Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

"The old church was originally built with doors to the pews — a 'square body,' with side pews and two aisles. The pulpit was high, on a level with the top of the gallery, which extended around three sides of the church. The pulpit, reading desk and communion table, all stood one under the other with a circu- lar chancel rail of mahogany. The lamps on the pulpit and desk were the old 'astral/ and the cushions on pulpit and desk, and cover to the com- munion table (for it was a veritable four-legged table, of mahoganv frame and legs) were covered with crimson silk damask. The first carpet on the church was a light felt with red and green figures, which was afterwards replaced by a more churchly pattern and style. The vestry room was originally built at the entrance, between the two doors, but the clergyman generally changed his robes in the little closet under the high pulpit, which was hardly large enough to turn about in. At a later period the pulpit was changed and finally taken away altogether and a new vestry room added to the rear of the church. The windows in this old church were immense. They consisted of three sashes, each containing thirty-six panes of glass, making one hundred and eight panes in every window — five windows on a side and two on the ends near the chancel " Dr. Kemper resigned the rectorship of St. Paul's, and was consecrated Missionary Bishop of Missouri and Indiana in September, 1835, and till February of the fol- lowing year Christ Church was supplied by the Rev. B. G. Noble, of Bridgeport. On Feb. 6th', 1836, the Rev. Edward Ingersoll was called to be the first rector of the parish. In 1836 Mr. Ingersoll reported fifty-eight families and forty-eight communicants and in 1839, sixty- three families and fifty-seven communicants. The Rev. Hilliard Bryant succeeded in 1840. In 1841, the Rev. J. H. Leacock officiated till the advent of the third rec- tor in 1842, the Rev. E. C. Bull. In 1847, Mr. Bull re- ported sixty families and ninety communicants. Then there followed in the order named to the present incum- bent, the Revs. W. H. Frisbee, John Purves, J. R. Wil- liams, Thomas Hyde and H. N. Wayne. In 1852, Mr. Frisbee reported 139 communicants and in i860, Mr. Purves 168. At about this time came the dark and sad days of turmoil, distress and separation in the life of this vener- able parish, when in discord bitter, which the older people could not forget, and which it were better the younger generation should not know, Trinity parish came into existence. We may well weep and bow our heads in conscious shame when dissension brings the breach of friendship and ill will. But, thank God ! oppos- ing factions no longer exist and the two parishes, as brethren of one household, now dwell together in unity. I would there were the time to speak at length of the noble character and faithful rectorship of J. R. Wil- liams. The present solidity of this parish is due to his truly Christian work and influence from the time of the division through twenty-six years of earnest and never- ceasing endeavor. The foundation he laid could not be wrecked, even by the violent and overwhelming tide of trouble that made havoc in the immediately following rectorship. His is the rest that "remaineth to the people of God" and ours the heritage of a saintly character and noble influence. In 1884 the present new church was built and in 1894 the new Rectory. All this was possible through the generosity and love for the church and parish of the long-time senior and junior wardens, Edward and An- drew Nash. Since 1884 the memories and associations have clustered about this building as once about the old church on the hill. As we recall these years, not yet a quarter of a century, how much of sadness as well as of joy comes to mind with the vividness of recent events. In these few years our present surroundings have be- come dear and blessed to us in the strength and help we have found at this altar and in the round of services for the sorrows and struggles of life. Here we behold the generous giving and earnest labor that gives, according to our opportunity, the best that life has, the life lived with Christ in God, to all that need in this great and beautiful, but unhappy world. Here is exemplified in the grandest sense the truth that my neighbor is he whom I can help, be he at my side or at the farthest con- fines of the earth. And as the years multiply, the old church on the hill will become a fading memory and at this altar will be read with heart-felt meaning and the eye of faith, the hope of all generations, "Make them to be numbered with Thy saints." I have been forced to omit much that I should have liked to have rehearsed to you. Because of the occasion I have dwelt more at length on the earlier history which concerns the people who were more of Norwalk than we of to-day. Let us remember that we owe a debt of gra- titude to this aneieut town for that priceless, divine pos- session, our church life, and let us give, therefore, due recognition to this honorable lineage and pray earnestly for our brethren of Norwalk, and for our church-mother, noble old St. Paul's. May God bless this ancient town with prosperity, true religion and peace. MEMORIAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY, WESTPORT EV. Kenneth Mackenzie, Jr., Rector, preached a memorial sermon in honor of the day, in the course of which he referred to the history of the parish recently published. To preserve the historic features, the following extract from the pamphlet is given as printed: April 9th, i860, the declaration for the formation of a new parish in the town of West- port, Conn., was signed. April 14th, i860, the first meeting was held. April 16, i860, Bishop Brownell and Assistant Bishop Williams gave their canonical consent to the for- mation of the new parish ; and on April 20th the Stand- ing Committee of the Diocese signified their approval of the same. April 24th, i860, the Rev. John Purves, A. M., was called to the rectorship, and on April 26th he accepted the same. April 29th, i860, the first religious service was held. May 7th, i860, the committee for the purchase of site reported, through its chairman, Mr. Richard H. Winslow, that the house and lot of Captain Edgar Wake- man had been secured. In a historical sermon the Rev. A. N. Lewis says of this location: "An ancient house stood at that time just west of the large elm-tree on the church-grounds, which, before and during the Revolutionary War, had been an inn. It was on the high road from Boston to New York, and more than once, it is said, had the honor of sheltering the illustrious Washington. "On one occasion he had put up at the old inn for dinner. Being very hungry he could not wait, and was engaged in toasting a piece of ham before the open fire. To a boy who had strolled in to see "the General," he said: "This is the way the poor soldiers have to live!" "Washington also met General the Marquis de La Fayette, and General the Count de Rochambeau at the inn, where they passed the night." June 15th, i860, the parish was admitted into union with the Diocesan Convention. S4 September 19th, i860, the corner stone of the church edifice was laid. Before the walls were up Mr. Winslow, to whose energy and enthusiasm the young parish owed its im- pulse, passed away, February 14th, 1861. "His death, however, did not interrupt his work, which, in accord- ance with his wishes and instructions, was carried to completion by his widow, Mrs. Mary Fitch Winslow." To this generous friend the parish has ever been, and is, unspeakably indebted for continued benefactions. The church was first opened for divine service Feb- ruary 22d, 1862, and on Friday, June 30th, 1863, it was consecrated to the worship of God, according to the order of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. 85 AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE SAUGATUCK CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF WESTPORT By the Pastor, Rev. Jabez Backus. (A Discourse Delivered Sept. 8, 1901.) ONGREGATIONALISM in Connec- ticut is co-existent and co-extensive with the planting of the different col- onies and the founding of the different towns. It was the policy of the early settlers in New England that each town should have an orthodox min- ister settled for life and a church or- ganized under leave of the general court of the State. 1 he late Prof. Johnson says in his excellent study of the commonwealth, "Democracy of Connecticut": "It would hardly be too strong to say that the establishment of the town and the church was coincident. The universal agreement in religion made town government and church government but the two sides of the same medal, and the same person took part in both." It was not that church and state were one, it was rather that the people were one and of one church. It was not until 171 7 that the ecclesiastical society, as distinct from the town, was organized and its rights and powers defined by the gen- eral court. In 1679 the people who had come from the original Plymouth and Massachusetts Colonies and set- tled in Wethersfield, Windsor and Hartford, adopted a constitution which declares their object in these notable vords: "To maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which we now profess, as also the discipline of the churches, which according to the truth of the said gospel is now prac- tised amongst us." Under this plan the settling of Con- necticut went forward. Every town had its church. Fairfield county in 1666, the date of its organization, embraced but five towns. These were Fairfield, Strat- ford, Norwalk, Stamford and Greenwich. Each of these early towns have their ancient churches, many of which have, or are about celebrating, their 250th anniversary. The only reason that Westport did not have a Congrega- tional church a quarter of a millenium ago is, that there was no Westport.. In the early times we belonged to the 86