Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-31
NEW HAVEN's FILMS AND GREEN.
Descriptions, Historical Items and An- ecdOtes of Persons and Things Con-
 necteI Herewith.
BY HENRY HOWE.

Church i'm the Olden Tims-Pen Picture 1 Of Harry rOsweII-Old Grames-RemI- 1 niseences of Trinity.
 The Center is the historical church of the
 city. New Haven in 1888 was founded upon 1 that church. The present church sdifce is
 modelled after one in London, ''St. Martin | in the Fields" as it was snciently called, be- cause it WAS outside of the city. London
 has grown in the course of centuries by
 stretching out it's tentacles and taking in an
 immense extent of territory, swallowing and
 absorbing innumerabls villages and hamlets,
 gentlemen's country seats and open fields.
 St. Martins was designed by Jacob Gibbs,
 8 pupil, ve think, of Sir Christopher Wren,
 and built at a cost of 32,o00 pounds A. D. 1921. The church is much larger than ours,
 the interior arohsd and the spire octagonal. Still the proportions are the same and it re-
 fleets credit upon the artistic sense of Mr. Town that he should have adopted SO fine 8 model. It seems to us to be the most grace
 ful church edifice we ever saw, resting upon
 the green sxard in a sort of swan-like beau l ty. We find our justification in this encomi
 um by the pleasure we derived in the years
 long past before it's proportions were hidden
 from view by the forest of naples around it,
 and we daily saw it from point near the New Haven House. Then it was that church
 and spire came into single view in their ad.
 mirable proportions and adaptation each to
 the other. In the winter when the foliage does not interfere this fact is apparent from 1 various points.
 1 An old citizen tells us that the spire was built within the tower and he saw it raised by windlass and tackle. s'I was," he says, "a l schoolboy st the time. It took about two hours and went up beautifully" The vane | is 193 feet from the ground and, although apparently only an arms length, measures nine feet and weighs over 100 pounds About l the year 1923 one of MT. LovelPs pupils, John Beers. fourteen year old lad, climbed l the lightning rod from the ground to the vane and turned 1t. His schoolmates disbe- lisving the statement of the few who saw him, he repeated the feat in the presence of a multitude of them. Other lads tried it, but none got higher than the church roof To remove so dangerous 8 temptation to ad- venturous boys, the lightning rod was then fastened tight to the building, which rem dered further climbing impossible. ssWhen John," says an eyewitness to us, sscame down from the stseple he, in places, slid down the rod just a sailor aboard ship slides down 8 rope" The Center and North
  oustic properties. which is wherein our mod
 ern churches gre often largely deficient. The old method of building churches with con tinuous galleries on three sides and plain wall surfaces, we think, may have been the causes which rendered speaking in them easy. Now 1t is the fashion to darken the churches, mak- ing them gloomy and eepulchral, so that both seeing and hearing is with many largely out of the question. Such are lsft to study the designs- on the decorated windows and
 draw what moral they may from geometrical figures and scriptural scenes depicted in blue, yellow, red and green paints. We knew an old style clergyman that was always made sick whenever he preached in 8 church with decorated windows. He said stso much red and blue light made his head swim" Fossil bly, it was that he was thrown off his balance only when there was preponderaucs of the last named tint, and it might too have got unpleasantiy mixed in with his sermon.
 The interior of Trinity as it fell from the hands of Ithiel Town indeed 8 joy. Everything about it seemed pure and white aa the driven snow-the light, clustering columns, the graceful, lefty arches, the sweet, delicate pulpit that stood in front of the chencsl with dcIicstely carved crown
 like canopy designed as a sounding board, which seemed to rest ethereally over 1t, is in deed pleasant memory with many old citi- zens that they would like to have realized by a restoration leaving the present deco rated windows, which would then be like many of the churches in France, which are within pure white all but the windows.
 To make the picture most grateful should be introduced the venerable form of Dr. Croswell as he appeared iu that pulpit thirty years ago, giant in frame and in stature, rising six feet, with flowing gray locks, calm ly discoursing in plain, practical way to his people, each of whom he knew personally; for he was in truth complete pastor, a fofk heY1Ic chanh hioQ iaiS at all seasoDs, an ever present comforter and adviser. He was man of the world before he was 8 man of God, having been at one time printer and publisher of newspaper on the Hudson. and what printer won't learn of the lights and shadows of our com mon humanity is not worth the knowing. This experience all came in use in his minis trations.
 Sound practical sense and freedom from fanaticism in every form were his character istics. Among the incidents that marked his intercourse with his people this is worthy of preservation: One of his flock, a widow lady, Mrs. A., had for years been persistently annoyed by the malignancy and jealousy of Mrs. B., neighbor, who on one occasion secretly, under the cover of night, cut down some young peach trees which the little son of Mrs. A. had planted and watched. On visit to the latter Dr. Croswell discovered she had put up new high fence between herself and neighbor, and although the character of the latter was never made 8 topic of alIusion between them, he showed his sympathy with and knowledge of her prosecutions by quiet ly remarking he looked out of the win dow, High fences make good neighbors
 It was grand picture to see Parson Oros- we'll on 8 bright Sunday morning pass down the full length of the aisle facing the congre gation on his way from the chancel to the robing room at the front of the church, in his flowing garments of white, with folded l5a ay,a SIn oT76 Vr1oo kpoo iIA the organ pealed forth it's solemn tones through the vaulted arches. It was the pomp of religion in it's full esthetic beauty and in harmony with that spirit that loves to see grace and beauty, dignity and order everywhere, and which ever should accompa- ny those manifestations which link the fate of man with the sublime realities of the spirit world. His delivery of the Benediction at the close of the service was 8 scene never to be forgotten by his old parishioners, to whom it seemed es though every word that fell from his lips came freighted to the full with the goodness of the Almighty and filling their hearts as with the very sunshine of his presence.
 Tais man of strong good sense and adored rector Harry Oroswell, from whom people named their children, passed from his flock and earth March 13. 1858, aged seventy-eight years. He was one of the living pictures that in the olden time beausifed our streets as he passed along, a patriarchal parsonage of grand majestic presence, with mild, be- nignant face, gray locks, attired in clerical costume and always in the ancient fashion of high top boots. His movement was slow and stately, but every step told and he never failed to get there to the minute. 'I cannot describe to you in full the high opinion had of Dr. Croswell,' said one to us who had been himself for twenty years Congrega- tional pastor. ''You could soon see how he hated religious can't and yet was overfoWing with practical Christian feeling. On what used to be called Poverty Square, continued he.-.'that square at the head of Broadway. bounded by Wballey and Gofe avenues and Sperry street-were 8 number of poor old ladies who had seen better days. They did not belong to his parish, but the doctor used to call regularly to see them not to gossip, but for consoling religious conversation. can now see his herculean form as though it was yesterday, slowly ascending (for he was then very old man) the riQkety outside stairs of one of those dilspidated brown mansions on his errand of mercy. In my avn kitchen was 8 servant girl, member of his parish. Regularly at stated times he was accustomed to cali upon hey and she ex pected him. And in his manner to har ha