Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-01-31
NEW HAVEN.

Tho Congregational church at New Haven
Street, which was entirely consumed by fire
Thursday night was built in 1902, with
Ezra Hoyt. Solomon Brown and Matthew
Phelps, as building committee. It was hand
somely repaired in 1876, with Hon. W. p.
Nash Judge T.. A. Dowd and Deacon. f. S.
Bottum as the committee. 1t was the finest
church edifce in the county with Il
seating capacity of 600 persons.
A very elegant memorial win dow was erect
ed in the rear Of the pulpit by Mrs. Eliza
Meacham and her sister, Mrs. Tolman
Wheeler of Chicago, in memory OF their par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. Jonathan Hoyt. Mrs.
Betsey S. Bird also gave at this time a very
elegant set of furniture for the pulpit. The
Bible was presented by Caroline Q2eynolds)
Ii ,nman, wife of the late Judge T.. Hinman.
new pipe organ costing Sll00 was placed
in the church Jan. !, 1890. Revival meet
ings have been held in the church each after
noon and evening for the past two weeks,
and the fire is supposed to have caught from
the furnace. 1t was a sad accident of fate
and no one is censured in the least. The
church was insured for $3.50 and the organ
for $1,000. Our citizens rallied in large num-
bers on the night of the fire and performed
heroic service in preventing the destruction
of Roscoe's store, Partch's hotel, the town
hall and the dwelling of G.. f. Washburne,
which were in close proximity, and the pre-
servation of which seems almost miraculous.
Rev. w. B. Hague was early on the ground,
and was the first to ascend the ladder to ex-
tingush the flames from shed in the rear
of the church. A. p. Roscoe, our town
clerk and postmaster, was down on his
crutches to save the town records, some of
which are more ancient than the declara-
ton OF Independence, and in the
handwriting of the noted Tory,
Justice Sherwood C. e. Waite also showed
his presence of mind in removing a quaint
ty of powder from the store.
| The bell in the Congregational church,
New Haven, which edifice was burned
Thursday night, January 20, was cast at
the bell foundry of Paul Revere in Boston;
the same Paul Revere whose famous mid
| night ride warned the patriotic citizens of
Concord that the enemy were at their doors:
this was on the eve of the battle of Con
cord, April 49, 1115. After the war Re-
we're engaged in casting bells and cannon in
Boston Mr.. Rodman Chapman was then
a business man in New Haven and was com
missioned by the new church to procure a
bell for their place of worship, which was
| built III 1902. He purchased the bell that
now lies broken amid the church ruins No
| doubt it has the name of its maker on it,
| Patriotism should lead to its sacred pre-
servaton, as one of the relics of the early
| history of our country.
| A largely attended meeting was held at
the town hall on Monday evening to take
action in regard to erecting a now church
editice. Charles S. Dana was elected chair
man and Mills j. Landon secretary. The
question of location was discussed and q
committee vas elected consisting of NJ. j.
Landon, c.. w. Mason, and +. 7. Nash,
to report at a meeting on Tuesday next at
l 30 p. m. Entire harmony prevailed and
a new church will undoubtedly be erected
on the old site the coming summer, which
will be as good in every respect as the one
destroyed.
The funeral of Mrs. a. c. Squier and in
FAINT child occurred Tuesday, Rev. Mr..
! Hague officiating. Mrs. SqCier was an es-
timable Christian woman. She leaves a
husband and two children.