The Newtown bee., 1901-07-12

over to Asher Beardsley by Josiaf
 Lacy and Elijah Boardman for con
 sideration of $500. In 1903, the lano
 was transferred. to Herman Curtis fol
 100 pounds. In July, 1919, the admin.
 1stratOrs Of Herman Curtis sold this
 property to Dr Jehial Williams fol
 S55O. And about this time, l819 ol
 1920, the old parsonage was built. Fol
 40 years it was known as the Dr Will
 Hams place, and to the older genera
 tion the building has been fully as
 much associated with the cure of the
 body as with the cure of the
 maladies of the soul. The bricks for
 the building were burned:near the resi-.
 dence of Mrs Seeley Richmond. In
 lS45 small piece of land was added
 on the east side, containing small
 house. In 1863 this entire property
 was transferred to William Bostwick,
 who, the following year, sold it to
 Pamela H. Lam, wife of William J.
 Lam. On August II, 1870, it became
 the property of the First Ecclesiastical Society upon the payment of s60OO; and
 the society may we'll rejoice at the present time that it still owns this lawn so favorably located for the pur- pose for which it is used. It will be noticed that the value of thisiproperty increased from $500 in 1900 to $6OOO in 1870. During the thirty-one years since this property came into the pos session of the First Ecclesiastical so- clety, the village had been growing in size and in improvements until it has become one of the most beautiful vll- lages in the state, and one of the pleasantest locations in the village is the parsonage property on Elm street. The society may we'll congratulate itself that it owns this property, free Of encumbrance, and all ready for the extensive improvements now contem- plated.
 THE FIRST MINISTERIAL
 occupant of the old parsonage was the Rev James B. Bonar, who dwelt there during the 13 years of his pastorate, Within it's walls both he and his wife planned and executed much excellent work for the welfare of the church and parish. Many of you in midlife now remember the old parsonage in those days as the scene of many happy ex- periences which will never be forpot- ten. The nextoccupant, for only one brief year, was the Rev George s. Thrall, whose memory is a benediction to the spiritual life of the church, Here he ended his ministry, through failing health, in hls young manhood. In this old building he prepared those earnest appeals to accept Christ as a Saviour, which proved to be his last message to the world. So dear did this home become to him, that he re- quested that New Milford might be his last resting place, and his remains were brought from the far West to lie 1 in our Center cemetery.
 Immediately following MT Thrall ] was the Rev Timothy J. Lee, who, in l the first part of his ministry was not l married and did not need the whole building as his home, but who always had his study there, and there were the addresses and sermons which gave Mir Lee wide reputation as pulpit orator. During most of the year 1889 the parsonage was unoccu- pied, the church being without a regu- lar pastor; and during this time the house was partly rebuilt and some modern improvements were added, all of which served to prolong it's waning fife for a season. The family of the pastor entered the renovated in the last days of 1889, and nave dwelt there peacefully and hap oily till the death knell of the building vas sounded the other day, when they luickly fled to temporary quarters not ar away. u During the present pastorate three { lots lying along Treadwell venue have been sold off the principal , )t, but these sales have really in- reased the value of the property for purposes. c 1 realize that this brief sketch is r cry incomplete, and that many of you F ould supply incidents that would add V