The Newtown bee., 1889-09-06
Quarto- Millenial of Stratford Congre-
 gational Church.

gational Church.
 Amid the glories of q September day the Congregational church of Stratfor and It's friends met on Thursday in tn church edifice, which was adorned wit bunting and Fall foliage, to celebrate it quarto-millenial. The program publisl ed in the BEE was generally carried out the music of the day being furnished b
 NJ. D. Smith, organist; Henry Stagg ehorister; Mrs James and Miss Nelli Sammis, Mrs Minnie Judson, Mrs Renni Hawley, Misses Jennie Booth, Alice Jud son and Grace Blackman, sopranos; Mir St. John, Misses Ida Atwood and Ma smith, altos; J. Howard Russell O Bridgeport, Frank and James Sammis Lewis Burritt and J. Il. Stagg, tenors
 Samuel F.. Curtis, Charles Blakslec, Hi ram Smith and Fred Atwood bass. Tn, crowning feature of the morning cxcr cises was the address of the pastor, Re, !. $. Ives, which was pitched at a higl key of historical appreciation, pithily but clearly put, fearless in it's defence oi Congregationalism and the Stratfort church in particular, while giving credit to differing religious faiths. The loca
 records previous to 1875 have been lost
 but State records and other testimony point to the formation of this church in 1889 and, from first to last, it has been It's church government. Rev Adam Blakeman, first pastor, came from Eng. land through Wethersticld and settled al the bend of the creek in Sandy Hollow
 making his home on Academy (ther Watch House) hill, where palisades were built tO guard against the Indians at the northern end of the settlement. Rev Is. rael Chauncey, his assistant, son of Pres. ident Chauncey of Harvard college, be. came his successor for 3S years, the long. est pastOrate that the church has known
 The Half Way covenant caused troubles that sent part of the church to WOodbury with Rev Zecharah Walker, while MT Chauncey, U scholarly man, helped found Yale college, built the second church on Academy hill and was surgeon in the SdIiuSalNtlI war lNtN lgI lilObill IuJ- Ter, afterward president of Yale and then m Episcopal rector, united the shattere church in love and peace, his home being now the Sterling homestead. Rev IIez- ed in the Great Awakening," arousing an opposition that ended his work here in l752. The colonial cause, into which Stratford entered with heart and soul, found warm and earnest friend in Rev Izraiah Wetmore, who called for three decorous cheers when news of | yorktown reached him in the pulpit, one glad Sun day. He was afterward settled in Trum- bull his ink stand and punch bowl have been preserved. Rev Stebbins, sixth pastor, battled the intidelity and hetero- doxy that came in with French influence after the Revolution, stopped the vandal- ism which was destroying Academy hill and established infant baptism. These six pastOrates averaged over 26 years, the longest since being l5 l-2 years, that of Rev w. B. Read, man aglow with Christian fervor and central influence In the town from his coming in 1S39, next to which in length ranks the pres ent pastorate, which began in 1883 Among these later sheherds of the flock Rev Mir Ives celebrated the spiritual in fluence of Rev NJ. k. Dutton's ministry during which 70 persons were added tC the church on Il single Sunday the prom thence of Rev Dr Joshua Leavitt in towI affairs, in the troublous days of slavery and temperance agitation and his inter est in schools, founding the first Sunday school of the church, which Miss Maria MeEwen took from his hands the short pastorates of Rev Thomas Robbins, 1880
 of Rev J. k. Page, 1s57-ls5s; of Re, Lewis Charpiot, lSG4-lS6G; Rev 5. II Dana, now of Quincy, Ill.,, 1S70-1ss1; O Rev F. W. Chapman's ministry, 1882 ls39, marked by revival interest, whicl established services, still upheld, at Put ney and Oronoque; of Rev E. L. Swan'i accurate historical researches, revivinl interest in the history of town and churcl In pastorate all too short; of the dis couragement that ended the labors ol Rev Dr W. K. Hall, now of Newburgh NY, who, with Rev F. $. Fitch, his successor, who went to Cincinnati, took prominent part in the services of the day The latter added l26 to the church and il was thought unfortunate that he did not remain to care for their Christian nur. ture. The church has had 20 deaeons
 John Birdseye, one of the first, living tC lO3 years, when he had 206 living de seendants. The first Episcopal church In the State was organized here in 170t and, in l730, it's rector shared in the towI monies raised for church support. This and other testimony was quoted to prove the Christian tolerance of the early church, which has been bclied, especial iy by samuel Peters, who married his wife here and seems to have had u grudge against Connecticut In general and Strat. ford in particular. The first Methodist class was organized here in 1790 and iron these Mir Ives dated Congregations prayer meetings, which were first oppos ed by members of the church, meeting il private houses and shops for q time. I'm first church occupied the site of Cap William Barrymore's barn and his hous
 still contains some of tstimbers. It wa the only church in the colonies that hal bell. The second church on Academ. hill provided separate seats for marrie' men and married women and for ancien bachelors and maids. The third church which faced the south where the Acad emy stands, was struck by lightning an