History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

An account of the organization and early history of the First CoN(iRE(iATioxAL Church has already been given. The ])resent church edifice, upon the corner of Bank and Broad Streets, was completed and dedicated .\pril 11, 18.50, and is the fourth that has been occupied by the society. The chapel was ))uilt in 1858, cost eight thousand dollars, and has lately been repaired and im))roved at an expen.seof two thousand five hundred dollars. The communion service con- tains some antique i>ieces of jilate presented by early members nuiny years before the Revolution. The par- sonage, Xo. 84 ( tolden Hill Street, was bequeathed to the society by the late Mrs. Sylvanus Sterling. Fifteen jiastors have been settled over the church during tlie one hundred and eighty-five years of its existence, but only three of them are now living. Rev. Charles Ray Palmer, the present pastor, was in- stalled Sc|)t. 11, 1872. A history of the church, pre- pared by Mr. Palmer in 1871), was ]>ublished, and con- tains nuiny interesting facts relating to the early set- tlers of this place. The present number of communi- cants is 348 ; membership of the Sunday-school, about 200. Tlie church records contain the names of forty- two |)ersons belonging to this congregation who served in the Union army during the Rebellion. The SKfoNi) (or South) Conurkgationai. Church was organized Jan. 28, 1830, with one hundred and -seventeen members, who had been dismissed for that purpo.se from the First Church. Its first hou.se of worship, a wooden building upon the corner of Broad and (tilbert Strei-ts, — the same site now occupied, — was c<impli't<'il in November, 1830, and cost about five thousand dollars. Rev. Nathaniel llewit. D.P* the first pa-tor. was in- stalled Dec. 1, 1830, and his ministry — a verj' suc- cessful one — lasted for nearly twenty-three years. His successors were: Rev. A. L. Brooks, 1854; Rev. Benjamin L. Swan, 1856 ; Rev. Alexander R. Thomp- son, 1859; Rev. Francis Lobdell, 1863; Rev. Daniel Lord, 1865; Rev. Edwin John.son, 1870; Rev. R. G. S. JIcNeille, at present pastor, who was installed Dec. 4, 1877. The present house of worship wils dedicated Jan. 20, 1862, and during the past year both church and chapel have undergone extensive alterations and imjirovements, costing upward of eleven thousand dollars, and rendering them exceed- ingly convenient and attractive in apjiearance. This church furnished quite a number of the flower of its young men for the L^nion army in the late civil war. Among those who volunteered were Ed- ward W. Marsh, William H. Hawley, Frederick B. Hawley, Frederick R. Dotcn, Henry JL Hoyt, Eliot Curtis, ,lohn Curtis, Frederick Curtis, .Tames H. Porter, Henry L. Sturges, John Ward. Allied (1. Mollan, and Marcus Sterling. The whole number of members enrolled upon the register of this church is 1186; the present member- ship is 434, and the Sunday-school numbers 350. Eight young men have been sent into the ministry, and over one hundred thou.sand dollars have been contributed by its members for benevolent |)ur])oses. March 18, 1880, the church celebrated the comple- tion of its first half-century of existence by services deei)ly interesting tf) all who attended. A histor)- of the church, prepared by Mr. Edmund S. Hawley, was read u|(on this occasion; it is a document of great value, and ought to be reprinted. The Park Street Congregational Chur< ii wa.s organized Jan. 15, 1868, with thirty-nine mem- bers, twenty-five of whom were dismissed at one time from the North Church for the purpose. Rev. John (t. Davenport was ordained .Inly 1, 1868, and still continues to be the pastor of this very successful churdi. Until the summer of 1871 services were held in Bethesda Mission Chapel, upon East Wa-sli- ington Avenue. The present church building, cor- ner of Park and Barnum Streets, opposite Wash- ington Park, was dedicated Oct. 17, 1871, and cost about twenty-five thousand dollars. The nicmber- sliip of the church is now 430, and its Sabbath- school — one of the largest in the city — numbers about 600,— certainly a very marked increase for the short space of less than thirteen years. Olivet Chi'rch. — About the year 1866 a mission Sunday-scho(d was begun by members i>f the First Congregational Church and others in the northern ))art of the city. The school met at first in the upper story of No. 114 North Washington Avenue, alter- wards at Olivet Hall, upon the corner of Grand Street. After some tinu' the school developed into the church now known as Olivet Congregational Church, which was formally organized by a council convened I'nr the l.urpose. Nov. 1(). 1S70. and Dec. 14. 1870. the Kev. BRIDGEPORT.. 113 he Fiiivst P>. ])ih1:;c was ordaini'il pastur. Oct. II, Tin: Cm'KCH OF the Xativity i I'mtcstaiit l-^iis- 1S71, Mr. Doduc ri'sitrnfd, ami Irttcrs of (li>missi(in copal) was organized June 4, ]S."iS. A mission Sun- wrrc urantcd to forty-nine mcndiers of his loniicr day-sehool and mission services had l)ecn maintained tloclc. thai thi'V miu-ht join him in fonniiii; a new rr- at the woolcii-niills for several years |ircvious to this cicsiastical hody. His snecessors as Ihc pa^tor^ of date, hut the [irecise time of their commencement is illivi't ('liiirch have heeii : Rev. S. llojdiins I'anoi-y, not known. Rev. (x. S. ("oit. D.D.. was the tir.'<t ree- .\pril, \X7'2: Hev. Allen Clark. !Se|itemlier, 1X7 f ; liev. tor, and among those prominent in the enterprise at ,Tolin S. ^\'ilson, Aiignst, IST'.l. 'J"he hiiihling now the outset were Rev. E. F. liislncp, II. :\1. Shennan, Eli used by the society, upon the corner of Main Street 'I'hompson, .Joseph Richardson, Ira (Iregory, .Tohn and Xorth Avenue, was comjdeted and occupied lor 1 lurd, and William L. Hidilull. I >r. ( 'oil's sueces'^or worship Dec. L'4. I:s7r,. It co.^t, including the ;: round wa^ l!e\. E. F. Bishop, who was followi-d hy Ucv, ui>on wiii(di it stands. alii>ut tliree thousand fn e hun- Henry Darhy, who is now rector, tliough Kev. ]■]. V. drcd doHars. Thi' nu-ndiership <if the (diureh at its liisho|iaud liev. Lewis \V. W'eljs are id ]irescnt otiici- organization was :!i; ; the present numlier of couimii- atinu. The church, a very picturi'sipu' stone hnilding nieauts is 11)4, with a Sunday-school of 17II. upon Sylvan .\ venue. North Bridgeport, was com- TttE ('<)X(il!l-;(;ATIo.x.KL t'HUKCH ul' I'.L.VcK Kdcic pleted and occupii'il .Ian. l-"i. IS."i!), and cost ahout ten was gatlu'red Sept. 11, l.'>49, twenty-four meudiers thousand ilollars. The nuudier oi' comniunieants is lia\iug lieeu dismis^iil Iroui the Fairliehl I 'ongrega- ahout .'id, and the Sumlay-school ( now heing reorgan- tional I 'hnrcdi for the ]Uirpose. (hi the >aiue day the i/ed i has {\'i nuanhers, liou>e of worship erected liy the society was d( di- S r. .Iniix's ( 'lUT.cil (Protestant Episco|ial). — Par- cated. It stands upon the corin-r of Church ."street ticuhirs respecting the early history of this ancient and Piartram .\ venue, and its cost was ahont three church have already hecu given. Kev. I'liilo Siieltiui thousand dollars. Thi' first jiastor, Kev. W. .I..leu- was rector from 17S4 until 1S24, when, alter forty iiiiigs, wa> ordained ;ind iustalleil A|u-il D. IS.Ml. lljs years (d' continuous service, his resignation was ac- snccessors have heeii : Hev. ^larinn- Wilhll, lS."i,S; i-epted. His suci'essors liave ])ien Ke\. Hinry 1!. Rev. A. C. llahhvin, hsiU; Kev. F. W. Williams, .lu.l.di. IS24 ; Kev. ( iurdoii S. ( 'oit. I >. D., Is:;.! ; Kev. ISlKl : liev. llowani W. Pope, at ])reM-nt [lastor, Sept. .1. M. W'ilh'y. Decemhcr, ISiU ; Kev. I'.atori W. Maxcy, 1,1S74. Present un;mlH'rshi[i of the chuieh, Sii; of ll.l)., at present rector. .Tunc, isi'o. The present the Sunday-seho(d, 7-'i. chunli editice, at the corner of Park and l''airlield CllKIST CHrRCH (Protestant Episcopal I was organ- .\ venues, is the hairtli that ha- heen occaipied hy the ized August, IXoO, ami at first worshi]ied in a frame pari-li (d' St. .lolni's. The corner-stone was laid hy huildiiig on .lohn Street, hirmerly occaipicd hy tlic l'.i,hop Williams, Sept. IS, 1S7.'1, with appro|iriate First ( 'ougregational Church. The Ki'\. .1. Howard ccriampuies, and the Iioum' was fir-t oeeu]iied Ivi-ter Sudth, the first rector (d' Christ ('hurch. w.is settled Hay, March 2S. lS7."i. 4'lie dinieu-ious of the huihl- iu Decemhcr, IS.'id, His suci'essors in the parish have lug are 12nliyo7 feet, and it seats siune seven hnn- heeii : Kev. \\'illiam Preston, lS.i4-r)(): Rev. (leorge dri'd ]iersons. The ccjst, including the hnilding-.-itc, 1!. Thrall, l.S.'ii;— "ill ; Key. Lucius W. li roll, D.D., hut cxcln-ive of the tower and lecture-room, which IX,'i!l-(il ; Kev, Henry M. Stiuirt, I.Slil-Ci.': ; Kev. .L are ye( to he added, was our hundred and twenty-five I'llake Falkma-, l.'<(i.'!-7<l ; Rev. .1. ,1. Harrison, |S7(I; thousand dollars. The niiuiher of comiuunicants is Kev. X. L. Piriggs. l,S71-7.'i; I!cv. Horatio N. Powers, uow l'i;."i, and the mendler^hip of the Sunday-school D.D.. the present rector. Xovendier, IS"."!, Thi' hand- is SWK