Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

by the letters missive, but did not attend the meeting. The former from ill health, the latter from other reasons. In November of the same year Nathaniel L. Hill' and Maria his wife brought letters of dismission from the mother church. He, with William Richards, were ap- pointed the first deasons of the church, Nov. 27, 1832. To their number were added Jesse B. Scribner, Oliver Burr and Charles Jesup, who constituted the first pru- dential committee. Rev. C. A. Boardman was the first pastor of the church. He had supplied the pulpit for two months or more, and had rendered valuable assist- ance in drafting a constitution and perfecting the organi- zation of the church, before receiving and accepting the call to settle as paster. He was installed by a council February 5, 1833. Judging from the records and the references which one still hears, the newly formed church was very fortunate in the selection of its pastor. Mr. Boardman was a man of rich spiritual endowments as well as of good mental gifts. In 1836, after three short years he resigned his pastorate to accept an appointment as secretary and general agent of the Presbyterian Edu- cational Society. It was with real reluctance that the church acceded to his request for dismission. We see and feel how precious were the ties which bound the pastor and people together, in the tender words which the parting called forth. The church put upon record the following vote: "Resolved, That it is with feeling of deep regret that we part with our beloved pastor. We are constrained to do so solely by a sense of duty as members of the Church of Christ universal." Mr. Board- man's parting words were: "I am leaving a flock whose uniform kindness and liberality have made a deep im- pression on my heart." From the first the society seemed to have heartily concurred with the church, in the call of the minister and in laboring for the prosperity of the newly espoused cause. At the regular meeting of the Ecclesiastical So- ciety, Lewis Raymond was chosen moderator, Levi T. Downes secretary, and Samuel Jackson treasurer. Among the other items of business at that first meeting of the Society it was voted: "That the place for setting up the notices for future meetings of the Society, be on the oak near the Northwest corner of the meeting house." The old oak tree still stands and does duty as in years long past. The first parish committee consisted of the well-known and highly respected gentlemen: Ebenezer Jesup, Samuel B. Sherwood, Dan Taylor, Samuel Avery, and Sullivan Moulton. Proper regard for the music of the sanctuary must have early engaged the attention of the Society's committee. The first musi- cal instrument was introduced in 1836, when the Society voted to pay L. T. Downs and Andrew Comstock $25 for the bass viol which they had purchased for the Society. The story is that there was more or less con- sternation among the older inhabitants at introducing such profane instruments into the house of God. At one of the early parish meetings it was voted to sell the slips at auction to the highest bidder. This custom was con- tinued for many years. We must see that buying bass viols and paying the minister's salary ($700) required funds, and the sale of the slips seemed to have been a matter of prime importance. Casting our eyes over the records, we find the following: "Voted, That the col- lector call on those owing for pew rents for the payment of their respective debts. Voted, To sell the seats for cash. Voted, That the slips in the meeting house shall hereafter be rented for cash to be paid down before the meeting dissolve." Let us not say that the former days were so much better than these, at least in the matter of paying pew rents. "Voted, That Thomas Rowland act as auctioneer." In fact, we may judge of the elo- quence and persuasive powers of the men living in those days by the frequency with which they were called to per- form the important function of auctioneering off the slips. Alva Gray, Henry Piatt, William H. Jesup, Oliver Burr, William Comstock, Hezekiah Nichols, Thomas F. Rowland, Ebenezer Disbrow, E. H. Taylor, John N. Betts and others served their term in this important capacity. The ministry of Rev. Henry Benedict during twelve years, from 1840 to 1852, was a fruitful one. Previous to his coming the church had given calls to Rev. Joseph Foote, Mr. Weed and Richard W. Dickinson, each of whom had supplied the pulpit for a longer or shorter period. Mr. Benedict was a man of noble parts, a good preacher and beloved pastor. It was unfortunate that during his long term of service he was never settled as pastor and that the records for the time are so meagre. During the third year of his ministry there was a gracious revival and a large ingathering, twenty-nine uniting with the church. Some now living look back upon that date as the vear of their conversion and con- fession of their faith in Christ. Rev. Joseph D. Strong was ordained and installed pastor April 12, 1853. He resigned to accept a call extended by a church in the Sandwich Islands. The dismissing council put upon rec- ord this resolution: "In parting with Brother Strong, we can most cordially recommend him to his church over which he has been called to settle, as an able and faithful minister of the. gospel. We likewise and most heartily sympathize with the church in this place in the loss of their beloved pastor. There is evidence of commendable promptness and unanimity on the part of the church and society in extending a call to the Rev. Timothy Atkinson, who was settled as the fourth pastor of the church in 1856. His ministry of eight years was in many ways distinguished. He was a man of rare scholarship and of marked piety. Coincident with his coming there was awakened new spiritual life in the church and a revival followed. He was indefatigable in labors. Under his inspiration the meeting house was enlarged. We find the following minute, under date of April 7th, 1857: "Voted, That Jonas H. Phelps, John N. Betts, Elnathan Wheeler, Gershom B. Bradley and Morris Ketchum be appointed a committee to enlarge this house by carrying the pulpit back as by plan represented." Under Mr. Atkinson's ministry, the Sunday School took on new form and manifested new life. It was re-organized in i860, at which time John N. Betts was chosen superin- tendent, Elnathan Wheeler secretary and treasurer, George C. Lees assistant superintendent, F. W. Jesup and Edward Richards librarians, Messrs. Winton, Coley, Burr, Miss Emma Jesup and Mary F. Atkinson were appointed a library committee. It may be stated in this connection that Mr. Betts during his term of service as superintendent for twenty-five years, was absent but seA'en Sundays during that time, and then not because of illness or disinclination, but to attend and assist at funerals of kindred or friends. This is almost an unparalelled record of fidelity and immunity from phy- sical ills. The closing years of Mr. Atkinson's service here were during the disturbed and distressing times of the rebellion. He took strong anti-slavery grounds. In this his church very generally stood by him. He preached patriotic sermons. One was printed and had wide circulation in pamphlet form. He helped the young men, a goodly number of whom went forth to the war from this church. His wife's failing health compelled us him, in 1864, to resign his charge and seek, for her sake, a more favorable climate. Sound in theology, spiritually minded, strong intellectually, of fine literary tastes, he commanded the respect of all who knew him. Rev. A. J. Hettrick, the fifth pastor, was installed on September 14th, 1865. He came a young man, fresh from his theological studies, and full of zeal for the work. The installation sermon was preached by Rev. Roswell D. Hitchcock, D. D., afterward president of Union Theo- logical Seminary. Mr. Hettrick had been trained in a Presbyterian Seminary and licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New York. But he was settled by a Con- gregational Council and as a pastor of a Congregational church. I find about this time inserted in the records, whether facetiously or with serious intent I know not ; certain action was taken by the Saugatuck Presbyterian Church. With its variety of names, it is the only time that the church is called Presbyterian. This church has been always Congregational in its policy, declaring both its autonomy and its fellowship with the churches of like faith and order. Mr. Hettrick came not only as a young man full of enthusiasm for the work, but at a most op- portune time. The war was over. The men that had survived had come home. The times were good. The Union had been preserved. Right had triumphed. Peo- ple were thankful. Churches were prosperous. I am struck with the list of young men and women, as well as those of middle age, who were ready and waiting for some one to gather them into the church. Many who are to-day the staunch supporters of the church came into it during the ministry of Mr. Hettrick. At this time the church building was enlarged, a room had been fitted up in the basement for the uses of the Sunday School. These quarters had never been satisfactory. They were contracted, dark and damp. In November, 1865, the fol- lowing was voted by the society: (1) That we gratefully accept the sum of money which has been raised by the ladies and friends of the Sunday School (a thousand dol- lars, with the promise of an additional sum), and (2) Voted, That H. R. Treadwell, M. L. Mason, John N. Eetts, H. M. Coley, A. J. Hettrick, A. L. Winton and E. W. Taylor be, and are hereby appointed, a committee to erect a new room according to the plan proposed. That plan resulted in the commodious Sunday School and lecture room adjoining the rear of the church. It has proven in every respect satisfactory and useful. In 94