The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-31
NORTH
 CONGREGATIONAL.
 CHURCH RECORDS
Committee. F Finds Many In teresting Documents In
 Box Boys Found.


 Members of the United Congrega- records of the old North church. which were discovered Sunday by boys in the wreckage of the church building.
 Interesting documents and articles were contained in the tin, copper lined box. They were well preserved, but apparently dampness recently penetrated the imperfect soldering of the lid.
 Following is a list of the contents of the box: Bradley's Connecticut Reg ister. 1s47-1848; Ba1dwin's Bridge port Almanac, 1848. with map of city; Holy Bible, 1929; Psalms and Hymns, 1S45; Manual First Congregational Church, 1892; Congregational Cate chisn, 1844; Minutes of Annual Meet ing, May. 848, for the building of new church and list of subscribers; brief history First Congregational School on Golden Hill, with list of pupils, 1848; An Apology for not Joining Protestant Episcopal Church, by Presbyter, 1843; Rules of Fair field East Constellation, printed by Sam Hall, 184S; Bridgeport Chronicle, Oct. 10, 1848; The New York Evan gelist, Oct. 12, 1s4s; Republican Farmer, Oct. 10, 1848; New York Washingtonian, Oct. IA, 1848; Jour nal of Commerce, Oct. IA, 1848; New England Puritan, Oct. 5, and Oct. 12, 1848; New York Morning Express, Oct. IS, .1S48; Middlebrook Almanac, 1s4S; New York and Albany freight tariff, 1847; Time Table; Regulations; two tickets to Albany; Statistics of Naugatuck & Housatonic R. R.; Card of Nathaniel Wordin, druggist, State street; two one dollar bills Connecti- cut Bank; silver dollar. 1S44; half dollar, 1s42; quarter dollar, 1846; dime, 1847; ha1f-dirne, 1547; large cent, 1S47, and half cent, 1806.
 The book of rules of the Fairfield East Consolation bore the name of Oswald Backus. The copy of the New Y York Washingtonian was addressed to MT. s. Sterling, and .also bore the name of R. Cameron.
 The story of the arrangements for the North church building is told in the following, which preceded list of subscribers:
 'tAt the annual meeting of the First Congregational church of Bridgeport in May 1848, it having appeared that the old church was much out of re- pair and that there were not sufficient seats to accommodate those who wished to attend upon the stated wor- ship of God therein, a committee was appointed to report a plan or basis of subscription to raise funds for build ing a new church edifice.
 Aticles of subscription were re- ported to subsequent meeting by Samuel c. Loomis, Esq, the chairman of the committee, which were adopted. and Henry W. .Chatfeld, Rowland B. Lacey and Levi Word1n were appoint ed a committee to procure subscrip- tions
 
 vided that The church shall be built by voluntary subscription and the sub scribers thereto, their heirs and as- signs shall be the owners thereof in shares of $25 each-to which were appended certain conditions, linita- tionS and restrictions
 Hanford Lyon, president of the Bridgeport bank. led off with the purchase of so shares for which he paid $1500. Silvanus Ser1ing and Ira Sherman each bought 40 for $1, GOO Freeman c. Bassett bought 35, paving $500. Gideon Thompson, Ezra Greg ory, Isaac B. Beach, Sherman Hart $500 each. Ten persons bought one share, but a great many subscribers took shares that cost them $50, $1oO, $2Oo and $500.
 The subscribers met June 24, 184S, and organized under the title of ''The
 
 subsequent meeting appointed the fol- lowing officers:
 James C. Loornis. president; F. c. Bassett, Hanford Lyon, Ira Sherman, Sherman HartweH, Charles B. Hub bell and Ira B. Wheeler, directors; Daniel Sterling, treasurer; R. B. Lacy, secretary; F. c. Bassett. Ira B. Wheel CT, Ira Sherman, Hanford Lyon, s. HartweIl, hAilding committee. The corner stone was laid Monday, Octo- ber 16, 1848.
 A brief statement of facts in con rection with the history of the church was contained in the box. It fol- lows;
 s"The Rev. Benjamin St. John Page, the present pastor. was installed Jan uary, 1S47, at a salary of $500 per annum.
 There have been three houses built for public worship by this society since the church was organized The first was built AID. 1895, on Tabb's hill, so-called, about one mile N. w. from the present building; the second about one-fourth of a mile north of the first in HIT; the third in 1903 in Bridgeport on the site of the church now being erected, the cornerstone of which is laid this sixteenth day of October, 184S, which makes the fourth church edifice erected by this society.
 The first and second houses were built by a tax levied on the inhabi- tants of the parish. The third house was built by voluntary subscription at~et cost of about $N (the cost was omitted, apparently by accident). The ground in which 1t stood and which is now occupied by this church was given to, the society by Amos HubbeII and Richard Hubbell. The valuation at the time the donation was made was $200 each
 The fourth church now being erect ed is being built by the Stockholders Association so-cal1ed composed of members of this society at the cost of about $17,000 under the Superinten- dence of Thomas c. Bassett, Hanford Lyon, Ira Sherman, Sherman Hart