Connecticut Historical Collections

• "I once nitendeil public worship there," says Prof. Sillinian, 'on a pleasant but warm summer sabbath. The house was almost embowered in ancient forest trees : it was smaller than many private dwelling houses — was much dilapidated by time, which had furrowed the f<ray unpainted shingles and clapboards, with many walei- wotn channels, and it seeujcd as if it woukl soon fall. It was an interesting remnant of primeval New Englaiul manners. The peojile, evidently agricultural, had scarcely departed from the simplicity of our early rural habits; the men were not parading in foreign broadcloth, nor the women flaunting in foreign sillcs and muslins; but they appeared in domestic I'abrics, and both men and women were dressed with simplicity. I do not mean that there were no excejitions, hut this was the general aspect of the con- gregation, and, from the smallness of the house, although there were pews, it seemed rather a domestic than a public religious meeting. The minister corresponded admi- rably with the ajipearance ol' the house and congregation, as far as antiquity and pri- meval simplicity were concerned, but lie was highly respectable for undeistanding, and sustained even in these htimble circumstances, the dignity of his station. He was an old man, with hoary locks, and a venerable aspect, a man of Gvd, of other times — a patriarchal teacher — not caring for much balanced nicety of phrase, but giv- ing his (luck wholesome food, in sound doctrine and plain speech. His prayers had that detail of petition — that specific application, both to public and private concerns, and that dueclness of allusion, to the momentous political events of the day, and their apparent bearing upon this people, which was common among our ancestors, and especially among the first ministers, who brought with tlri^lu the fervor of the times when they eiuigraled from England." 64 A V (5 N . • ity. This place is also called Monte Video, and is remarkable for its beauty in natural scenery : it is a place of resort for parties of pleasure from Hartford and otiier places in the vicinity. Having ascended the summit of Talcott mountain, those who wish to visit tliis spot mu|t fol- low an obscure road which tiuiis directly to tlie noith. "The road is rough, and the view bounded on the east by tlie ridge, wdiich in many places rises in pcrpendicuhu' clills, to more than one hundred feet above the general surface of the. mountain. At the end of a mile and a half, the road terminates at a tenant's house, built in the Gothic style, and at this place the scene is immediately changed. At the right, the ridge, which has seemed an impassable barrier, suddenly breaks olFand disap- pears, but rises again at the distance of hali'a mile, in bold gray masses, to the height of one hundred and twenty feet, crowned by forest trees; above which appears a tower of the same color of the rocks. The space or hollow caused by the absence of the ridge, is occupied by a tieep lake of the |)uresl of water, nearly half a mih- in length, and somewhat less than half that in width. Directly befoie you to the north, and ex- tending about half a mile, is a scene of cultivation, intersjjersed with trees, in the center of which stands a summer-house. The ground is gently undulating, bounded on the west by a precipice wdiich overlooks Far- mington valley, and inclining gently to the east, where it is terminated by the margin of the trees that skirt the lake." The tower is situated on the suminit of the ridge, standing within a {e\v rods of the edge of the precipice. "The tower is a hexagon, of IG feet diameter, and fifty five feet liigb ; the ascent of about eighty steps, on the inside, is easy, and li'om the top, which is nine hundred and sixty feet above the level of Connecticut river, -you have at one view, all those objects which have been seen separately from the dif- ferent stations below. Tlic diameter of the view in two directions, is more than ninety miles, extending into the neighboring states of IMassa- •chusetts and New ^'oik. . . . The little spot of cidtivation surrounding the house and the lakc! at your feil, with in pieml^♦;que appendages of boat, wineling paths, and d'oihic buildings, shut in by rocks and forests, compose the fore ground ol' this grand [lanorama. On the western side, the Farmington valley appears in still gieater beauty than even from the lower brow, and is seen to a greater extent, jircseniing many objects which w'ere not visible fi-om any other quarter. On the east is spread before you, the great plain through which the Connecticut river winds its course, anil ujjon the borders of which the towns and villages are tra- ced for more than forty miles. The most considej-able place in sight is Hartford, where, although at the distance of eight miles in a direct line, you see, with the aid of a glass, the carriages jiassing at the intersection of the streets, and distinctly trace the motion and position of the vessels, as they appear, and vatiish, \\\Km the river, whose l;road sweeps are seen, like a succession of lakes, extending through the valley. Tiie whole of this magnilicent picture, including within its vast extent culti- vated plains and rugged mountains, rivers, towns and villages, is encir- cled by a distant outline of hlue mountains, rising in shapes of endless variety." "^ U E U L I N . 65 B E Tx L I N . Berlin was incorporated as a town in 17S5. Ti was previonsly llie second society of Farniini,Mon, by the name of Kensln;ricm ; — a sec- tion of the towns of VVethersfJeld anti Middlelown were joined to it ai its incorporation. Kensington was prohal)ly set off lioni Fannington as a society about the year 1712, as the first minister, tlie Rev. Mr. Biirnham, was ordained in tliat year. At this time there were but 14 families in tlie ]dace, and the cliurch consisted of 10 members, seven males and three females. Previous to the settlement of Mv. Burnimm, these fan)ilies attended meeting at Farmington, and the women walked from 10 to J '2 miles and canied their infants in their arms. Kensing- ton was divided about the year 173."], by the incorporation of the soci- ety of New Britain ; and Dr. Smalley, the first clergyman in this soci- ety, was ordained in 1753. In n7''2, the society of Kensington was again divided, by the formation of the society of Wortliington ; its name being derived fiom one of the committee wlio locatud tlie society.* Northern view of JVorthington, /n Berlin. The township of Berlin is bounded north by Farmington, east by Middletown and Wethersfield, west by Southington, and soutii by Mer- iden. It has an average length of about 8 miles, and about 5 in breadth. The population of the town in 1S30 was 3,017. The above shows the general appearance and situation of the village of Wortliington in Berlin. The southern termination of Mount Lamen- tation is seen on the left in the distance. This place was incorporated as a borough in 1831 ; its limits extend two miles from north to south, and about one mile from east to west, containing about SO dwelling bouses, 4 or 5 mercantile stores, 3 churches ; 1 Congregational,! Metho- dist, and 1 Univcrsalist, and an Academy. The makinj^of tin ware is the Pea.se fuui Nile^'s Oa/.t i) 66 BERLIN. most important mnniifacturinf; business done in the place. It is 1 1 miles from Hartford, 23 from New Haven, and 8 from Wethersfield. The manufaciurinL; of tin ware on this side of the Atlantic, probably first commenced in this place. About the year 17-10, William or Edward Patterson, a native of Ireland, came to this country and settled in this place. His trade was that of a tinner ; and soon after his arrival, he commenced manufacturing tin ware, and continued in the business till the Revolution. He was then under the necessity of suspending it, as the raw material could not be obtained. After the war, this manufac- ture was carried on in this place, by those young men who bad learned the art from My. Patterson ;* and from these persons the art has been extended over a number of the neighboring towns. For a considerable time Mr. Patterson carried on the business alone, and peddled his own ware in a basket ; but the value of the article becoming known, others engaged in the business, and the ware was soon scattered over the coun- try. At first others as well as l^atterson pedtlled in baskets, carried by band or on horses ; afterwards two wheeled carts were introduced, but tliose being found inadefjuate for long journeys, were succeeded by one liorse wagons, and these in some measure by very large carriages, with two and four horses. The wares manufactured of tin were vended at first in New England and New York, and then gradually in the south- ern and western states. The first families who settled in New Brilain, located themselves about half a mile east of the present village. The first meeting house in this parish was aljout half a mile northeast of the ]M-esent Congrega- tional church. The eastern part of New Hritain was first settled by 3 families of the name of Judd, 3 of the name of Smith, and one by the name of Patterson : the Lewises settled in the south part ; the western part was settled by 3 families of Andrews and 2 by the name of Hart : the northeast part by the Stanleys, Hart, and Smith. Tbe first settlers in the village were of the names of Lee, Judil, IJootb and iVIother.