Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-11-30
EPISCOPAL CHURCH, MEDICATION

he diocese of Connecticut conducted the
services, and was assisted principally by the
;he Rev. Storrs Seymour, rector Of Trinity
church, Hartford.
Visiting clergymen were Bishop Will
Iiams of Middletown; Archdeacon Sey-
mour, Hartford; Rev. W. E. johnson,
New York; Rev. J. Il. Watson. Hartford;
Rev. Mr.. Wright, Warehouse Point; Rev.
Mr.. martin, Thompsonville; Rev. Mr..
whipple, Pine Meadow; Rev. Mr.. Bennett,
Rev. DR.. Horton, Cheshire; Rev. Mr.. Ad- |
ANS, Hartford; Rev. Mr.. Fitzgerald, Bris- |
tol; Rev. F. 8. Adams, Plainsville; Rev. |
F. D. Buckley, Waterbury; Rev. s. W.
Derby, Rockville; Rev. DR.. Gammanck,
Aberdeen, Scotland; Professor Hunting
ton, Hartford.
After the morning service dinner was
served in the parish rooms. In the after
noon addresses were made by Rev. Mr..
Seymour. Rev. Mr.. Watson, Rev. Mr..
ington The church is a handsome edifce
and is entirely free from debt. To the in
defatigable efforts of the rector, Rev. j.
Frederick Sexton, is due the building of
the edifce, which ia an architectural addi-
ton to the town.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
The conservation yesterday of st. Paups
Episcopal church in Southington, Conn,
crowns the success of this parish, after
series of vicissitudes and changes, with
their varied lights and shadows, with which
this organization has struggled for more
than century.
In 1885 an inhabitant of Southing
ton and another of Cheshire ''professed for
= k1oS G,ooc
toral care" of the "Test, SamI A. Andrews.
missy valid & parts adjacent" SO runs
the quaint records relating to the earliest
known adherents of the Episcopal church
in Southington.
Previous to this, in 1891, service had
been held in the residence of Captain Dan
iel Sloper, who had contributed already to
the ministers rates" in 1881, and in 80
doing showed that he was separated from
the Congregational society. In these early
years a controversy in the Congregational
| church ''upon the baptism of children I'M
| der the halfway covenant" gave an impulse
| to the Episcopal movement; as the mis-
| sionary rector, Rev. Samuel Andrews, ad-
| ministered this rite to one or more at each
service, which occurred monthly to 1889,
| the results being, as the parents were COM
PEELED to pay minister's rates" somewhere,
and feeling disaffected towards the Congre-
gational church, they naturally transferred
their connection 20 the Episcopal society
| and interests.
| Rev. Reuben Ives was rector of St.
| gave a portion of his time to missionary
work in "adjacent parts" How early he
began laboring in Southinston is not
known, but 1899 80 his name is attached
to several documents, certifying the with.
drawal of a number of persons from the
Congregational society, fourteen names
being recorded besides Others" and had
their reasons for this course been genuine
love and desire for the solidity and growth
of this church, there WAS sufficient materia
for its permanent establishment in the
town, but many were bitterly opposed to
the Congregational minister; some were
Universalists in belief, and their lack o.
honest sympathy was the misfortune OF
the Episcopal church in Southingtom from
the outset, and eventually caused its al
most entire suspension.
| In 1916 Bishop Hobart confirmed twenty
seven candidates, and at this time a list o.
thirty seven families appear on the church
records In 1919 20 this list included
forty four families.
In 1928 the parish united with that O.
st. Andrews in Meriden, under the labori
of whose rector, Rev. James Keller, i
threw off the Universalist element entirel,
and established itself upon the doctrines O.
the church prayer book. After an earnes
effort a plain building was erected, with
Goethe windows to distinguish it from
the meeting house." In 1929 Bishop
Brownell consecrated this building, ant
for several succeeding years harmony ant
prosperity prevailed, but from 1881 t.
| 1910 secessions occurred to other denomi
nations, until at last the specious doctrine
| of the Unitarians absorbed most of tn
parish, 80 that a lack OF support causet
the building to be sold and converted int
store, and in 1880 it was burned to tn
| ground.
In 1862 an attempt was made to reor
ganize this society by several zealou
church workers, under the name of tn
"Church of the Redeemer," when Rev. F
B. Cooley oficiated for one year, followe
by Charles Allen of Trinity college, as L.
reader. But this effort was not successful
and was abandoned in 1864, after whic
time quite infrequent services were held il
hired building by Rev. DIR. Horton Q
Cheshire, DR.. DeShon of Meridon, F.
, Russell of New Britain, until 1876, whe
the following clergymen and lay-reader
oficiated: Revs. George Buck, G. W. Kel
Icy, W. E. Johnson, s. q. Watkins, Georg
W. Barhydt, Messrs. W. @. Roberts, Thee
| dore M. Peck.
!, | LII 1000 LILO a6f. y. Tou6E1C OS8tOu q
> st. Peters church in Cheshire undertoo
missionary work each Sunday afternoon
| a small number of practitioners, and it
largely owing to his earnest efforts an
J ministrations, both for the spiritual an
temporal advancement of his people, tbs
, the present success is the happy reward c
his labors in the completion of nea
tasteful, small church that Ia so pleasant
: located on the main street of the town SUI
l Id hry frno hoo AMI e.
| homes.
The building is of wood on stone found.
tons, in the Gothic style. Length of nav,
l So feet; width, 26 feet; chancel 20x22 fee
| with side chapel 1Sx34 feet. Souther
pine is used for ceilings and foorings, e,
cept floor of chancel, which is of oak, wit
doors and window castings of white woot
: all finished in the best manner to sho
their natural beauty, and as whole, sui
stantial, yet neat and inviting 1t ws
Q built by A. E. Smith, wood work, an
. Charles 7. Hotchkiss, stone work, all c
1 Cheshire, Conn. The interior decoration
by the Fox Whitmore company of Har
ford, Conn. The chancel is finished
: terra Gotta, with olive trimmings an
= raised fieur Ills. The nave, with severi
4 shades of olive relieved with lines of gol
a and color, all in good taste and. harmony
the whole lighted by pretty lamps.
All furniture is of red oak, highly DO
g ished, from the Globe Furniture company
q Worthwhile, Mich. Great liberality ha
9 ruled in the gifts bestowed. The mai
u window in the western end of the builc
ing, representing St. Paul at Athens,
erected "to the glory of God, in lovin
: memory of Mary Wilcox Treadway," ala
> a smaller side window is "thank Offer
: ing" from member, for recovery from
severe illness. The oaken altar and reredo
Q are memorial gift to Rev. De Los Aller
3 a brass Gross and vases for the chancel ar
. Gin memoriam Of Sarah Catherine Young
1 of Southington. The chancel windows
I emblematic representations of the fou
9 evangelists, are all from Mrs. Yeckley O
, Southington. Other features are bras
: altar rail from ten young ladies, bras
rail around the font by ten little girls, an
the choir stalls and two standard chance
lamps from one of the Sunday schoo
Q classes.
9 Other gifts are a large and excellen
n | Turner furnace and an oaken letter
(Which for the present serves for pulpi,
y from friends.
i A bell from Rev. DR.. Horton of Cheshir
a is 80 celebrated from many historical cir
r cumstances that it deserves more than
mere mention, as it is fully $50 years old
: It was formerly the occupant of the Chesh
. ire Episcopal academy for ninety eigh
i years. Previous to that evidences shoy
n that it belonged to ship, some indication
l nnooanfiDo oy Of rr,raoI, NJ