Norwich bulletin., 1920-09-06
200 YEARS IN GRISWOLD
 CHURCH HISTORY (Continued from Page Five)


 (Continued from Page Five1
 proxy. William M. Morgan, though his | substitute, the Weber quartette has set | the psalm for our great anniversary and | given the correct note, which is both | high and inspiring. From the height t3 | which we have risen through song, let us take brief look backward The | church's name at first was The Secono Church of Christ in Preston, and then in the new town The First Congrega- tional church of GriswOld. The first three pastorates were life pastora e. Hezekiah Lord gave his life in forty years of honored ministry. Levi Hart, D. D., forty-six years, Horatio Wallo 18 years. Three pastors filled .ort the first century and it has taken thirteen to fill out the second. This church was organized or "imbodied' Nov 50 1720. Hezekiah Lord, who heads the list of members, was ordained by the laying on of hands of Ministers Whit ing. Treat, Colt, and EsterbrooH He entered the names of baptisms on the church records-about forty pas,s all plain and readable after two hurdrea years. There were 55 adult bdrtisns and 1915 infant baptisrls. The second pastor had two capital letters after his name, a thing that was true of himself alone among all the pastors In his case D. D. stood not only for doctor of divin- ity but Distinguished Doer Thanks 10 pr. Hart, the Separatist or New Light Movement did not hold sway in .Iris- wold. He interested himself in the cause of education, so that the three school districts grew to twelve ia his time. He became we'll known through out the state as a man qualifiel to teacher advanced students, fitting them for college or the ministry, after they had left college. He with a few others. organized the oldest missionary society in 4-inerica the missionary society of Connecticut And his people were dis tinguished doers, too. In 1773, tAe men of Griswold church raised $7,0O0, the interest of it to pay the minister $ sal. ary. It was called The Great Fund. In fourteen years it had deprecated anI they all but raised it again, In the war of the Revolution Dr. Harts men were the more distinguished doers. If | ser vice flag of the Revolution should Lo hung beside the World War service f1tg of twelve stars it would have one h..:.- dred and fifty stars upon it. There would have been seventeen gold sta-s upon it. Gen. John Tyler lived di;l1y the period of the first pastorates Al the age of thirty he was commissioned as lieutenant by the general assemh'y in the train band' at home then as leu tenant in the expedition against the French at Crown Point; then, IS cap tain for the defense of northern New tEngland and New York. So much in the 1 French and Indian war. In the Revo- | lutionary war Jonathan Trumbull signed | his commission as lieutenant colonel As | such he served in the seize of Boston As colonel he followed the British to New York. In TIT, he was made brieadier general with five regiments under his command. And, in this capacity he was | on guard in Rhode Island and Connec- ticut till the close of the war He was | sent eleven times to the general assem- l bly, as legislator. A new church had to be built to replace the old one, and the l committee included one colonel five 1 captains, ono deacon. and three minis ters. The old church went down arr
 new one went ul, and the inside finish ing was done according to the plan of Capt Stephen Johnson. The pew sit | tlngs were according to age and mon ey. The house occupied now by Victor Campbell was once owned by Horatio 1 Waldo, the third pastor. A room in 1 the second story seems to have been his study and school room A seat ex- tends along one side of the room. and among the students sat the coming fa- nous journalist, George D. Prentice At the September communion, just 100 IecGlXo0 confession and one by letter. For 100 years they had thought only of the comfort of the soul. One had sat and shivered through the long winter ser wees, and 1t was voted that two stoves De admitted to the meeting house pro- Vided it would be of no expense to the society. In 1917 a concert of prayer was instituted for the first Monday of every month-the sacramental lecture fl1a the Domestic Missionary Society and a foreign missionary society. The most interesting happening was in 1S95
 when the Jewett City people, who had tried It alone for a year, found them. selves able to have a church of their own, and proceeded to organize the Ser. ond Congregational Church of Griswold
 The same year Stephen Johnson Jr., was
 dismissed to the church about to he formed in Amherst College. He was ar. dalned at Pachaug, and became mis sionary in China
 Spofford D. and William R. Jewett , were the fourth and fifth pastors, 3: l Joined the church during the first lew. etts pastorate. Three boys went to Am herst and became ministers. Theil names were James Acverill, William Pit } Avery and William Avery Gift In tn. second Jewetts time the present churcl
 
 , sented by Bishop and Dwight R. Tyler ? and the steeple was made right for it b, William Tucker and others Then nusi, was provided It was voted that Joe Button procure a bass viol with nat ent head for the use of the society an, l S60 be appropriated to hire an jnstruc
 tor in sacred music. During the sam . pastorate William Jewett Tucker wa, born on the place just over the river lie is president emeritus of Dartmouth college. Calvin Terry served five years | The Sabbath school was in full opa,a
 ton in his day, Hezekiah L. Meec1 be Ing superintendent. Another long pag . torate was that 5t. the seventeen y,,r of B. F. Or Bennett Northrop. The con. ference of churches will not forget hr. as he had so large a hand in it's forma. ton. On the last January of MT. Nor. , throp's pastorate, Joseph BoardmA1 ant
 Daniel L. Campbell gave a comn11a;or set and table. Franklin E. Fellows was acting pastor for four years. William B. Clarke served as acting pastor six or seven years During his time Colt chapel was added to the church and the library in it is the Colt LiNrary in honor of Dr. Daniel T. Colt ! did Sd