Connecticut Historical Collections

" The time when a church was first organized in town, cannot be exactly delenniu- ed ; it was probably at the ordinatton of the first minister. 'J'he first minister in ihi.s town was the Rev. Seth Shove, n \evy pious and woi thy man, who was very success- ful in his exertions for the promotion of peace, virtue and true religion: so that the general peace and union in his time, are proverbial to lliis day. lie was ordained in the year HWG, and died October 3d, 1735, aged OS. Tlie town was destitute of a settled minister but a short time. In a few iiiontiis the church ami |)eople in great harmony invited Mr. Ebenezer White to settle with ihein in the ministry. He was accordingly ordained, March lUih, ITM]. Universal iuirmuny prevailed between the people and their minister, for moie than 23 years. 'Die peojile of this town were considered by all the neighboring towns, as eminent for morality and religion, for regularity of con- duet, and for constant attendance on the in.stitutions of Christianity. It is supposed on ^ood grounds, that the first meeting liouse was built prior to Mr. Shove's ordination ; lis dimensions were about ID feet in leiigtli and 30 in breadth. It is remarkable, that after the frame was raised, every person iliat belong(.'d to the town was present, and set on the sills at once. The second meeting house was built about the year 17iy ; its di- mensions were 50 feet in length and 35 m breadth. In 1745, an addition of 15 feet wa.i made to the wiiole front of tJie house. About tlie year 17G3, religioius controversy be- gan in this town, and was carried to a great extent for many years. It is presumed. Rubbins' Century Sennoii, 1801. D A N B U R Y CG3 that in no town in the state, has there been more religions contention than in this. It is hoped the (In me is now mostly buried, never lo break forth again. Al tlie time above mentioned, Mr. White, having altered lijs scniimenis and prcaclnng, in several particulars, some uneasiness arose among his people. 'J'he eiiorts of several ecclesi- astical councils to heal the division proving incirecliinl, ii linally is.sued in the dismis- sion ofMr. Wliiie from his pastoral charge, March, 17(J1. A innjdr part of the mem- bers of Mr. While's church, joined with him in denying the juriMliction of ecclesiasti- cal councils, and renouncing the form of church goveriimenl established by ihe churches in thi^ state. The remaining part, wlio signiheti their adherence to the ec- clesiastical government, Avere established and acknowledged by the two consociations of Fairfield county, convened in council, as the hrst church in Danbury. Soon alter this, Mr. While and his adherents separated Irom the churcli and society, and formed a separate church: they were generally denominated ' Mr. 'Wlhiie's adherents.' In October, 1T7U, a number of the inhabitants of the town, indiviilualiy named in the act, principally those who composed this separate church, weie incorporated a society by name of ' New Danbuiy.' Prior to this, they built a good meeting hcnise, its dimen- sions about 50 feet by 40, in the year 17t)8, which was consumed in the general ccjnria- gralion of the town. In the same year, Air. Ebenezer Uussel While was ortlained a colleague with hi^ father, over that chuich " — K bl ins' Ctnlury Si m >i >^uu(/Lcastern view of the JJoroiigh of Vanbunj. Danbury is hounded n. by New Fairfield, e. by Biookfield and New- town, w. by Ridi^efield, and s. by Reading. Its len-^th is about S^ miles, and its brtjadlh iiioio tlian G. It lias a fertile soii, |)lea.santiy di- vefsified with bills and valleys, and some moderate ritlj^es, running in a norilierly and .sotitlieily direction. ]>y an act oftlie General Asseii°bly in IVfay, 1781, this town was made a lialf-shire of the county of Paii- (ielfb ^ From that time to the present, the courts have set alteniately in Fairfield and Danbury. The above shows the appearance of the borough of Danbm-y, as it is seen from the south, upon the Norwalk road. "The main s'tieet, on which the boroii<-b is princijially built, is one mile and a quarter in ex- tent, thickly settled on both sides for that distance. The villai;e is situ- ated in a narrow but pleasant valley : a gentle eminence rises immediaielv westward of the main street, called Deer hill; a much smaller one rise's eastward, called (he Town hill. The village contains six houses (if wor- ship ; 1 Congregational, 1 Episcopal, I Baptist, 1 Meihodibt, 1 L'niver- \ w 3G4 D A N B U 11 Y . salist, and I SandcmQiiian. The Baptist church is seen in the engra- ving on the extreme left, situated on Deer Hill. Tiie Episcopal church is at the south end of the village, and is one of the naost prominent build- ings in the view. This building is one of the oldest in the town ; it was built in 17(>3, and is one of the few which escaped the general confla- gration by the llritisli troops in 1777. The next spire seen eastward of this, is that of the Universalist church, near whicli is seen that of tho court house ; the Congregational church is seen in the distance, on the extreme right. The village is 22 njiles north from Nortvalk, 36 from New Haven, 36 from Litchfield, 55 from Hartford, 65 n. k. from the city of New York, and 5 miles from the New York state line. Tlio borough contains nearly 200 dwelling houses, besides numerous other buildings ; 1) mercantile stores, 1 printing oflice, an academy, he. In the first society of Danbury, there are 24 hatting shops or factories. Two hundred and eighty nine persons are employed, who manufacture 131,000 hats annualiy, the estimated value of which is £-102,000. South view of (he central part of the Borough of Danhury. It is in contemplation to construct a rail road to Norwalk, or some other place in that vicinity ; the route is quite feasible, and it is believed will add much to the prosperity of Danbury. The above is a southern view of the central part of the borough of Danbury, as seen from Deer hill, the elevated ground which rises im- mediately westwaril of the street. The building a little to the left of the central part of the engraving, having the most elevated spire, is the Universalist church, the first building to the left of which is the Acad- emy. The jail is the first building to the right of the church, back of which is seen tlie ancient burying jiround of Danbury, in which are tho graves of Gen. Wooster and Mr. Sandemun. The cc^t house is seen on the opposite side of the street, with a cupola; back of the court house is seen a gentle elevation, called Town hill. In the latter part of the year 1776, the commissioners of the Ameri- can army chose Danbury for a place of deposit for military stores. A large quantity having been collected, Gov. Tryon, with a dtftachmeut D A N n u n 3Ci of 2,000 men from New York, sailed lo Compo Point InFalrfieKI, and proceeded dlrecily to Danbury, to destroy the continental stores. There were in the town a small number of continental troojis, but'without arms; they with the inhabitants generally withdrew from the town as the en- emy approached. The enemy entered the town on Saturday the 2Gth of April, 1777, at about three o'clock in the afternoon. They soon began those cruelties and excesses which characterize an unprincipled and exasperated enemy, upon the inhabitants who remained in the town, excepting the persons and property of the tories. Tlie enemy, learlul that their retreat might be cut otT, rallied early in the morning of the i<!7th, set fire to several stores and buildings, and immediately marched out of town. " Nineteen dwelling houses, the meeting liouse of the New Danbury society, and twenty two stores and barns, witli all their contents were consumed. The (|uantity of continental stores which were consumed, cannot now be accurately ascertained: accounts vary considerably. Fiom the best information which can be obtained, there were about 3,000 barrels of pork, more than 1,000 barrels of Hour, several hundred barrels of beef, 1,600 tents, 2,000 bushels of grain, besides many other valuable articles, such as rum, wine, rice, army car- riages, 8iC."* The following is an account of the private losses sustained by indi- viduals ii\ the town of Danbury, in consequence of the enemy's incur- sion in that place ; according lo an estimate made thereof by a com- mittee appointed lo ap[)rize the same ; with the names o-f those who were principal losers. Mr. John IMcI.ean, Capt. E/ra Suiir, Cii|it. t)aiiu'l 'I'avlor, Col. Joseph F. Cook, . Major Eli Ma'..;!<all, Capt.. Tamo (Marl;, ' . Major 'I'avloi, Cauiil'ort llo\ I, Jim. 'IMia.liieiis Uniudict, Esij. David Wood, ... Which with a miinhcr of smaller losses ascertained by said committee, amotint in llie whole to jCl.''),fSt3-.j, '.)s. Id. lawl'nl money, lost by individuals in consequence of that (own beinj; made the repository of public stores. 'I'here is therefore tlie greatest rea- son that the public should not only pranl speedy relicl'toihe sulleiers, (many of whom are reduced lo extreme want,) but also that they .should have the public faith pledged (or the amount of those losses; which were e>limated not according' to ihe exorbiiant prices at ihe pie^'Ut time, but in most instances as ilie aitiglescosi bcfoie this war commenced. Col. Cook appears lo have been in the command at Danbury, at the time it was burnt. Receiving some notice of the landing or approach^ (d" the eiiL'my, he immediately dispatched a messenger by the name of Lambert Lockwood, with a letter to Gen. Silliman, informing him that there was no ammunition in the place, and refftcsting orders. The messenger, before he was aware of it, came up with the Biiiish troops in the vicinity of Heading church, about 8 miles below Danbury; he attempted to llee, but was fired upon, wounded, and taken prisoner. £. .s. d. 2l'J-2 W 7 'J-.'l)ti 0 0 Wl 0 -2 <.m 9 C. IIG o o S-2-J k; c. I no It; -2 :.ei l[) G 4:<3 1 0 .L". .S-. d. Joseph Wild man. Dr. John Wood, . •117 H -1 ■A'M :{ 4 ]\l,uhew IJenedict, Jim. X'.l 11 0 Rev. Ebene/er While, :i-2i U 0 Ji)iiah Benedict, :ui'j 1) 8 Maihew 1'encdiet, •_'»;.■) ■1 « Jal)ez Rockwell, . 'j;!7 It) "J