Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

did Abraham, into a new and strange country. There, amid toil and privation, they struggled for a larger free- dom, an ideal commonwealth. How, to-day, do we, their descendants, justify their heroic sacrifice, their patient and noble laying of the foundations upon which our gov- ernment, our society, our church, rest? Alas, we have lost much of this spirit. Our government lacks sadly the stability and firmness of their noble character. Its indeterminate and unsettled condition breeds restlessness / and crimes. Labor, capital and anarchy tear ruthlessly.' our civic fabric. Society is rank with the destroying hi-l fluences of gluttony, extravagance and immorality. The* church languishes for lack of proper zeal. Philanthropy' 47 is but half-hearted, and falls short of the Christian ideal. Men give, but give cautiously, and disproportionately of their wealth. The interview between the rich young man and the Master still remains a unique instance re- corded in Holy Writ. The cry, to-day, is "Back to the simplicity of the single-mindedness and Godly fear of our forefathers !" Back to the example of the life of the Son of God, the inspiration of which they so nobly caught and reflected in their patient and ever-glorious lives ! It is then that the nation, society and the church will have reached and grasped the true American ideal. AT THE SOUTH NORWALK CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH EACON Nelson Dickerman gave a his- tory of the South Norwalk Congrega- tional Church, at the morning ser- vices, Sunday. He said: Standing on the steps at the main entrance to our present church, we face the site of The Old Well School House, where now stands our soldiers' monument. The second floor of this building was used as a prayer meeting and conference room by the members of the Norwalk Congregational Church, then residing in the lower part of the town. In this "conference room" was held, August nth, 1834, the first public meeting to consider the propriety of building a Congregational Church in the village of Old Well. On September 15th, 1834, the subject was brought before the Norwalk Church in a communication, which said: "We have been for some time impressed with the importance of estab- lishing a place for the worship of Almighty God in the village of Old Well"; also, "Our own individual ac- commodation seems almost forgotten in the prospect of being instrumental in benefitting and saving souls from everlasting woe." Among other reasons given: "More than half of our population are neglectors of the appointed means of sal- vation" ; and, "We feel we are called upon to make greater exertions to bring souls for whom Christ diecT under the influence of these means which God has apA pointed for their salvation." At this meeting a committee was appointed to con- sider the matter, and reported to the church at a meet- ing held September 29th, "That in the opinion of this committee it is expedient that the people at the Old Well go forward and erect a house for the worship of the Most High among them and that it be done without any un- necessary delay." This opinion was adopted by a vote of the church. After the communion service on January 3, 1836, sixty-four members were dismissed to constitute the Sec- ond Congregational Church, of Norwalk. The first meet- ing of the newly-constituted church was held January 49 4, 1836, and the following persons were chosen deacons: John Bouten, who served twenty years, was instantly killed by a fall from the scaffold during the enlarging of the church in 1856; Daniel K. Nash, who served twenty- eight years, met death by a fall from a tree; also Ste- phen G. Ferris, who after fifty-seven years of service, beloved by all the membership of the church, "fell asleep." James Warner was chosen clerk, and thus or- ganized their work was begun. Public worship was commenced February 14, 1836, in the conference room, and a Sunday school organized February 21, with Dea- con Stephen G. Ferris as superintendent. Their church building, begun in the spring of 1835, was completed and opened for worship the last Sabbath in March, 1836. Its cost for the lot was $300, and for the building, $2,200, a total of $2,500. The two largest recorded subscrip- tions were for $100. Several who were unable to give money, gave materials, or day's labor, glad to aid the good work as they could. On April 16, 1836, the church extended a call to the Rev. James Knox to become its pastor. This he accepted only as a "stated supply." They were received into the Fairfield West Consociation, February 19th, 1839. During the first year but five were added to the church, but in the succeeding year, 1837, fifty-one were received in confession, and eleven by letter, a total of sixty-two. After deducting the loss by deaths, two, and by dismission to other churches, six, the membership was one hundred and twenty-three. The membership was almost stationary during the next five years, the loss by death and dismission about equaling the increase, and one year, 1839, the only year in the church's history, there were no additions. In 1843 the church again took a forward move- ment with the addition of thirty-one by confession and three by letter, and after deducting its losses had a membership of 140. The first fifteen years of the church's existence covered five pastorates, but the Rev. Francis C. Woodworth was the only one installed as pastor. The next two pastorates were much longer and showed a larger growth in membership and activities. In the early part of Rev. D. R. Austin's connection with the church the name was changed to "The Congre- gational Church, of South Norwalk," and a debt of $800 was paid. In 1856 the church was enlarged, so as to nearly double its seating capacity, a bell and organ were secured and a general advance was made in the equipment for ag- gressive service. Under Mr. Austin's guidance the young people of the church were organized into working bands, and a Sunday school was organized on the hill on the West Norwalk road. The scholars met out of doors in pleasant weather, and in Mr. Bates' house at other times, and later in Samuel Seymour's barn. Another Sunday school was organized in East Norwalk near the tide-mill. A third was organized in the Ely Neck road, for which a rude structure was erected. In connection with the Sunday school work, prayer-meetings were held and a general interest in religious work stimulated. Dur- ing this ministry of fifteen years the membership of the church was advanced from 162 to 264. The pastorate of Rev. Homer N. Dunning, extend- ing from 1866 to 1883, seventeen years, is the longest of any with our church. In 1876 we celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the church. This was also the year of the great revival and as a result 118 were added to our church on profession. Following this revival the Y. P. S. C. E. was organized and has been a power for Christian growth among our young people. The Sunday school increased in attendance and help- fulness, and the religious life of the church and com- munity greatly benefitted. The additions to the church brought the membership from 246 to 416. Between the pastorates of Rev. H. N. Dunning and of Rev. James H. Ross, his successor, a chapel was built on the church property and was used for a portion of the Sunday school, for prayer meetings, and social gather- ings, and proved a very helpful addition to efficient church work. The pastorate of Mr. Ross was short, only four and a. half years. During this time occurred the 50th anniversary of the church. This was fittingly ob- served by services on the Sabbath, and a social gathering on Monday evening. A very pleasant feature was the Union Communion service of the Norwalk Congrega- tional Church with us on Sunday afternoon, conducted by the pastors of the Norwalk and South Norwalk Con- gregational Churches, and the elements distributed by the deacons of the two churches. This service was so highly appreciated that for sev- eral years a similar one was held, alternating between si the churches, marking the spiritual growth of the church. In 1887 sixty-one were received on profession, largely from the young people of the church and Sunday school. The church membership was increased from 416 to 497 during the pastorate of Mr. Ross. The movement for a new church building, started during the early part of Mr. Dunning's pastorate, and earnestly advocated by him, took definite form during Mr. Ross's ministry. The old church property was sold, a generous sub- scription raised, a new site was purchased and ground broken for the new structure May 31, 1888. The laying of the foundation was begun July 25th. The corner stone was laid October 24, 1888. Hon. John H. Ferris, chair- man of the building committee, was master of cere- monies. Addresses were made by Rev. Edward Ander- son, pastor of the Norwalk Congregational Church ; Rev. H. A. Delano, pastor of the Baptist Church ; Rev. Charles E. Harris, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church; Rev. J. A. Biddle, of Hartford, to whom we had extended a call to become our pastor, and Frank A. Ferris, then of New York. Deacon Stephen G. Ferris laid the corner stone, using a silver trowel. The new church was completed and worship begun the last Sunday in December, 1889. The dedication was early in January, 1890. Rev. Jacob A. Biddle accepted our call and began his work with us in November, 1888, and aided us in making good use of the impulse given to our religious interest by the removal to our new church. Ill health limited the activ- ities to which his earnest spirituality prompted him, and he resigned in April, 1891.