Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

On November 26, 1895, in connection with the City National Bank, the property No. 97 and 99 Washington street, was bought and the building known as the United Bank building was erected; on April 4, 1898, moved into its pleasant quarters in the new building, which are fitted up with modern steel burglar and fire-proof vaults and all the conveniences of a modern bank. The officers from the date of organization until the present time, and their term of office are as follows: Daniel K. Nash, President, i860- 1865. A. E. Beard, Vice President, 1860-1864. C. P. Tolles, Secretary and Treasurer, 1860-1865. Vice President, 1865-1866, and Secretarv and Treasurer, 1 866- 1 868. L. H. Moore, Vice President, 1864-1865. Wm. PI. Benedict, President, 1865-1877. S. E. Foote, Secretary and Treasurer, 1865- 1866. Dudlev P. Ely, Vice President, 1866- 1877. Presi- dent, 1877-1886. W. S. Hanford, Secretary and Treasurer, 1868-1877. Alden Salmans, Vice President, 1877-1886, and President from 1886 to the present time. John H. Ferris, Vice President, ]886. John H. Knapp, Secretary and Treasurer, 1877- 1898. Geo. F. PJearse, Secretary and Treasurer, since April 5, 1898. The present officers are Alden Solmans, President ; John H. Ferris, Vice President; George F. Bearse, Sec- retary and Treasurer. The managers are Alden Solmans, John H. Knapp, Henry I. Smith, John H. Ferris, Edward Beard, John PI. Light, Josiah R. Marvin, Geo. F. Bearse and Henry Sey- mour. The total deposits at the present time are $1,064,- 056.78 and surplus $60,000.00. 267 ST. PAUL'S CHURCH HIS is the second oldest ecclesiastical organization in Norwalk. As early as 1729 there appears to have been de- sultory Episcopal services holden in Norwalk. Rev. Henry Caner of Fair- field, was probably the first clergyman known to have here officiated. His incumbency dates from 1737, at which period the worship of the Episcopal church seems to have been celebrated in a small and temporary frame structure which stood on the extreme northeasterly por- tion of the present St. Paul's grounds on Newtown ave- nue. This structure seems to have served the parish purpose until 1742, when the building, afterward de- stroyed by Tryon, was erected. Rev. Henry Caner was succeeded by his brother Richard, who remained for sev- eral years at the head of the parish. In 1758 St. Paul's called Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Leaning to the rectorship. Pre- vious to this date there had been, since the davs of the two Caners, transient supervision of the cure, but now was commenced a twenty years regular and uninterrupt- ed pastoral charge which terminated with the burning of the town, by the British, in 1779. Dr. Leaning, a learn- ed man, was succeeded by the Rev. Ebenezer Dibblee, D.D., of Stamford. Dr. Dibblee was rector of St. John's church in Stamford and he kept Norwalk, in a measure, under his ward. In 1784 Dr. John Bowden, a scholarly divine, held the position of rector for several years. A new church edifice rose over the ashes of the temple burned in 1779, which building stood until 1840, when it was supplanted by the well preserved Gothic edifice of 1901. After Dr. Bowden came Rev. Mr. Toole of more eastern New England then Rev. George Ogilvie, who was followed by Dr. William Smith, an earnest and an intellectual man who remained toward four years in Norwalk. In 1800 the beloved Henry Whitlock was called to the pastorate and some sixteen or so years later Rev. Reuben Sherwood, D.D., of Fairfield. Dr. Sherwood's care of the parish was preceded by the temporary shep- herding of different pastors. He was an active man and maintained, in connection with his ministerial work, a 868 line school which drew quite a patronage from out of town. In 1830, Rev. Henry S. Atwater had charge for a brief season, of St. Paul's, and then came the saintly Dr. Jackson Kemper, afterward the Bishop of what was term- ed the "North West." James C. Richmond held the parish for a few months, when Rev. William Cooper Mead, D.D., assumed in 1836, a nearly forty-four years' charge. Drs. Kemper and Mead did efficient duty at St. Paul's and left an impression that deserved to re- main. Evangelical, conservative, safe, sound, their work and their influence told. After Dr. Mead came Revs. C. M. Selleck, Howard S. Clopp, S. T. Graham, S. H. Pond and I. Morris Coer. OTHER CHURCHES. Swedish Bethlehem Congregational Church, East Norwalk. — Organized 1890 by Rev. J. A. Biddle. Pas- tor, Rev. Olof Dahlgren. President, John Lindholm. Secretary, Miss Anna Carlson. Treasurer, Erik A. An- derson. German Evangelical Lutheran Church. —Organized 1892 by Rev. Otto Apitz. Services held in the old Con- gregational chapel on North Main street. Pastor, Rev. Theodor Bauck. Trustees, A. Malmo, F. Syring, G. Geist, H. Zeorges, F. Spitze, K. Gehrmann, W Gehr- mann, Gustav E. Friedrich. Rowayton Baptist Church. — Organized in 1861. Present membership, 85. Pastor, Rev. Frank Brown. Methodist Episcopal Church, Rowayton. — Organ- ized 1868. Pastor, Rev. H. E. Wing. Membership, 107. West Norwalk Methodist Mission. — Organized 1894. President, Thomas J. Mead. Secretary, John H. Selleck. Treasurer, Henry T. Burtis. African Methodist Episcopal Church. — Organized April, 1886. Pastor, Rev. Cain P. Cole. Building on Knight street, Norwalk. Calvary Baptist Church (Colored). — Organized Nov. 30, 1891. Butler street, Norwalk. Pastor, Rev. D. C. Thomas. Membership, 30. Christian Union Association, West Norwalk. — Or- ganized March, 1866. President, F. A. Keyser. Treas- urer, Edwin Johnson. Secretary, F. D. Stevens. Super- intendent of Sunday School, Mrs. F. Griffin. Christian Union Church Society, Cranbury. — Or- ganized 1880. President, W. F. Fillow, Treasurer, D. A. Fillow. Clerk, W. T. Gregory. 269 Brookside Chapel Association, Rowayton. — Presi- dent, Samuel R. Weed. Treasurer, Miss Mary J. Ray- mond. Clerk, W. H. Tristram. Broad River Branch, Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, Latter Day Saints. — Organized August, 1896. President, Elder A. E. Stone. Priest, William Hobson. Teacher, Homer Buttery. Deacon, Julius Cable. Clerk, Judson Cable. Treasurer, Mrs. Rufus Buttery. Beth Israel Society. — Services are held in Ray- mond's Hall, 139 Washington street. Secretary, D. Gott- lieb. Treasurer, T. Slowsynsky. Advent Christian Church. — On the evening of April 21st, 1877, F. S. Ainsworth, John Bedient, Eliza Bedient, Orson Stannard, Elizabeth Stannard, William H. Wil- cox, Fannie Wilcox, Alfred Hall, Everett E. Wheeler, Samuel Smith, Alfred Z. Broadhurst, Mrs. Antoinette Byxbee, Miss Nettie Byxbee, William Knapp and Elder G. L. White of Bristol, Ct., who had embraced the doc- trine of the soon personal coming of Christ to this eardi again, met in the kitchen of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Stannard, corner of Elizabeth and Day streets, South Norwalk, to consider the matter of organizing a church for the propagation of this and kindred doctrines. Previ- ous to this time, meetings had been held at irregular in- tervals, in various places, the services being conducted by itinerent preachers. Elder White was chosen chair- man and F. S. Ainsworth clerk. On motion, it was regularly voted that the meeting proceed to organize, which was accordingly done. A confession and covenant was presented by F. S. Ains- worth and duly adopted ; also a form of church govern- ment. Orson Stannard was elected deacon, F. S. Ains- worth secretary and Everett E. Wheeler treasurer. The old "Military Hall," in the Ely block, was engaged for meeting purposes. From time to time the place for holding meetings was changed until in the early part of the year 1887. The matter of buying a lot and building a chapsl was discussed and subscriptions solicited for this purpose. Beside the members of the church many friends in and out of town were among the subscribers. It being ap- parent that in order to hold property, a society must be formed, the Advent Christian Society, composed of mem- bers of the church, was organized Oct. 30, 1887, and a lot on the corner of Van Zandt avenue and Harvey street, East Norwalk, was purchased from Mrs. Richard Parme- 270 lee, and the present chapel was erected and dedicated in August, 1888. In November of the same year, Rev. H. H. Tucker accepted a call and became its first settled pastor, con- tinuing until August, 1892. Under his labors the church prospered and accessions were numerous. In August, 1892, his relation to the church as pastor was dissolved. In December of the same year the Rev. G.L.Teeple accepted a call and became its second pastor, remaining until September, 1895. About this time the Advent Christian Conference of Connecticut ordained Francis S. Ainsworth, of East Norwalk, (one of the founders of the church and one who had continued his association with it from its birth), to the ministry ; and a call was extended to him to become its pastor. Mr. Ainsworth accepted the call and served the church very acceptably for about four years. Desiring to be relieved, as he was engaged in other business, and making known his desire to the church, the present pastor, Rev. James W. Davis, was called and is now in the third year of service. The church is in a good healthy condition with a membership of 95, new members being added from time to time. The present officers are: F. S. Ainsworth, First Dea- con. W. C. Byxbee, Second Deacon. Mrs. Richard Bland, First Deaconess. Mrs. James Evenden, Jr., Sec- ond Deaconess. Stephen W. Velsor, Secretary. James Evenden, Jr., Treasurer.