The Newtown bee., 1880-07-21


 did more harm than good, and during the war of 1872 the church was so deeply in voived i'll debt that a tax of IT ceuts on the dollar was assessed to meet expenses the church edifice was only partially fill ished and for want of support Mir. Clark resigned in 1916; he died in 1859.
 OTHER CHURCHES. ETC
 The disintegration (as we may term it) of the Congregational Church must have encouraged our Methodist brothren to form separate church organization. for we are informed that their first class met in 1900. the first preaching services being held in the house or Mrs. Phoebe Peck, just above the village and afterward in the old town-house. Their first III .eting house stood Gear Mrs. Briscoe's resi- dence. Since that time, I may observe, there have been 86 ministers of that de nomination who have supplied the pulpit, either in the old Methodist Church ill Newtown (which was dedicated ill 1881, ) or in the present church edifice i:1 Sandy Hook, which was built ill 1850. Our friends in Sandy Hook have recently come into possession of q generous legacy which, with their characteristic zeal and talent for earnest work, will, we trust, ei- able them to accomplish .nueh for the Master and the cause We alike love- will also mention iii this connection that a Unigersa!ist society was organized ear l1y. b6 ous house of worship in the central part of tha village but afterward sold it to the Catholic society, and now hold no separate services. This church edifice (with the three already mentioned, and the small Baptist Church in Zoar, and the Union Chapel in Taunton, erected by the generosity of Mrs. Polly Beers i'll 1878, ] compl"te the list of church hes-St. James Chapel which once crowned Zoar Hill having years ago been abandoned. The Catholic church is now so strong that a change to tine plain near the depot and the erection of a larger building and se- ries Of buildings is in contemplation.
 ResuEiing again the history of the Con- gregetional Church, it may be noted that several candidates supplied the pulpit from 1916 to 1895 am ong them Rev. Lau- ren ?. Eicllok, D. D., since president ot Union College, and Rev, Mir. Ruraitt whose at least 16 persons who united with the church and greatly strengthened it; but still the membership was comparatively small, and many recorded as members were absent from the place.
 PtgroRArE OF REV. Esf. MITCHELL.
 Rev. Wm. Mitchell vas elected pastor And installed Jan. 14, 1895. Mr. Mitchell was 6 faithful and laborious pastor, one of the best, : should judge, the church has had. During his ministry there was l powerful revival, chiefly ill Taunton, which resulted in many conversions and twenty additions to this church. 4 La lies and Gentlemens Missionary Socie- y" vas successfully established, also 3 temperance society. The church and so- ;iety, however, unfortunately lost about )ne-half of the fund (which had accumu- ated during successive pastorates) by he failure Of the Eagle Bank. in New Haven. Although crippled by the loss, 500 were spent in repairing the church 'difca and S85 in procuring the commit lion set now in use. Mir. Mitchell re- igned and was dismissed May 31, 1881. l Ie moved to Vermont and then to Cor us Christi, Texas, where ne died of vel 1 ow fever, Aug. l, 1867.
 PAsToRATE OF REV. N. NJ UaMsros
 Rev. N. N. Urmston's pastorate began 1 )ec. ,, 1882. and ended April l, 1858. He, 1 S wen as Arr. Mitchell, lived at the head | i the street where Mrs. Bennett Fair mild now resides. Nothing of special in- crest occurred during his pastorate. The hurch records abound in accounts of tri- Is and eXcom.nunications it is to be re- retted, ] think, that names and facts ere not suppressed. 1t is better to hide brothers fault than u r.ake it the sub ,C5 of |; lengthy record. l. is well that le church should be purified aud cleans q, but rot at all necessary to preserve le filth and the rubbish '.Let the past. len, bury it's dead fr2m our sight" MT. after leaving Newtown, preach l in Cornwall and Sherman, iii this ate, anG then went to Ohio. I received card from hlsa recently; he is very fee le and infirm and may not be living now. C was succeeded by several temporary applies, Rev. Ir. Leadbetter, Rev. Mr. mbler and others, until 1S45, when Rev. ason Atwater became stated supply.
 pAsrozArs OF P1v. JASON ATwArER.
 Mir Atwater like Ir Iii Mitche:l was and faithful pastor. He ,sided where Mrs. Booth TerriIl now yes; indeed there is scarcely t building
 Main street that does not seem at some- me to have been occupied oy a minister this or some otier church. Tks inter- 'ts of the churches in general and of this lurch in particular were dear to 1fr. At ater, and he labored hard and success : lily in this his chosen field. At first ere was decided advance under his aderShip; the broken walls of Zion ere literally and fguratively repaired, $ r after, three years effort $1, 200 were .iSed and the church edifice, which had i ,ain become somewhat dilapidated, was { put in good repair and dedica- q anew Jan. ', 1S47. Tie congregation creased ill numbers and ;t new life seem- i infused into the church. But a decline z
 d reaction set i'll and the question of the ground and removing the :. lurch to Sandy Hook Was seriously agi- l ted. 4 council, however, advised ,ainst it and God set his seal of approv- upon the decision by graciously reviv- s 2 his work and adding to his church 35 ( embers, many of whom have been and [ t now the most valued and useful Of our q lmber. In 1852 the basement was fitted z and new seats and a new pulpit provid-l for the apdienets room of the church at 1 Q