Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

South Norwalk Baptist Church. — The church was organized on May 5th, 1859, at the residence of John L. Burbank, on South Main street. Mr. and Mrs. Burbank were deeply interested in their church, and their home was bequeathed by them for a Baptist parsonage, nearly forty years' after the church was organized within its walls. At fhat meeting were David L. Burbank, Charles T. Raymond, Jane Burbank, Harriet T. Raymond, John L. Burbank, Andrew Morgan, Hannah M. Burbank, Mrs. Andrew Morgan, Maria Roberts, Manning Decker, Anna N. Root, Selleck Roberts, Mrs. Taimer Morgan, Anna E. Latin, Andrew J. Crofut, Francis Gregory, Jenette Crofut, Catherine Law, L. D. Gowen and Jos- ephine Erickson. This handful of people were the charter members of the church. The Rev. L. D. Gowen was chosen pastor at this meeting and the first services were held in Smith's Hall, which is now Tilly's carriage fac- tory, on May 22, 1859. At that time Sunday School was held at 9 a. m. and prayer meeting at 10. 271 Preaching services were then held at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and at 7:30 in the evening. Charles T. Ray- mond was the first deacon of the church. A council of churches was held in Smith's hall, on May 31, 1859, to consider the matter of recognizing the church as a sep- arate body of Christ. The council met again on June 29th of the same year and made the church a separate and recognized organization. The first communion was held on the 3d of July fol- lowing. The first members taken into the new church by baptism were Miss Sarah A. Morgan and Clara Thompson, who were received November 14, 1859. The Rev. S. D. Gowen resigned February 27, 1861, and was succeeded by the Rev. William F. Fagan, who was pastor until ill health caused him to resign. A temporary place of worship called the Baptist Tabernacle was completed shortly before Mr. Fagan's advent as pastor of the church. That building is now occupied by William Pod- more, on North Main street, on the site of the present church edifice, on West avenue. Following Mr. Fagan came Rev. William M. Ross, who was ordained by the church council, January 21, 1863. He resigned in May, 1865, a'nd was succeeded by Rev. Charles G. Swan, who was ordained October 10th of that year. Mr. Swan resigned in October, 1867, and was followed by Rev. John Davies. Andrew J. Thomp- son was elected a deacon of the church on July 9, 1868, and is still in the office, which makes him the oldest offi- cer in the church. Rev. Mr. Davies resigned February 11, 1872, leaving the church with a membership of 204 persons. Rev. Mr. Patterson was pulpit supply for six months, but declined a permanent call. Rev. James M. Taylor served as pastor from February, 1873, to December, 1881. During his pastorate the matter of a new building was agitated. Rev. J. Wolfenden was pastor of the church from April, 1882, to January, 1884, when Rev. A. S. Gumbart became pas- tor and served until 1885, when he resigned shortly after the new church was built. Rev. H. A. Delano ministered to the church from December, 1885, to June 30, 1889, and he also resigned. Rev. Archibald Wheaton had charge from December of the latter year to November 1st, 1892, when he tendered his resignation. Rev. R. O. Sherwood entered on his duties as minister in July, 1893, and continued in the capacity until November, 1898. Rev. W. H. Hubbard 872 succeeded Mr. Sherwood and is still pastor, having ac- complished much in the upbuilding and strengthening of the church since he came to South Norwalk. The present membership of the church is 320 and the organization is free from debt. Hungarian Reformed Church. — The Hungarian Re- formed Church was organized in April, 1893, with be- tween seventy and eighty members, who met in the Methodist Church until, in 1896, Rev. Gabriel Dokus was appointed pastor by the Board of Foreign Missions. Under his direction a church building was erected with a school room in which the children of the parish are gathered for instruction, not only on Sundays, but on week days as well during the summer. A parsonage was erected recently at a cost of $1,400. There are now about 130 members of the church. Services are held three Sundays in a month, the pastor being called elsewhere for mission work on the remaining Sunday. The hours of service are at 11:30 and 4:30 on Sunday and 7:30 on Thursday evening of each week. The church officers are: Pastor, Rev. Gabriel Dokus; treasurer, Joseph Soltess ; secretary, Julius Gonce. Hungarian Congregational Church. — In 1889 a little Hungarian girl was killed by a train at Springwood. The grief of her mother brought to Mr. H. O. Bailey a desire for some means of consoling her in her own language ; and with it a realization that the Hungarian population of the town had no religious services, while many of these people could not understand English. Mr. Bailey asked Miss Piatt, president of the Ladies' Missionary Society of the South Norwalk Congregational Church, what could be done for these people; and, at her request, Miss Lucy Green wrote to Dr. H. A. Schauffler, of Cleveland, Ohio, Superintendent of Missions among the foreign population in this country, asking if a Bible reader who spoke Hungarian could be sent to Norwalk. Miss Piatt also asked the Secretary of the Congregational Missionary Society of Connecticut if he had a missionary to send to these Hungarians, and received the answer that there was not one Hungarian missionary in Connec- ticut though there were 10,000 people of that nationality, and he knew of but one in the United States. Dr. Schauffler's answer was the same, but he sug- gested that a young Slav had been converted in Brad- dock, Pennsylvania, by the Pittsburg missionary referred to as the solitary Hungarian missionary, and suggested 273 that thi* man, John Petro, who spoke Hungarian, might he useful in Norwalk. Through the efforts of the Ladies' Missionary Society, Mr, H.O. Bailey and Dr. M. Clifford Pardee, $80 was raised. The Hungarian people became interested, too, in the movement, and they raised $173, to add to the fund, which was placed in the hands of Mr. Bailey as president of the committee who had the matter in charge. In 1892, Rev. Gerald H. Beard became pastor of the South Norwalk Congregational Church and he warmly took up the project of the Hungarian Mission, with the result that Mr. Petro was engaged as Bible reader to the Hungarians in January, 1893. Unfortunately, Mr. Petro was a Slav and his knowl- edge of the Plungarian language was limited. He, therefore, failed to please many of his hearers, and a portion of the original congregation withdrew and formed a mission of the American Reformed Church. Mr. Petro worked faithfully under great difficulties for a year and a half, securing twelve converts. He also conducted Bible readings in Bridgeport among the Hun- garians ; and among the converts there was Bela Basso, the present pastor of the Congregational Hungarian Mission, who succeeded Mr. Petro as Bible reader in 1894. In March, 1898, a church organization was ef- fected with 34 members ; and in the following September Mr. Basso was sent to Oberlin to study for the ministry. On his return in the spring of 1901 he was ordained as pastor of the little church. During his absence the con- gregation was kept together by Mr. Emery Kardos as Bible reader. A Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor and a Sunday School have been organized, the latter having grown from a membership of 21 to 52 within four months. The church has a membership of 34 at the present time and is partly supported by the South Norwalk Congregational Church and the Connec- ticut Home Missionary Society. HISTORY FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. The First Baptist Church of Norwalk, Conn., was organized August 31st, 1837. Delegates representing the Weston, Danbury, Stamford, Stratfield and Redding Baptist Churches assembled in the First Congregational Church of Norwalk and effected the organization. Many of the charter members belonged to the Wilton Church, which church disbanded at this time. Rev. William H. 274 Card was called to preside as pastor but at this state Rev. Win. Bowen supplied the pulpit. Andrew Turney and Noah Weed were elected dea- cons. Alonzo C. Arnold was elected church clerk. The charter members were: Noah Weed, William Wakeman, Andrew Turney, Josiah Raymond, Alonzo C. Arnold, Abbey Fitch, Betsey Gaylor, Elizabeth Mills, Sarah Stevens, Catherine Fitch, Charity Smallhom, Mary Knapp, Emily Knapp, Hannah Knapp, Julia Burchard. For a time the people worshipped in the Academy building, which stood about fifty feet north of the present Band Stand, in the centre of the Green. This building was moved to the west end of Lewis street and is now occupied as a dwelling house. Soon the church moved to the elegant and spacious building on Mill Hill known as the Town House.