Morning journal and courier., 1881-03-15
Center Church.


 oldest members of the church, assembled to honor their much beloved and noted pastor. Dr. Bacon received with his daughter, Miss Bacon, in the parlors on the second floor, which were gay and charming with lovely flowers in profusion. The alcove, in front of which stood the pastor and daughter, was brilliant with variety of azalia bushes in rich and luxuriant bloom, in half score of different hues, and pots of rare foliage plants all these from the conservatories of Mrs. Reed on Whitney avenue. On the tables in the center of the room were an elegant large horseshoe of tulips, hyacinths and violets, from Mrs. Henry Trowbridge; an azalia bush, rich in bloom, the gift of MT. and Mrs. Henry Farnam a begonia plant, elegantly in bloom, from Mrs. Henry Trowbridge; an- tique vase crowded with rare white roses, the gift of Mrs Fellowes, of Whitney avenue, and 8 beautiful large bouquet of pink and red rose buds set in the midst of beautiful large foliage leaves the gift of Mrs. Perit, of Hillhouse avenue. The ladies could hardly admire the loyeliness of the floral tributes sufficiently, and many were the adjectiyes used in contemplation of them. At about r. arrived, escorting Rev. Dr. Walker, of Hart ford, well remembered former pastor of Center church. Among the throng socially l engaged were Rev. Professors Barbour, Fish CT, Harris, Dwight, Day, Lyman and Will l Hams of Yale College, Rev. E. E. Atwater, Rev. Thomas R. Bacon, Rev. Drs. Hawes and | Todd, Rev. Mir. Williams, MT. and Mrs. Thomas R. Trowbridge, T. R. Trowbridge, l jr., Charles Thompson, who was member | when Dr. Bacon commenced his labors at | Center; Mir. and Mrs. B. w. Stone, the lat ter of whom joined Center church in 1881 j; l Mr. Charles Adams, of Litchfeld, fifty years | ago prominent in New Haven journalism, 8 member in the earliest part of Dr. Bacon's ministry Mir. and Mrs. Edward Bryan, the latter of whom has many tender associations | connected with Center Rev. Dr. Elliott, now residing in this city, formerly pastor in Stonington and other places; Leonard Win ship, John c. Ritter, R. B. Bradley, and very many others, including a number of l venerable ladies. On the wall conspicuous | in evergreen was
 l 1824-18S1. Following the reception the assembly ad- journed to the lecture room, where all being seated many extra chairs being brought in, Dr. Bacon addressed the waiting and expect ant assembly. With regrets at the space l which separated the audience from their late ex-pastor, Rev. Dr. Noble, Dr. Bacon said:
 This is very much of surprise to me. ] did not dream this when week ago last Sab. I bath, in the celebration of the Lords supper, l I referred to the fact that Wednesday of the preceding week was the anniversary of my | settlement over this church and that 50 years ago was just entering the 7th year of my ministry, in which year we were | blessed with memorable visitation of divine grace and that the year 50 years ago was one to me the most memorable in all the years O1 my ministry. I did not dream that the few words 1 then said would be we have here this evening; and ! desire to express my personal thanks to all l the friends gathered here, and also to the ladies who have taken an active part in mak. ing these arrangements and preparations. ! have been desired to speak about the early years of my ministry, which began ffty-slx years ago on the 5th of this month. thought of this last Sunday morning when I looked out upon the sun. Fifty-s1x years ago last Sunday the snow was so deep that many could not get to church and very few got out, and remember we did what was customary on I similar occasions in those days. We had ! united services in the morning at our church and in the afternoon at the North church ; ! that is, we doubled up the congregations. We usually doubled up on rainy days; that had been done for years. I have often thought that congregations could frequently be doubled up in these days to advantage.
 There are some old folks here tonight and there were old folks 56 years ago. I have often told the story that was told to me be- | that when it was proposed to pull down the "old middle brick' church the venerable Deacon Eneas Munson, who lived to be near 100 years old and who was then an old man, protested against the demolition of the old ! structure He said it would be only a little while before he would pass away and then they might do as they were mind to, but he hoped they would spare the old structure while he lived. But MT. Jonathan Porter, who lived at the corner of Olive and Chapel streets, this side of St. Paul's church, replied that it was very true that old Dr. Munson would be out of the way in little while, but the trouble was that when he was gone there would be another old Dr. Munson. And so it is, there will always be old folks. But old folks help to keep matters steady, while the young folks are the ones to go ahead. A ! harness ought not to be all breeching, but old men are useful sometimes to hold back. I remember not long after the Third church got into their meeting house on Chapel street 8 friend of mine said to me that he was preaching there and had @ fragment o1 his discourse addressed to old people, but on looking around on the congregation to his dismay he saw no old heads to speak it to. Well, thatis not the case in the Center church. l remember our venerable friend, the elder | Mrs. Whitney, saying some 30 years ago that | 50 was very young ln the Center church. There are good many old heads here now, but they are not the same. I call up before A1 kI,oA r to look down upon, the Darlings, James Hillhouse and others. There was MT. Trow- | bridges grandfather. He never came to l meeting after my settlement here, for his I was the first funeral in my congregation at- tended; he was the first visited on sick I and dying bed after my settlement. I think l some of those I saw before me lived back I before the revolution some had been born subjects of the King, and @ good many had been in the war of independence. There was old Captain Henry Daggett. His daugh- ter died the other day, (Grace Daggett) you l know. There were many at that time whose l memory went back as far as mine does now, and that is good many years. Did you ev- ! CT think as I look back over those 50 years that that period is one-fftieth of the time since the Saviour walked the arth,-since the cross and Calvary
 In 1925, as estimate it, the population of New Haven was less than 5000, and now
 
 three churches on the Green, two Congrega- tional and one Episcopal, and the Methodist | church on the further corner of the Green, an old barn-ike structure, taken down. about forty years ago, and there was 8 Baptist | church about half as large as the Baptist l church before it was taken opera house. And that was all in the old town from river to river. And now on this ground, if count right, there are thirteen Congregational churches, including the East, Taylor and Temple street churches. There was no church in Fair Haven then, no church in WestviIle. The two on the Green were the only Congre- gational churches in the old town of New Haven, and there was but one Episcopal | church-Trinity. In those days the greater part of the members came from down Church street and up Chapel street, and from State and George streets. All east of where the bridge is on Chapel street was the new town ship.
 Walking to church was more practic- ed, then Nowadays people are infrm. Oaughter.) People went twice and some times thrice to meeting in those days, and won't say it was the preaching that brought