England at their discresion."
The Rev. Nathaniel Bartlett, the second pastor of the church, was ordained May 23d, 1753, the next year after the church was built. From
RESIDENCE OF JOHN B. SANFORD, Redding Centre.
RESIDENCE OF JOHN B. SANFORD, Redding Centre.
The house now occupied by Jonathan Bartlett Sanford is one of the most historic places in the town, In 1753 the Congregational Church in Redding called the Rev. Nathaniel Bartlett, of Guilford, to be its second pastor.
It was the custom of those days to give a settlement to the new pastor, and this church gave Mr. Bartlett twenty acres of land.
In May, 1753, he brought his bride, Eunice Barker Russell, to Redding, and immediately began building a house on the settlement land.
Into this house were built the strong, sturdy principles of the man who for more than half a century did grand service in helping to shape the destiny of the new country. The proportions of the house were laid out on a gener- ous scale, and unlike most country houses of that period, the rooms are large and the ceilings high, and only skilled workmen could have wainscotted the walls and fitted the panels with such care and exactness that they show in a very slight degree the wear of a century and a half.
In the "Keeping Room" is a corner cupboard, with shelves for the family china, and on the walls are fine portraits of the benign pastor and his wife. A capacious brick oven opens from the side of the great kitchen fire- place, and is still in perfect condition for use.
This house was scarcely finished when the French and Indian war broke out and the young wife must have known many anxious hours while the pas- tor was absent on his ministrations among his scattered parishioners.
When the spirit of discontent with British rule swept over the colonies, it was under this roof that many earnest conferences were held, and when the time for action came the sons of the family were freely sent to aid the cause of liberty.
Fearing some sudden attack Mr. Bartlett had stores of ammunition secret- ed in the garret to aid in protecting the little hamlet.
The doors of this hospitable house were always open to the youth of the place for whatever instruction the pastor could give them, and among many notable men whose early education began here perhaps the most widely known was Joel Barlow.
Rev. Jonathan Bartlett succeeded his father in the ownership of the house. He was a man of rare scholarship and a close friend of Dr. Timothy Dwight, who was a frequent visitor at the house.
In 1847, Lemuel Sanford, a nephew of Rev. Jonathan Bartlett, built a house adjoining the main house on the east side, and after the death of his uncle, came into the possession of this historic place, which has ever since been the family home.
Mr. Sanford filled the offices of Judge of Probate, Town Clerk and Treas- urer for a continuous period of thirty-five years, and during that time all the records of the town and church were kept in the house without any of the modern safeguards of safe or vault.
The house is remarkable for having remained unchanged in outward form or interior arrangement and seems in good condition to stand the storms of another century.
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the record in his own handwriting, we learn that the ministers who as- sisted at his ordination were as follows:
"The Rev. Mr. White of Danbury made the first prayer. The Rev. Mr. Todd of East Guilford preached the sermon. Rev. Mr. Kent made the ordaining prayer. Rev. Mr. Mills of Ripston gave the charge, Rev. Mr. Judson of Newtown gave the right hand of fellowship, and Rev. Mr. Ingersoll of Ridgefield made the concluding prayer."
Mr. Bartlett came to Redding when a young man fresh from his col- legiate studies, and continued pastor of the church over which he was ordained for fifty-seven years-the longest pastorate, it is said, known to the New England churches. He is described as a gentleman of the old school, kind and considerate, of an equable temper, a just man, a fine scholar, and an eloquent preacher. During his term of service the crude settlement in the wilderness assumed the dignity of a town. The church grew from infancy to manhood and the country passed from the position of dependent colonies to that of free and sovereign states. In the War of Independence Mr. Bartlett's sympathies were entirely with the patriot cause; two of his sons entered the army, munitions of war were stored in his house, and he himself frequently officiated as chaplain during the encampment of Putnam's division in the town in the winter of 1779. Like many of the New England clergymen of that day, he was the teacher of such youths in his charge as might desire a liberal education, and among the many whom he thus fitted for usefulness was the celebrated poet and statesman, Joel Barlow. Mr. Bartlett died Jan. II, 1810, and was buried in the old cemetery west of the church. The simple inscription upon his tombstone reads as follows :
THE REV. NATHANIEL BARTLETT.
Died, January 11, 1810, aged 83 years.
"I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."-JESUS CHRIST.
During the entire period of Mr. Bartlett's ministry we have in the church records but one entry of importance, and that is of interest as marking the legal status of the Episcopal Society in the town. This entry is as follows :
"To Seth S. Smith of Redding, in Fairfield Co. Greeting, Whereas by law the Episcopal Church in said Redding is become a distinct society whereby the members of the Presbyterian church in said Redding have become the first society in said town. These are therefore by authority of the State of Connecticut to command you to warn and give notice to all the members of said first society, and all others who by law are ob- liged to contribute toward the support, and the worship, and the ministry
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with the same, to meet at the meeting house in said Redding on Monday the 20th of December at 12 in order to choose a moderator and necessary officers.
"REDDING, December 14, 1785."
The Rev. Jonathan Bartlett, third minister of the church, was ordain- ed as colleague with his father, Rev. Nathaniel Bartlett, in 1796. The first of the church records in his handwriting is as follows :
"Feb. 3, 1796. I was separated to the work of the ministry and or- dained as colleague with my father Nathaniel Bartlett over the Congre- gational church in Redding in Gospel order and form. The ministers who performed the work were as follows viz. the Rev. Israhiel Wetmore- chosen Moderator, Robert Ross made the ordaining prayer, Elisha Rex- ford made the introductory prayer, David Ely preached the sermon. Imposition of hands by N. Bartlett, R. Ross and Rexford. John Ely gave the right hand of fellowship, Samuel W. Stebbins made the con- cluding prayer."
Of the life and ministry of this most excellent man, one who knew him intimately, the Rev. Thomas F. Davies, thus wrote:
"In February, 1796, Mr. Bartlett was ordained colleague with his father, and after a faithful ministry of thirteen years, greatly esteemed and beloved by his people, was dismissed on account of ill-health, and by his own request. His heart was gladdened near the close of his. pastoral life by a powerful and general revival of religion among the people of his charge. After his dismission, and when his health had been in a degree restored, he preached from time to time to destitute congre- gations in the vicinity, and at different periods, as occasion required, to the church of which he had been pastor, with great acceptation and use- fulness. As a preacher he was eminently distinguished, for he was a man 'mighty in the Scriptures.' Large portions of the Word of God, en- tire epistles even, dwelling in his memory, and when an impaired vision rendered the perusal of a book difficult or painful, he reviewed in his own mind, and often rehearsed to others, portions of the Scriptures with comments which rendered his society delightful and instructive. He was a man of native eloquence, and great skill in the examination and exhibition of the subject which came before him. He was a scribe, 'well instructed in the things of the kingdom, a workman that needed not to- be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.' While aiding other societies, he was eminently a benefactor to the church and society of which he had been a pastor, for in addition to the ministerial services gratuitously rendered, he gave in money in his various benefactions more to the society than the entire amount received from it during the
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whole period of his ministry, and has also left it a legacy of three thou- said dollars. Useful, honored, and beloved he lived in his native town, inhabiting for nearly a century the same residence, for he was born in. the house in which he died. With a calm and humble trust in God, in the entire possession of his mental powers, and with little apparent suf- fering, he fell asleep in Jesus."
Rev. Daniel Crocker, of Bedford, N. Y., was called in August, 1809, as colleague with Rev. Nathaniel Bartlett. He was a good man and a successful pastor, and served the church fifteen years, being dismissed in 1824. The Rev. Charles DeWitt Tappen was called, but not settled. The next pastor chosen was Mr. William C. Kniffen in 1825. He was dismissed 'in 1828. The Rev. Burr Baldwin was next called, but not settled. The next pastor was the Rev. William L. Strong, formerly pas- tor at Somers, Tolland Co., Conn. He was installed June 23d, 1830, and dismissed Feb. 26th, 1835. In September, 1835, following Mr. Strong's dismissal, a subscription was commenced for the erection of the present church edifice, which was built in 1836. The expense was not to exceed $2,500 with the old meeting-house. In December of the same year a unanimous call was extended to the Rev. David C. Comstock, but was not accepted at that time. In March, 1837, Rev. Daniel E. Manton was called, but not settled. In June of the same year the Rev. Jeremiah Miller was called, and was installed July 12th, 1837. Mr. Miller was dismissed in 1839. In the following year, 1840, Mr. David C. Com- stock was ordained and installed pastor of the church. He was dis- missed in 1845. After him Daniel D. Frost, after preaching as stated supply for eighteen months, was ordained December 30th, 1845. He continued pastor ten years, being dismissed October 13th, 1856. In 1857 the pulpit was supplied by the Rev. Mr. Root. In 1858 the Rev. Enoch S. Huntington supplied the pulpit one year. He presented the com- munion service to the church, for which he received its thanks. In 1859 the church was remodelled and painted, receiving the beautiful fresco which long adorned it. In 1860 Rev. W. D. Herrick became pastor, and so continued until 1864. After him Rev. E. B. Huntington, and also Rev. Mr. Barnum, preached for a short time. Rev. S. F. Farmer sup- plied in 1865. Rev. K. B. Glidden was installed September 12th, 1866; resigned December, 1868. In 1869 the Rev. Charles Chamberlain be- came pastor. He resigned in September, 1871.
Rev. Sidney G. Law, to whom I am indebted for the above summary of the later history of the church, became acting pastor June Ist, 1872, and after a prosperous ministry of six years resigned in 1878.
The Rev. William J. Jennings was installed Dec. 17th, 1879, and con- tinued pastor until March, 1892, when he resigned because of failing strength, by this act closing his active ministry. He spent his closing
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years in his native town of Westport, and when he died was brought back to Redding for burial by the side of his wife and son in the ceme- tery by the parsonage.
In September, 1892, the Rev. Clare L. Luther was invited to become acting pastor of the church and was ordained here in October, 1892. During his pastorate the church edifice was remodeled and a large room for social and religious purposes added to the rear of the church. He also undertook the arduous work of transcribing and indexing the church records. A new manual of the church was also published during his pastorate. He resigned in May, 1898, and was succeeded by the Rev. Edward R. Evans, who was ordained pastor in May, 1899, and con- tinued to serve until October, 1903. In August, 1904, the Rev. Louis A. Godard became acting pastor. In June, 1906, Mr. Godard severed his connection with the church, and his successor has not yet been called.
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