The Newtown bee., 1895-09-13

]; ed in IS5D.H 50 fur as data and iac6S 0D- l tainabIe by tradition and through con- versation with Mrs Bates, EIand Charles i Winton and others, the answer to that query regarding location is
 THE OLD, OLD STORY.
 Who shall De greatest? For among the good Congregational brethren perfect i harmony apparently did not prevail re- ] garding location of edifice, for where the present Congregational church now , stands on the Green at Easton Center
 was the location chosen by the members
 who reside at and near that site. While ! the families at and near rGiiberttoWn,6Wo
 miles south of Academy, now called Eas- i ton Center, were in favor of the Bradley !; plot, they also were aggressive. The do- nation of land caused an incentive in oth- CTS to exert themselves. Soon behold foundation was laid, timber prepared and frame made ready for the erection of edi- | flee. But just at this time,a most oppor- tune moment it eventually proved, those l Episcopal families residing near Gilbert l town, who had for many years worship
 ed in Trinity church, then located on Mill Plain Square, Fairfield, obtained a charter permitting organization and de- fining boundary for a parish in North
 Fairfield. Thus being in quest of a loca- l
 pears to have been made by the Episco
 pal officers to the Congregational society
 that the Bradley plot and timber be con- verted to Episcopal use and that the Con- gregational society should build on site at the Green, now occupied by said society
 at Easton.
 Here the guidance of the Lord most
 forcibly appears. Man had proposed, | God disposed, and instead, figuratively l ~ Safi
 at variance, we find actually two places
 of worship, each following the doctrine
 of their creed. Harmony where discord
 would have prevailed. For if l am not
 at fault the limits of a Congregational
 society as well as the Episcopal must be
 defined, that only one place of worship
 may be built in a certain district.
 With the erection of Episcopal church, 1762, at Gilberttown, which, however,
 was never completed, ,as the building was
 without paint, spire and bell, began a
 new era in the spiritual life of many fam ilies and frequent services were held. No
 doubt the pulpit was supplied by such
 men as Beach, Gamer, Johnson, Dibble
 and others of equal fame, missionaries of
 the London Missionary Society. In 1777
 an incident transpired which think wor-
 thy of note. Though the location of the
 church was Sn direct road from Compo l O6dCk1, kWueTe Ncu yOu
 forces landed April 9, 1777, to raid the
 county), said highway leading to Red
 ding Ridge, it was spared the fate that befel many houses of worship burned on
 this raid made by Tryon's forces. They
 came within mile nr so of Gilberttown But the army was, l think, led, guided
 by one who under the cloak of friendship 1 toward TrYon but from circumstances was his enemy, for the guide directed the advancing host northwest instead ol north over an old road which ran across
 country, intersecting Norwalk and Dan f bury highway. Thus on the north z mile or more above the road stood the
 Guilberttown or
 NORTH FAIRFIELD EPISCOPAL CHURCH
 while on the south was the Norfield Con gregational edifice. Through thit , most happy display of patriotism these
 two houses of worship were unmolested
 The guides motto evidently was "Fol
 our altars and our firesides.'
 Referring to the list of members of ths
 old church, one there finds Seth Gilbert , Thomas Colyer, Jonathan Coley, Nathan ,, Jackson, Alex Platt, Hezekiah Ogden !. Increase Burr, Andrew Gilbert, Nathan iel Davis, David Thorp, Samuel Coley
 Gould Nichols, Eliphalet N, Ebenezel
 N., Samuel Wheeler, John Wheelar, Ad.
 dison Jackson, Andrew, Martin, Hezeki
 ah Thorp, Joseph Winton, Joseph Tread well, Gould Bradley, Joseph Darling William Burr, Joseph Burr, Thoma,
 Treadwell, Alex Nichols, Andrew Gil
 bert. In 1784 the parish was reorganizeC 2 as an American parish (fer during the P previous P years, as we have remarked
 it was under the Missionary Society o1
 London) and the following gentlemen 3 elected it's first officers: Wardens, Ears : Wiuton, Robert -Downes; vestrymen John Nichols, Benoni Dlmon, Calvin , Wheeler, Moses Burr. These men anc f many of their descendants lie buried il old Gilberttown cemetery, Easton. The ? first rector under this new order of affairs was Rev Philo Shelton. he having . the honor Of being the first clergyman ordained in the United States for the Episcopal church. He remained as rec. tor of this the North Fairfield, Gilbert 7 town church, for the long space of B.
 years, aud was also the faithful dispen , ser of Gods Holy Word as rector o1 , Trinity parish, Fairfield, and falling . asleep his mortal remains were laid te rest under the chancel of old Trinity church, then located on Mill Plain Square Fairfield. From ISIS until 1S45 various r clerg ymen were in charge of Gilberttowr parish, either as separate rectorship ol , Joint cures of Fairfield, TrumI ull, Fash ua or Bedding. Among the clergy who : ministered during these 27 years were l Revs Eli Wheeler, David Belden, Joseph D. Weltou, N. E. Cornwall, ST., D. C. } Fomlinson, c. |. Todd, Dr Hathen and , David Attwell. In a report, 1S43, of the ] last named clergyman, he said the future } of the church in Weston, as the town had then been named. depends upon building , 8 new church and again in 1S44 he men. tions Sl700 having been raised bv the Ia. dies for purpose of building new church ] The subject was doubtless debated prl , and con regarding location. It is vel here to remark that 8 change was emf. ] nent1y proper. The Methodist society
 contemplated building an edifice; it ap. pears the majority of their members re.
 sided in the vicinity of Gilberttown, while } many of the old church parishioners were residents elsewhere. At the last parish
 meeting held in the church, Gilberttown ,l March 22, 1S45,
 THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS
 were elected: Wolsey Nichols chairman,
 Edward O.. Sturges clerk, Hanford Nich-
 ols and Walter Treadwell wardens, Or.
 lando Perry vestryman. Walter Tread well and Orlando Perry were appointed
 committee to take charge of parish funds. A vote was also taken that subsequent meetings (held April Is, ,lS45. be held at
 house of Hanford Nichols. It was also
 voted to immediately build church.
 The following gentlemen were admitted
 by vote to membership of the church in Weston: Eli T. Winton, Walter S. Meek CT, T. 0. Banks, Aaron Banks, Samuel M. Banks, Moses Banks, Thomas Banks, Benjamin Banks, Wolsey Nichols, Jere-
 miah R. Nichols, Edward o. Sturges, AL nj