The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1901-11-01
CORNER STONE
LAID
For New Church EdifiCe of
Georgetown Congre-
gatiOnalists.
NEW EDIFICE A GIFT
FROM DEA AND MRS
EDWIN GILBERT.
Addresses by Congressman b..
J. Hill and Others.

y. Hill and others.
The people of Georgetown are rejoic-
ing over the generous gift of Dea and
Mrs Edwin Gilbert. Mr. and Mrs Gil
bert have been active and interested
members of the Congregational church
for many years and now as they are
nearing the close of their life they are
erecting fitting memorial in 4 new
edifice for the Georgetown Conarega-
tional church to their love to COP and
their fellow men. The church lis To-
Gated just south of the Gilbert 81 Ben
nett Manufacturing Co. and d the
banks of the river. 1t is to belbuilt
of granite taken from the Branchville
quarry. The building is 40x5O feet,
with wing, 3ox30 feet, and tower
SO feet high, also porte cochere in the
front. The vestibule will be roomy
with terriazza floor. The audience
room of the church will be 40x5O feet
and has wing 80 feet square opening
into it with folding doors between and
can be used as lecture room or when
there is need can be opened and form
part Of the audience room. There is
basement in which kitchen and
dining room will be fitted up with all
necessary equipments. When COM
pleted it will be model church.
The laying Of the corner stone to
the new church was an occasion long
to be remembered by the people in
this and surrounding towns. The day
was a perfect one and the people gath
cred in large numbers. Rev Mr. San
born, the pastor of the church, acted
as chairman for the day. The services
were opened by the hymn Chow firm
a foundation" followed by Scripture
reading by Rev Andrew w. Gerrie,
pastor of the Ridge field Congregations
al church.. Prayer was offered by Rev
William D. Hart of the Wilton Con-
gregational church. The hymn Crock
of Ages was then sung.
Rev Mr. Sanborn gave the address of
welcome He said in substance: This
has been an eventful week for COnnec-
ticut. 1t began with the Yale BIZ
centennial in New Haven. 1t closes
with the annual State Christian En-
deavor convention in Danbury, and
the laying of the corner stone OF the
new Congregational church in George
town. 1 am not on the program for
an address to-day, but it seems fitting
that as pastor Of the church | should
make few Introductory remarks.
Georgetown has had six church build.
ings in it's history and four of them
are now standing and in use as
churches. OF the two which have
passed away one was a Methodist,
which stood perhaps quarter of a
mile west of us, near the present resi-
dence of Harry Bennett. The other
was Baptist church which stood but
a short distance north of us. In build
ing here we are coming back you see
into old church property. Moreover
we are coming back to old Baptist
property, close by the river. AS there
is no longer Baptist church in this
vicinity, perhaps our situation so close
to the water will be a special induce
ment for Baptists among us to join US.
Georgetown now has four churches
English Congregationalists, Swedish
Congregationalists, Methodist and
Catholic. We trust it is only matter
of few years when the two Congre.
gational churches at least will be
| united. Our Swedish friends feel
however, that the time is not yet ripe
We regret very much the absence to-
day of the pastors of the Methodist
and Catholic churches. Both are
away on vacations. Both have
expressed regret at their inability tc
be present. We are happy to have
with US the pastor of the Swedish
church. He has not sufficient conf
dence in his English to venture tC
I make an address. 1t may be sale
truly that the churches here are living
in harmony and work together for the
betterment Of the community and es
= tablishment of the kingdom. Ou1
church was first, as you may not al
know, Methodist Protestant. Oul
present church building was erected
in 1888 and the society was organized
in 1889. They seem to have built the
church first and organized afterwards
This is much better, think, than tt
organize first and then go into debt tx
build church. The change from
Methodist Protestant to Congrega
tional was made mot far from 1870
The present Congregational church
dates it's organization, however, from
= 1875, when it was approved by and re-
ceived into the Fairfield West Conso
citation Of Congregational churches
For several years the members have
felt the great need of a new church
building, both because of the dilapi
dated condition of the old building
I and also because of it's extremely I'M
desirable and unsuitable location, be-
ing SO near the railroad 1.-THE church
was built number of years before
the railroad, the latter about 1850
One person was looked to more thar
anyone else to bring it to pass, what
many have desired, and now he who
as a youth of 16 gladly worked over.
time to help build the old church,