History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

In IsriS, having reached the age of seventy. Itr. Hewit resigned his oftice, but his resignation was not accepted, and he continued to be pastor of the church until his death, in February, 1807. Rev. H. (J. Hins- <hile was settled Oct. 2X, l,S(i2, at first us collea.iruc to Dr. Hewit, and after his death as sole pastor. Mr. Hinsdale resigned in 1877, and was succeeded, Feb. 14, bS78, by Kcv. H. A. Davenport, who is at present pastor of (lie ihurch. The late Mrs. Mary Bisho|i was one of the most liberal lienefactors of tliis church, having sulisc'rilied largely to build it, and also to cancel the debt incurred in its erection. The cluireli records show the number of coinmunicants to be IS.'i, and the membership of the Sunday-school Mil). The (4erm.\n 1'kp;sI!yteri.\x C'nri!cn, on State Street, was fir.st organized Oct. I, ISild. \lr\. \. Schroeder was [lastor from 1800 to ISIIl. In ISOS the church was reorganized. Rev. Casper Bniiicr was then .settled as pastor, and hii.s continued to indd thatoflicc until the |jresent time. In the same year tlie society purchased the church now occupied, on Slate Street, nearly opimsite Myrtle Avenue, for about eight thou- sand didlars. The present meiiibeiship of the chnnh is llo; of the Sunday-school, 110. St. Augustine Chuhch ( Homan Catholic). — The Rev. Mr. McDermott was the first Catholic priest who ccdebrated mass in Bridgeport. This was in the house of Mr. Farrell, on :\Iiddle Street, in tlie year ]s;u. About eighteen (.'utlndic families were then living here. Soon afterwards, by order of Bishop I'enwick, the l!ev. .fames Smith attended Bridgeport once a moiitli. He built the (dd lirick church which I'orinerly stood upon the corner of Arch Street and \\'ashin.irton Avenue. Rev. Michael Lynch, the first settled pastor for Bridgejiort, was a]ipointed in December, 1S42. Ten years later. — Sept. 2, l.S'i^. — Bev. Thomas .1. Syniiott was appointed by Bisho]i (Clteilly to take eliarge of the Catliolics of Bridgeport. Soon alter his arrival l!cv. Jlr. Synnott comnicneed Imilding the old church of St. JIary upon Crescent Avenue, in East Bridgeport, and finished it in the following year. In this same year he began St. Thomas' church, at Fair- lie Id, and finished it in 18o4. Ten years later, the old brick chnreli upon Wash- ington .\ venue lieing found too small to aecominoilate the growing ('atlndic ]Mipulation, the foiiiidatioii of St. Augustine's church was laid upon the corner of Washington Avenue and Pei|Uonnock Street. This church, which is the largest in liridgcport, was dedi- cated Maridi 17, 1807, and has cost about one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. The material of which it is built is gray granite from North I>ridge]iort. It is intended to carry up the spire about ninety feet higher than its present termination, making it by far the highest object in the city. The wdiole number of ('atliolies in St. Augustine ]iarish is about four tlioii- sanil,and the average attendance at mass is estimatcil to be as high as three thousand. The Sabbath-school contains about six hundred and fifty members. The amount contributed for special benevolent objects during the pastorate of twenty-eight years of the Rev. Mr. Synnott is between three and four thousand dollars; the amount raised for eliureh purposes — jiarish expenses, building, etc. — cannot In' far Ironi a quarter of a million of dollars. .Adjoining the church on the west is a large and ex- tremely handsome structure, built of gray .L'ranite from I'lymouth, Conn., which is intended for a Sisters' house and academy fiir yonn.<r ladies. It will be coniplctcd during tlie year 1881, and its cost is expected to be aliont the same as that of the chiircli, — one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. St. Mary's Church (Roman Cathidic). — This fine edifice is built of brick with granite triiuiiiings, and stands upon the corner of I'eiiibroke and Sleulien Streets, East Bridge].oit. It was dedicated Oct. 14, bS77, and cost about ninety thousand ilollars. The nnmlicr of ('atholics belonging to St. .Mary's parish is estimated to he three tlioll>aiid, and llie average attendance at church from two thousand to two thou- sand five hundred. The Sabhath-school lias about six 116 HISTORY OF FATllFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. hundred members. The first settU^l minister of the parish was the Rev. Dr. Walhice, from Providence, R. I., and his successors were Rev. Messrs. O'Gorman, O'Neil, Drea, Lcnilian, and Rev. .T. F. Ro-jers, the present pastor. The ohl ehurch of St. Mary, upon Crescent Avenue, is still standing, and is used for school and other purjioses. The German Catholic Church was organized in December, 1874, and for a time held religious ser- vices in a hall in Wheeler's Ruilding, Main Street, corner of Fairfield .\ venue. Subsequently it removed to the iMiildiiijc Xo. 449 Main Street. The ])rosent house of worship was commenced in October, 187S, and completed in April following, at a cost, including the land, of eight thousand dollars. Rev. Joseph A. Schaele, of New Haven, has been |)astor from the or- ganization of the church to the present time. There were at first twenty-five families in the congregation, which now numbers seventy-five families, or about three hundred ])ersons. The Sunday-school has one hundred members. Ma.ss is celebrated and a sermon preached every Sunday morning, the pa.stor returning to New Haven at the conclusion of the services. ITnivehsai.istCihrcii. — The ITnivei-salist Society in l!riclgei)ort was organized in the year IS.iO, and the brownstone building on Fairfield Avenue, near Broad Street, originally known as the Church of our Saviour, but now called Church of the Redeemer, Wiis dedi- cated near the close of the following year. Rev. Olympia Brown — now Mrs. Olympia Brown Willis — w;i.s jnistor of this chur<'h from ISO!) to 187."); Rev. John Lyon, who is now the pastor, was settled Dec. 3, 1876. The cost of the house of worship, including land, etc., was thirty-four thousand dollars. The present number of communicants is 70, and the uumii- bershi]) of the Sunday-school is l.'5o. A chai)el is soon to be constructed upon the lot in rear of the church, which was given to the society by P. T. Barnum, and it is proposed that the second story of this building shall contain a free rea<ling-room fi)r the use of work- ingmen and others. The Ain-ENT Christian Chiuch of Bridgeport Wits organized November, 1849, with fourteen mem- bers, and has maintained regular services ever since, both upon the Sabbath and on week-day evenings, though most of the time without a settled piustor. Eighty-two members have been added since the church was first formed, but, owing to death, removal, and other causes, the present membership is only fifty-seven. The place of meeting is Temperance Hall, on Beach Street, East Bridgeport. The members of the body known as the CHfltcH OF Christ in Bridgeport have met for study of the Bible and for religious worship since the year 1871, but were not formally organized as a church until Aug. 2:?, 1S74, under the leadership of Dr. W. .\. Bcl- <ling, of Troy, N. V. The meetings, at first held in a ]irivate house, have bceu for several years past con- • lucted in the hall at No.^lU Main Street, on the Sab- bath and upon two week-day evenings. No stated preacher has been employed, but since May, 1880, Charles Abercrombie, a revivalist, has been laboring here. The present membership is 65. The Hebrew congregation (Benai Israel) in Briilgcport was organized Sept. 19, 1859, the first min- ister being Rev. A. Jacobs, and the place of worship No. 35 Wall Street. Rev. Mr. Jacobs has had twelve successors, the present incumbent being Rev. E. Will- ner, settled Aug. IG, 1879. The congregation now meets u])on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings at Freednuin's Building, on State Street, opposite the court-house. The Hebrews in this place number only fifteen families, or about seventy-five persons, all of whom belong to the congregation. The Sunday- school has fifteen members. CC.STOM-Hor.SE. In the " Municipal Register" for 1875 Mr. Lacey has given so full an account of the customs district of Fairfield that it is only neces.sary to make brief reference to it here. This district was constituted by act of Congress, March 2, 1799, and includes the en- tire coast, from the Housatonic River to the New York State line. The collector's office was at first at Fairfield, then at Greenfield Hill, but was removed to Bridgeport in 1832. Capt. Samuel Smedley, distin- guished as ii naval commander in the war of the Revolution, was the first collector. His successors were: Walter Bradley, date uncertain ; Samuel Simons, lS.'i2; Joseph Thom])son, 1840; Stephen Lounsbury, 1844; William H. Peet, 1848; William S. Ponieroy, 1852; Silas C. Booth. 1860; John Brooks, 181)4; Julius S. Hanover, 1'869. Since December, 1874, the custom-house Iijls been located in rooms, handsomely fitted up for the pur- ]>ose, upon the corner of Main and Wall Streets. The records of the oflice are well kept, and among the archives are documents bearing the autograjjlis of .\lcxander Hamilton, John Quincy .\dams. .lames Monroe, and other venerable patriots. ClIAPTKi; XIII. BHIDGEPORT (Continued). ri;m,ic in.stitutioxs of BUiDtiEPonr, con- cluded. Kxprow ComiNiny — Firo IV|>Hrtnieut — Fn-H-uiasoii!* — l>iu*liglit <\ini|)niiy — (Jniili-EIi'vnt'»r — Ilarlwr — Hursc-Ilailnmil — Hu«t]>ilul — Uy'lrnuUc CoiiiiMiiiy — Inti^ntnl Kevoiiuo — Library — Lighthonw^^ — Slilli* — Kows- Iin|Mini— <)<lt)-Ffnowa — Orplinii Asyhim — Parks — Polico — roimlnUon — PuBt-Ulllco— Putille ScUoolA — SucIcUi» — Sltraniboals. EXPRESS C05IPAXY. Wi I.I.I AM F. Harxken was the first num to com- mence running an e-xjire-w between Bo.ston and New York, in February, 1839, and is regarded as the BlilDGEPOKT. 117 fouiiiUT of the cxiiicss l>usiiu'>s ill this ciuHtiy. In hiinl Divisiciii; Wiliiiiiii L. HuMhII, Amlitor; S. May, 1S4II, Alviii Adams boL'aii an (.|.|.ositii.n to .1. I',. 1 )il,lilc, (.'ashirr : .rnlm ('. ( ■iirti-, AL^'nt. llanuli-n. For several years IMr. Ailams was liis o\\ n luessenirer. cashier, elerk. an.l j.orter, all in one. In ; "'■'• 1'1:i'M'TMi:nt.