Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

The very appearance of a Methodist preacher was a challenge to both doctrinal decrees and the traditions of any New England community ; for in place of the five points of Calvinism he brought the counter points of Ar- minianism, and instead of heeding inviolable customs he violated ruthlessly all of the observed order of proce- dure. He cared for no meeting house ; a wayside tree, a grove of them, or a small cottage were all he expected or desired, if ten or twenty persons could there hear the word of God. There is no desire to rehearse the story of the old controversy waged with such bitterness over this New England field, nor to narrate the modifications which time has brought to both parties of the contest. All that is past and both parties are devoutly glad that it is. It is sufficient for our purpose this morning to note that the place where Methodism first flung its challenge to the dominant creed lies within our own city limits, and that the pioneer preacher was Jesse Lee. On the 17th of June, 1789, Jesse Lee preached his first sermon in New England at Norwalk, Conn. The difficulties he encountered at the outset were characteris- tic of the community, and were met by his characteristic persistence. He writes in his diary, under date of Wednesday, June 17, 1789, "I set off to take a town farther into Connecticut than any of our preachers have been. I am the first that has been appointed to this state M by the conference. I set out with a prayer to God for a blessing on my endeavors and with an expectation of manv oppositions. "At four o'clock in the afternoon he arrived at Nor^ walk and applied for a private house to preach in but was refused. He then asked for the use of an old de- serted building in sight, but was again refused. He pro- posed to preach in a neighboring orchard but was still refused. He took his stand at last, under an apple tree on the public road, surrounded by twenty hearers. After singing and praying, he says, I preached from John III., 7: 'Ye must be "born again.' I felt happy that we were favored with so comfortable a place. After preaching I told the people I intended to be with them again in two weeks ; and if any of them would open their houses to me I would be glad ; but if they were not willing we would meet in the same place. Who knows but I shall yet have a place in this town where I can lay my head?" (See Stevens's history). The apple tree referred to stood at the corner of Main street and North avenue, near where the water tank is now placed. Mr. Lee proceeded in his work till he formed a regular circuit including the towns of Norwalk, Fairfield, Stratford, Milford, Redding, Danbury and Canaan. In this circuit the oldest society was Stratford, Redding was second. The first Methodist church in New England was built in the town of Weston and call- ed in honor of the pioneer Lee's chapel. (The building was rebuilt in 1813. Authority for above, Bangs's His- tory, Vol. 1, pages 286-93.) It is not known when the Norwalk society was first formed, probably not later than 1790. The services of the society were held for several years in the red school house in South Norwalk, in 1816. The first building was erected on the site at present occu- pied by the new church at South Norwalk. From this time the growth of the society was rapid and in 1834 the appointment was changed from a circuit, or a part of one, to a station. The next date which claims our attention, as marking an epoch in the Methodist history in this place is 1858. It was in this year that the Methodists living in this part of the town drew away from the parent society, and formed the organization of what is known legally as the Second Methodist Episcopal church of Norwalk, but is commonly spoken of as the uptown or Norwalk church. There had been for some years preceding the date 6T last mentioned, a feeling that this was a goodly land and that we, as good Methodists, ought to go in and possess it. But how or when best to do it was the question that seemed to baffle the minds of those who most pondered it. The way was shown finally and the propitious time came and as we look back at it from this vantage place we can see that both the way and the time were provi- dential. An unknown but conscientious hostman writ- ing in the church records, records the fact in these words: "The division, which must inevitably have come, was hastened by certain irritating circumstances which occurred during the pastorate of Geo. C. Creevy and caused his removal, and the appointment of Hart F. Pease in the spring of 1858." The meaning of that diplomatic phase "irritating circumstances" there are many here who well remember, sufficient it is for our purpose to note that on the first Sabbath of the new con- ference year, April 25, 1858, a meeting was held in "Phoenix Hall," which stood on the South side of Wall street, east of the bridge. The preacher was Dr. Asa Hill, the text Phil. 1 :2Cj, "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer with him." At this service 96 persons gave their names as desiring to unite with the new uptown society and two committees were appointed, one on place of worship consisting of Piatt Price, D. W. Nash, G. P. Adams, David Betts, Sherman Cole, George T. Brady and S. R. Bunting and one on Sunday school, George T. Bradv, George W. Selleck, S. H. Holmes and Daniel Fitch. At the second service, of this day E. J. Peck, a local preacher, spoke from Pro. III., 6: "In all thy ways," etc., and twenty more entered their names for the purpose of forming a society. The meetings were held in the hall above mentioned, in private houses and in a barn fitted with temporary benches. The first officers of the society when it was formed by the presiding elder, E. E. Griswold, were as follows: Preacher in charge — Dr. Asa Hill. Trustees — David Nash, George W. Selleck, George T. Brady, Gerardus P. Adams, Piatt Price, Sherman Cole, Samuel R. Bunting. Stewards — Nathan D. Beers, David Betts, Silas B. Meeker, George Nash, Joseph B. Scribner. 08 Class Leaders — G. P. Adams, Garrett Haulenbeck, Albert Morehouse, David Betts, Daniel Fitch. The Sunday school superintendent — Garrett Hau- lenbeck. Efforts were at once put forth to secure a site for a church building and the committee, Dr. Asa Hill, Piatt Price and Sherman Cole, bought for the society the ground on which the church now stands for $1,600 and within a month thereafter a building committee consist- ing of Dr. Hill, Albert Morehouse and Garrett Haulen- beck was appointed with power. Plans drawn by Tappan Reeve, of Brooklyn, archi- tect, were approved and the contract for building let to Thomas W. Lowe, of Brooklyn. Work was begun in November, 1859. The building was raised and enclosed and rapidly approaching completion, when an unlooked for calamity befell the society in the destruction of the church by a terrible gale which occurred February 10, i860. "This calamity fell very heavily upon the builder, but the brethren consented to pay him $2,500 extra, for which he agreed to go forward and complete the build- ing according to the original contract." The dedicatory services, upon the completion of the structure, were held December 6, i860, Bishop Janes, Dr. Bartine, of Philadelphia, and Dr. Wakely, of New York, preaching the sermons. No estimate of the sacrifice and devotion which ren- dered this achievement possible, would be at all adequate that did not give discriminating but generous praise to the leaders and the whole company of believers. They all worked and prayed and gave time, worry and devotion that this building might be commissioned for its work. Those were days in which few or none came singing "I pray thee have me excused." It is not because we are mindful of this devotion that we single out for mention the work and name of one man. He it was who like the great Hebrew of old, piloted the people of God through their wanderings and brought them to their fixed habita- tion. Dr. Hill, consecrated lay-preacher that he was, and the church's first pastor, laid the foundation in more senses than one, and all the pastors who have come since have but built on his foundation. Better cannot be said of him than to repeat the resolution passed by the officials of the church at the termination of his pastoral work. "Resolved : By the joint board of leaders, stewards, and trustees of the Second M. E. church of Norwalk, that as a church we are under obligations to Dr. Asa Hill, which we can never repay, for his active faithfulness, and successful labors, by which have been secured to us so large and flourishing a church, and so fine a house in which we and our children and our children's children can worship the living God ; and as the official board of said church, we hereby present to Dr. Hill our sincere and hearty thanks for his untiring and gratuitous ser- vices in securing these highly outward results." Dr. Hill continued to serve the church and Sunday school and other work till his death on December 26, 1874. The list of pastors with the dates of service follows: Asa Hill, 1858—60. Nathaniel Mead, 1861— 2. Samuel H. Smith, 1863 — 5. T. S. Breckenridge, 1866 — 8. I. Simmons, 1869 — 71. John Pegg, 1872—3. R. W. Jones, 1874—6 C. S. Williams, 1877—78. C.S. Wing, 1879—81. W. H. Thomas, 1882—84. H. D. Weston, 1885. W. W. Clark, 1886—7. George VanAlstyne, 1888 — Q2. A. K. Wvatt, 1803—96. F. A. Scofield, 1897—8. S. L. Beiler, 1899. H. A. Munson, 1900. The list includes 17 names, of whom 6 are dead and the rest, with the exception of Brother Smith, are still in the active work of the ministry.