New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-18
ANCIENT CHRIST CHURCH.
CELEBRATION OF ITS ONE HUNDRED
AND FIFTIETH ANNIvERSARY IN
cREENWICH CONN

Beginning to-day special services will be held
in Christ Church. Greenwich. Conn. In commemo-
ration OF the 15oth anniversary OF the erection OF
the first building FOR Protestant Episcopal worship
In the town.
The services will continue all this week They be-
gin with communion and address by the rector.
the Rev NJ George Thompson. at 40 o'clock this
morning. At the regular morning service Bishop
Brewster Of Connecticut. will preach. The Rev.
l. y. Booth Archdeacon OF Fairfield County. will
address the children OF the church at $3.50 p m.
and in the evening at o'clock the register OF the
Diocese OF Connecticut the Rev. DR.. Samuel Hart.
and the rector will present historical papers Mon
day evening a parish reunion will he held In the
auditorium This will be addressed by BiShop
Brewster Archdeacon Booth and others. The ser
vices on Tuesday. Wednesday and Friday will be
held 4:9O p. the addresses being made by
the Rev W W. Ellsworth Of Unionville Conn;
the Rev. A. G. Cummins. r., curate OF Holy Trim
ity Church New-York, and the Rev. Rowlands
Nichols vicar OF st. Stephens Church, Pittsheld'
Mass respectively. Thursday evening special
musical service will be held. Saturdays service
will take place at II o'clock the address being
made by the Rev William l. MagiIl rector OF
Calvary Church. Round Hin. Conn.
The anniversary services will end on sunday,
June % the special features being A sermon by the
Rev. !. NJ. Thompson. rector Of the Church OF the
Holy Trinity. Lewis. Quebec. at the chief morning
service and sermon by the Rev. c. q. Bristol
rector OF the Church Of the Good Shepherd. Hart
ford. Conn. 10 Acacia Lodge. + and 4. NJ In the
evening.
Christ Church is prosperous orsanization OF
over three hundred communicates, and many or
the well-known New-Yorkers who have built sum-
.ner homes IN the town attend its services. Among
these may be mentioned IL o. Havemeyer, a. Eos
ter Higgins. James McCutcheon. Nathaniel With
eren NJ Bruce George F. Domnick George
Rowland Or. Carl F.. Martin. George Sheldon. and
occasionally. +. G. Benedict Is present. William
Rockefeller is also attendant when In town.
The old chapel the anniversary OF whose cree
ton in l7i9 IL being celebrated, stood on the brow
OF the hill made famous by Israel Putnams ride
about one hundred yards OF the present edince
Of the church 1t was simple rectangular struct,
ure OF wood 8x2J feet, much resembling an old
district schoolhouse. About II grew up cemetery.
which in time came to be the bural-spot OF a num-
Der OF soldiers OF the Revolution. The cemetery
survived the old chanel some sixty years. tho build
Ing being demolished in gale about lS23 dozen
The cemetery for a house and what remained Of
the bones OF the old heroes was transferred 10
Haveneyer dd not build. and the ground IL now
occupied by q handsome house erected by the
jeremiah Mibank estate
goody proportion OF the attendants upon the
residents OF still-existng village situated on the
Mianus River a mile or so east OF Greenwich, or
orsepec as was heP b sys6 kn0 morn a aus
than by means OF the road which zig-zagged up
ranged series OF stone saDs straight w the mn
through the bushes These are the stone steps
which
10 be now buried beneath the surface OF the
ground in their original position.
When the chapel was demolished the two haIves
Of the door preserved by family OF the
church. One of these. containing several bullets
supposed 70 have been fred into II upon the oc-
casion Of Putnam's escape. afterward stolen,
and its present location Is unknown. The other
part Of the door IS now IN the possession or the
rector OF Christ Church. the Rev. Mr.. Thompson
Between the chapel and the present sdihce came
building somewhat similar H. the first In character.
erected in 1892 This was used until 1856. when It
was torn down 10 make way for the present struct-
ure.
Episcopal services first held IN Greenwich
somewhere about 1903 by missionary OF the
Church the Rev. George Murson, second rector
OF Christ Church Rye. who. the historians say.
travelled as far Stratford with Colonel CaeD
Heathcote. fully armed" Services were held win
more or less frequency under different missionaries
until November 1893 when the Rev. Robert Davies
became the first regular rector. He was succeeded
the next vear hy the Rev. Joseph n. Nichols. who
resigned in 1899 Tho Rev. VI. Warrington was then
called 20 the rectorship In April OF the same year
He continued his official connection unti MS
death year ago a period OF nearly sixty years.
The nresent rector a man much liked by his par
ishioners became connected with the church IN
$50 the Rev Mr. Warrington having been made
rector emeritus.