History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

"Here again tlie local tratlitioiis do not entirely agree. There were eye-witnesses to rntnam'.s tide lioth among the eiti/.i-ns uf Oreenwieh and the troops under his <:ommanrl. All the traditiujis i-uncnr i\s to the HIKJt at which he reachetl the foot uf the hill, hut the place at which he began his descent and Ihe precise c >ui-s(; he took are involved in some obscurity. One story Is that, leaving the highway, he tiirue i slightly to his right, and, p:i».Mng closely by the niu-thea.st corner <d' tlie cliurch, rodo near or directly down the stejis. The other .-.l.n-y plaees his indnt of divergence from the lifghway aI)out one hnn<ired feet north of the church, gives him a southeast <-oUise, and makes him strike the steps ' alwut one-third of the iii-,tance from the font of the hill. Itoth iieeonnts ! aro based on statements maile luiginally by those who witnessed the I occurrence, hut which have been forgotleii ur misunderstouil in the | course of frecpient repetition. One thing, however, is certain: whatever ' may have been his starting-point, he peifunne I a deed wliieli the n>ugh rideis who followed him dared not emulate, whiih is worthy of histoii; mention and is a glorious exploit for commemoration. " II jv n ,t my pir|>>s..> to des.ribe tl v-n'^ ^f that dav ..f tern.r in Oreenwi.h. The Briti-h f.rees si^attered tlimu-h the town an-l yjtr-nt the lime in spiulatitui and del)ai''hery. Insult and cruelty, robbery and murder, chaiac;eri/eii lla-ir doings. The waiilou th-sti luti ui lA' pm- vi^ions and property i.'f every kin 1 proved their hatred and mali-,;nity, A detachment went to the Jli.inn^ River aiol burne 1 the salt-wuiks. a store, a sehoiiner, and a slo ip. .\t ni;'itfall the order t.> return was given. l{einforc<'me:ils hail anivrd. and the Ameiirans followed the retreating enem\', blazing Tijion t!u'ir llanlcs and rear, t.ikin;:: ]uisoners, rerajituring the I-Iuiniei' [hey had st<den. and liirning the in\avi ui of the Biitish into a subt-taulial victurv." CHATTER X X X \' 1 1. GREENWICH (Continued i. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTOllV. First I'liiigrpgati.inal i'linr.li— SriMinl {'(iiigl('SMti..Ti;il Clniivli— Con;;!.-. f;:Uioii:il Churcli, StaiiwiLli — ('on;;rt'};!iti<>iiiil Oiiirrli, Nortli (irccii- « icli— StL'i'p lliilliiw l'liu:vli— Clirist rijiiicli— lOnMii.uiiu'l llliiiich— St. I'uiil's Chiipul— Calvary ("luri-:!. IImhihI Hill— M.-IIio.li-t Kpis opal (:|inrcli,(;rfcinvii:li— Jli'tlii^list Episi-.ipal Cliurcli, Uoinul Hill— SI.'lli- o'list Kpis(;oj)al t-'lmrch. King Street— Mftlaalist Kpi-^inpal Cliiirrli, Uliuiius— EvanSL'liL-al Lutlienili— Baliksville llnptist— Itapti^t Ciiiirrli, King Street- St. Maiy's Unman ('atholie (_1iiireh. FIRST CiiXdREiiATIONAL CIlllU'H. As early as 104'j (ireenwich wtis taxe<l I'm- iiriMcliiiiu'. and there was occasional service held in to\v:i. In Kiijo the male inhahitants uumliereil ahinit twenty, anil all were obIiL''e(l t'l crmtrihiite /iro rain lor the siii);)ort of preaching', and attetidanee <in divine ser- vice was enforced liy law. Xon-attendan 'c was pun- ished liy a penalty of five shillinirs. The cliiindi was or}raid/.ed in 1(i7t*, and in 1()7'") a call was exlende 1 to Kev. Mr. Wizwell, who de:_dined it. I'ASToIt.S. Tlie first jnistor was Kev. .leremitih Peck, and his salary was ]iaid ;it "fifty pounds with lire-wood, or si.xty pounds withont tire-wood." Kev. .Icreiniali Peck, KITS-S!); Kev. Abraham Pierson, 1(;'.)I-!I4; Kev. Salmon Treat, I(>'j"i-',I7 ; Rev. Josei)li IVIornaii, 1<)'.)7-1700 ; Kev. Nathaniel Powers, 17ii7, renniinetl ]irohal)ly two years. Jlr. .Tones snpplied the cliiirch fiir a short time after ?Ir. Powers' disnussal, tiiid was succe-ded in 171'> by Kev. Mr. Sackett, and probably remained alrmt two years. He wa-i snbse |iiently jiastor at X^ew Greenwich eleven years. Rev. E])li- raim P:>stwick, 1730— i(i; R.'V. Ebenezer l)aven[)ort, lliii-G\); Rev. Roliert Jforris, ]78r)-i)4. After 17114 the piil|)it was supplied by the Rev. Piatt Pufl'ett and Rev. Abner Penedict. At tlie be;j:iuninsj of the century liev. Saninel Sturges was pastor, and remained seven year,~; Itcv. John Xoyes, 1810-24; Rev. Charles F. Puller, IS24- ;i4; Rev. Thoiiiits Payne, 18.37-42; Rev. S. B. S. Ills- sell, 1842-53; Rev. William A. Hyde, 18r)4-(;4; Kev. W. V. Arms, 18G4, nearly two years {supply); Rev. William P. Ilanimond, 18iJ7-72; Rev. .1. S. l'.a\iH\ 1872-7(j; Rev. (ir.mville W. Xinis. lS7ti 78. Frank S. Chihl, .\.:\r., the lire ent pastor, was inslalle 1 Feb. 27, 18711. 38:2 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. THE CnURCII EDIFICES. The fir^t church edifice was erected in about the year 1666, near Greenwich Cove. The second church building is supposed to have stood near the Myanu*. The third church edifice stood on the elevation of land south of the present residence of Mr. Charles Husted, and was built by Congre^ationalists, aided by the Episcopalians. The present building was com- menced in 1855, and completed a few years later. The old society and church books arc very meagre in their records, and those in possession of the church to-day date back less tlmn a hundred years. The treasurer's books give us some definite information. From them we learn that the annual salary of com- mitteemen varied from fifty cents to one dollar and a half; in 1830 it was one dollar. The treasurer was more generously paid, receiving for his services the sum of two dollars. In those days it cost thirty-seven cents to sweep the church. Among the charges on the treasurer's book we find one which denotes the status of the temperance ques- tion at tluit date. At the society's annual meeting, 18 — , the sum of one dollar and twenty-five cents was expended on liquors with which to regale the com- pany. In the early history of the church the peo2)le assem- bled for worship at eight o'ch)ck in the morning; they brought their heaters and their lunches with them. The pulpit wa; high above the lieads of the people. Contributions were made by the magistrate and jjrincipal men of the congregation passing to the dcac<m's seat and depositing their gifts in the cash- box. Scats were assigned by an officer. Position and dignity in the community determined the matter of precedence. The following extract appears in the Farmer^s Journal, published at IXinlmry, under date Feb. 15, 1701 : SciiKMr. ron LoTTEnv* for raiding the rcmniiiilcr of tlio stun graiitol )>>' tlio General ABSombly for the bonoflt of tlio Hrat Boc:ioty of the town of (irccnwicli. TlllUn CLASS. 1*200 tickot;4 ttt ono dollar oatjli is) 120U dulluni. To bo ilmwn in |tri/x'4 us fulKtws: 1 piizoof UN) ilonitra 1(X) dollars. 2iiii/.Mof fii) " 100 " :t *• 20 " (Kl " 4 " 15 " 0» " ft " 10 " fiO " K " .'» " *» " lu " 4 " 40 " l."i " :i " a:* " 351 " 2 " 702 " 1 first Mnnk. iV^jdolIuni lU " 1 liwt •' 1».1 " „ iVj •' 401 1200 Snbjitt t'l ft tlediit'lion of 12' ^ per cent. Tlio dmwlng i» {MMitponeil, to lK>gfii l>>' tlio Atli dny uf April nc!Et, or iiouner if the tlcki'tA arc dl'^ix'sc^l of, and Die forlnnnto ndvontnrers pnnctunlljT iwld. JAnr.7. FiTrii, William Fitch, Kliih' V. Smith, STAMroRD, Jnnnar}' 22, 170t . TICKETS in the nbovo lottery mny bo lm<! of the managers and at the printing- i office, Danbnry. THE SECOND COXGREOATIONAL CHURCH. In an address delivered by Rev. Joel II, Linsley, D.D., Dec. o, 1858, be says,— "In March, 1082, the town, by their vote, directed that a nnmbcr of home-lots should be laid out at llorseneck, but at the rianie time forbid the occupants from seeking any organizjitiiin, civil or roligionH, separate I fn>m the town. Twelve years Inter, 109J, the town voted to build a new I meetiug-honse, .Ti by 2G, which vote, however, doi-s not seem to have I been carried into effect.f Nearly at the same time there began to he , disseiihions between the inhabitants on the two ndes of the river about the nutintenanee of worship on thi^ side. Two years later, in 10%, ^Imon Treat was called to settle in the town, with a provision for his I preaching every third Sabbath at Uorseneck. — the first recognition of I this place a^ entitled to ]>icacblng, — but liu did nut accept the call. Eaily iu IGftO, by vote of the t »wn, a home-lot whh granted for u i»ar*iu- I a?o at Ilorsoueck. The Kev. J()seph ^lorgan. the next mini.-*lcr, is be- I lievod to have como here iu the autumn of KJOO. lie preached at first I on both sides of the river, as it had been contemplated Mr. Treat stmuld I do; but it soon created dissatisfaction. The iiroprietorsof the town say by veto that 'Sir. Morgan j>rearhing part of the time at IIor«eueck an. damage to them, and takes away their religious privilegos.'J Mr. 3Ior- gan continued the minister of the town four years, till May, 1700. Ho I then left the seitlL*mcnt cast of the 3Xiainis, and assigned as a reason the want of uniiui among the people. He seems after that to have lalxjred ' on this side of the river, as we find the inhabitants bestowing u|>od him in January, 17fV>, some si>ecial privileges. On the 5th of Slarch follow- iug the town was by vote diviiled into two sx^ioUes; and here wo su|)- |>oso that wo find the true dale of the fiuindlng of this church. After 1 this, Mr. Slorgnu continued its pastor till ho was dismisifod, October, 170:^, by vote of tlie town, whether with or without any other formalities does not apjiear^