History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

wowl, nnnfonl Lockwood, SiiSAn Lockwood. Elizabeth 3(or, Bonjanua lliiHlcd, Seth SculielJ, AUptil Sullcck, Jtmu-g Brown, Jcininm Bruwn, Julitt A. Aliuur, Juliii Puniy, Sunili Purdy, G<;ur^o W. Taylor, I>anit;I SliiHili. Ge<irKO Wt-uks, Siit^iil Weeks, Neliemiuh Ferris, Is;iuc Irelaitil, l:ii7jil clli Ann Ireluiiil, Squids Selleck.Sanniel Toilil, Saniilel Jl. T. Luvins- Wrn-, Sjiralt A. Husteil, Hannah Punly, Calviu I'lirJy, /dilinon Jliner, Aliee Lockwuoil. Sarah A. Meail, Aln^il Lueku'uod, John Kirk, Julia Kirk, Eilwanl Thompson, Eineliiie Thompson, Abigail .T, Hobby, Sally Close, Elizal etli Taylor, Sai-ah Wilson. I'olly Lockwa^id, Eliza Pnrdy, Fanny Kuscoe, Amy K. IlnsteO, Abby Jane Selleck, ElizulK'th B. Sclleck, Itnlli Selleek, Moses Sar;;ont. 3(ary J. Sar;;ent, Samnel Slead, John Bank, Kli7.aln'th Mead, §ar»h Banks, Alary J. Dow, Emily A, BriggH, Surah Fisk, Dtireas B. Miles, Maripiis Austin, Anna Lane. Naney Lock- w<khI, John llayton, David Davton, Washington Toild, Sarah Lockwood, Sarah C. >lills, Sanniel M. Todd, William Snittin. Jerome Ferris. Henry Lownsberry, Anna Miles, Abby Miles, Catharine Birdsall, Mary K. Binl- 84111, Jacob Binlsall, Sally A. Birds ill, Erastils M. Birdsall, Alice Itobbing, Henry 31. Pearsjdl. Charlotte Close, Mary Lockwood, Henry Close, Kliza A. Matthews, William Ibwcoo, Ann Roscoe, Sarali Payton, ,Tames Nash, Alfred S. Wright, Alice Hoyt, Hanmrli Cari)entor, William Sherwood, Horace Baillett, Catharine C, Bai-tlett, Elizabeth Loiinsberry, Slargaret Mor, Jonathan Ilusted, Nathaniel W. Husted. Armenia Husteil, Betsey ; Fowler, David Burns, .Miigail Bnrns, Charles Wils^)n, Anna Brown, Ezckiel Kcynidds, Susan A. Youngs, 5Inria Brown, Enoch B. Miles." METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHUUCII, KING STREET.® The Jlethodist church in King Street dattjs its origin from before tlie Revohition. As New York I'ity was the birthjihice of Methodism in this country, it was quite natural that tlic region about that city should feel much of its influence. Some of the oldest records to be found mention King Street as n prcach- ing-phicc. Later it formed part of a si.\ weeks' cir- cuit with such phiecs as White Plains, Tuckahoc, and I'ortchester. Francis Asbury, the first bishop of the Mctiiodist Kpiscopal Ciiurcli, often ])reaehcd in the old school-house whieli once .stood tibout two hundred feet south from the present church edifice on the Haiirht farm. Tile present building was erected in 1829, and dedi- cated by Nathan Jiangs, D.D. Some of it,s early )iastois were I. C'andee, Peter Sanford, John N. Matl'et, Stephen Martindale, Robert Seeney, Nathan Kicc, and William .lewctt. Its first board of tru.stces were Jesse Daw.son, Daniel Haight, Neheiniah Brown, Samuel Pine, Nehemiah Sherwood. Its later pastora were .Tohii Edmunds, Joseph Vin- ton, J. Rawlenson, John Havehmd, M. I). Buell, Charles Harnhart, and J. B. Sheperd. Its present board of trustees arc \V. I). .Slaw.son, J. "W. Sherwood, J. H. ilaight, John Urecn, Joseph Haight. METHODIST EPISCOPAI- CHUUCII AT MIANLS.f The attractive and substantial edifice in which this society worships to-day stands ujxui a height known in the town of (triH'nwIch as Diamond Hill. The location is sightly. Westwtird, within the horizon that limits the view of an observer standing upon the summit of this hill, rise the stately churches and beautiful residences of New Greenwich. Turn the eye to the southward, and there comes in view the long, brightly-gleaming water-line of the Sound. * Couliibutol by Rev. J. B. Slio|dior<l. t By Kcv. W. W Jlartln. Desirable as a situation with sueh a prospect may be for a. church-site, one other fact made it still more desirable: Diamond Hill is rock — a kind of granite rock — suitable for building purposes. Thus out of a rock and on a rock the church was built. The edifice is Gothic in its style of architecture. Its windows are of stained glass, some given a.s me- morials of departed friends. Within, the furnishing is substantial and siinj)le. The aim has been to pre- sent not fancy filigree- work to surprise, but plain attractiveness to win, the worshiper. The Methodist Society at Mianus is quite young in its separate existence. The circuit to which it be- longed was for many years called "The Greenwich, Round Hill, Roxl)ury, Stanwich, and Mianus Cir- cuit." Not until June, 1871, wa.s Mianus recognized as an independent charge. The society prior to 1878 met in the old neglected structure near the junction of the Stanwich and Stamford roads. The church was gathering her means to build, so the old building suf- fered neglect. While still a member of a circuit the church aimed at a separate independent existence. Her firjt step was to erect a new church. The marble slab over the main entrance of the church has this inscription : . " Methodist Episcopal Cliurch. Erected 1808." In a report of the Rev. G. II. Anderson to the Quarterly Conference for the year 1869, a few sen- tences arc found giving a description of the state of afl'airs in the society : "The new edifice is enclosed, the heavy work done, and the building gradually goes on to completion. The trustees gave thcniselve-* three years to complete the work ; two have already ex- pired. At the end of the third they will probably be in their new church, and with debt enough to make them comfortable." The following years proved the often-reiterated truth that a large church debt makes a small society very uncomfortable. In 1874 the debt stood thus: mortgages, SlO.OOd ; floating debt, $448. In July, 1S7S, the floating debt amounted to fifteen hundred dollars. Thus,, after a lapse of ten years, although the society had a fine church, it had such a debt upon the building that matters were tlesperate. It was during this year — the second of the pas- torale of the Rev. G. A. Graves — that an effort was made to lift this constantly-increasing indebtedness. The ta.sk .seemed quite htipeless. How could eleven thousand five hundred didlars be rai.sed? Too much credit cannot be given to this jiastor and his most ac- tive colaborer, Mr. J. H. Okershauseii, treasurer of the board of trustees, for their persistent, energetic efliirts to liquidate the debt. The members of the society gave liberally, and its friends were generous when they saw a fiiir prospect of success. These two men fought this " fair prospect" into existence. The church to-day has the property secured. Most GREENWICH. 389 (if the (Irlit is jiiiiil in casli, tlir ri'iiiaiiiilrr is (.■ovcreil )iy ivlialile suliscriptions. A sense of tlKiiikiiiliR'ss pervades the society that tlie pro[ierty. vahu-i! at tliirty-five thousand dollars, is theirs. It loid;s I'or- ward now to |)rosperous times. Tlie history of the eliureh estalilishes this, flint lionest endeavor, persistently made, can ai'roinplish what at first seemed impossilile. There is also a Methodist Cliureh at Coseo!), Imt our applieatinn for inftirmation concerning it has met with no response. EVAXGELICAr, LUTIIKUAX (GEmi.W) ST. P.VUI/S CliriiCII, EAST POKTCIIESTEi;. Thi.s church was organized in ISd;! liy Messrs, Philip RoUliaus aM<l August and William .Vlieiidnitli, and Hein. I'feitier. 'J'he first oflieers were ilc'iu. Pfciffer. Conrad Sehmehl, lleinricli Menirer, John Roemcr, and lleinricli (or Henry) Dehmer. The ministers have heen as follows: Herrman J. Fischer, Jolm Steiner, (J. ]Ioeck, B. Ciinz, W. Kech- eidicrg, and ,T. 1'. Hofl'nian. present incundient. The present oflieers are Henry Pfeill'er and Conrad 8climelil lAelteshe), .Air. .lolin Roemcr, ( 'hristopher ^IiiUer, .laeol) Cunz, and .Icdm Frey. The present mcndiers are Conrad iSchmehl, Henry Menger, Henry Pfeifler, John Roemcr, Henry Deh- mer, Willi. Diehl, John Frey, Philipp Render, Va- lentin Haujit, Fricderich Steinmetz, Christoph Miil- ler, Henry Schnautz, .laeoh (_'unz, ,l<jhn Mollcr, ('hristian Roemcr, and .lolin Frey, Jr. The above jiersons, Mr. Rollhaus and .Ihr. William Ahendroth and August Ahemlroth, are not members of this chundi, being membcr.s of the Episcopal CJhuridi (English), but they aided largely in the erec- tion of the church, whicdi was built in l.Sti.'l, at a cost of ten thousand dollars. BANK.SVILEE UAPTIST CliriiCH. This churcli was organized in 18'):!, and the first ileacons were John Banks and Daniel Voung. Suli- sequent deacons have been Franklin Holdiy, D. liabliage, John Hull, John P.auks, an.l John J. Hull. The two latter are the present deacons. The church building was erected in \i<^>'^>, at a cost of about six thousand dollars. The pa.stors have been as follows: Revs. H. F. Smith, D.D., W. B. Guiscard, A. J. Allen, J. S. Gif- fonl, Warren Lincoln, and the [ircsent incumbent, Rev. Harvey Alley, who was selected .Inly 1, 1.S74, and to whom we are indebted for the liistory of the church. The present .society's committee is as follows : Jeremiah Green, three years; John Hull, two years; Emmett Smith, one year; James Fi'rris, President; Isaac Collard.Vice-Pre.sident ; William Snitlcu, Clerk ; J. Albert Barrett, Treasurer. Tlie i>rcsent member- ship of the cliurch is one hundred and twenty. r.Ai'TisT cnrucii, Kixi: stiieet.? The King street Baptist Church celebrated its cen- tennial in l>i7.'!. I'p to that time there had been but three settled jiastors. IClder Fincli, jiastor for about forty years, was followed liy Itev. Mr. Raymond, who hcM the pastorate for nearly forty-five years, licing succeeded by Rev. (_). C. Kirkum. Tlie ol<l house still sta;ids, ;ind in perfect preservation, though never rejiaired by so much as a shingle. Regular services are now held under the pastorate of Rev. A. F. Perry. PT. MAKVS RII.MAN CATIIOI.IC riirP.Cll \i located at (Jreenwich, and is a flourishing ecclesi- astical body. It is under the [lastoral care of Rev. Thomas Smith. ( ' II A p T i: i: X X X \' 1 1 1. GREENWICH tContinued). CIVIL LEST— .M LSI 'ELLANEOU.?. IiiL'(ir])or;itiiiii iif the Town — List nf Jieprc-it'iitutives — Kiii'-MarUs — Tho lluiuu^li — Oiyuiii/iitiuu — I'lfsi'itt l.Hliix'if* — I'loLiuIe .ImJgea— Geiifiiil List — S(liuol.s~(in-einvirIi Mutual Iiisunttue (_!nnil':iiiy — Jlasoliic — Tlietiieeiiuicli W.-itfi- (Vnriiiaiiy— Tin- AcaiU-iuy — fllilitary. CIVIL HISTORY, Etc. The town of Greenwich was incorporated in Kit).") by Governor Stuyvesant. liKPUESKXT.XTIVKS.