New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-03-18

| way near the meetHl5 1loO'00 40 ~
Britain parish in the most conVenlel'O
p1oce for their convenience ' on Sab
! bath days
sThe Saba day houses were ABOUT
/ sixteen feet square, with a small VIM
| dow on three sides and a chimney
built of stone, or perhaps part brick
on the outside with a large Fireplace
attached 81 here the short in
Permission between the services was
spens in mutual greetings, inquiries
after health and perhaps, comments
on the morning Sermon
Bars in TaycrnS.
Another writer states that, "Sone
went to a neighboring dwelling to
warm themselves after the service in
the cold meeting house. Others went
to the tavern, for in New England as
in Old England the couplet was true,
that-'Where pious men erect a house
of prayer, the Devil is sure to build
a Chapel there in which they found
an open door and open bar, where
an evil spirit sometimes carried away
much of the good seed sOWn by the
preacher." New Britain was FORUM
ate in that it's three colonial tayerns
were each some distance from the
meeting house.
Quoting further from Timlov's
Sketches of Southington, so far as
known now there could have been but
q few COT these houses) on Burying-
ground Hill.
But after the church was re-
moved to the center of the town they
| were at first erected by the Wealthier
class and after a time a large number
we're built Most of them were single
apartments, perhaps fifteen feet
square, with a chimney and windows
But some were two stories, having o
stable underneath for the horses.
Others with a stable were double, hay
ing a chimney in the middle In
1877, one of these double houses is
referred to in q deed of Aug. 9th as)
''one-half Of my Sabbath Day House
east of Meeting House of sd. South
! ington, that is to say, to take the
North End of sd. House, to include
half ye chimney. y Stabling & all
other Rights and Privileges belonging
thereto.'
"These houses had plain and but
little furniture. A few chairs for the
older people and u bench for children
were placed around the hearth. A
liable, Of coarse material stood in the
centre Of the room. Upon this table
was q Bible, and perhaps one or more
books of devotional-reading, such
the Saints Rest. Later the sermons
Of Bellamy or Smalley John, Of New
Br4tair,) or Hopkins in pamphlet
form, were brought here, read, and
! discussed between services. l have
in (my) possession a pamphlet copy
of the first edition of DR.. Bellamy's
io1 ho TIaIf
that was thus used. 1t belonged to
! the Munson family, and the tradition
is, that very warm discussions were
had over it's contents. Bellamy and
Smalley were names very familiar to
| all the church here, and every thing
| they published was duly discussed by
| the mem erS."
Congregation Brought Supplies.
ION rude shelves at the side of the
! room, were placed some pewter mugs
! and dishes and one or two iron uten-
| sis for warming food. The rum and
! cider were brought by each family as
! required, but the Dishes etc, were
| left permanently. AS there were no
| locks it would not have been safe to
| leave any tempting beverage behind"
The custom was to drive directly
! to the Saba day House. care for the
! horses, l<indle a 'rousing fire. take a
| drink of either cider or rum and then
| repair to the church. Such routine
of warming and drinking added great
! 1y to the comfort of the Worshippers
| as compared with the condition of
I things where there were no outbuild-
| ings of this kind"
| DR.. Edward Robinson, in recording
memories of his youth as connected
! with Southington writes, so too, the
long row of Sa1oba'day houses on the
| East side Of the square, which you
! perhaps hardly remem Der. They were
| already mostly in ruins in my early
| boyhood, yet few remained in a bet
! ter state, either with 4 stable below
| and neat room with fireplace above,
or with the room and stable side by
side. Here the good people, who came
| three, four and five miles to meeting
sheltered their horses; and had a
comfortable place for themselves dur
d.; ing the brief intermission Their at
| tendance on the public worship of
| God was some hng to occupy the day,
a days work: and not the convenient
matter of a few hours. Hence they
were ever regular and punctual
| "These houses, with two or three
! exceptions, stood on the east side Of
the present highway and occupied the
! ground from about where Mr.. Joel
Woodruff's store is down to tho
Bradley House. Some who
withdrew from the Society and joined
! the Baptlsts or EpiscOpalians, re-
moved their houses to their own
farms, and doubtless some of the tim
| bers are today doing service in stables
and barns in various parts Of the
! town"
at first some, if not all, of these
| houses were Whitewashed. This gave
| them a neat appearance. and attracted