The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-30
By JULIAN H. STERLING

"The glory of the latter house is
 greater than that of the former" How many of the thousands that
 rush in and out of the Post Office
 building every year remember the o!d
 ztone church that once stood on this same site? It was St. Johns, erected 1 in 1838, the third St. Johns Episcopal adifice in Bridgeport.
 | The first church, a wooden one, was
 built in 1901, on the corner of State and Broad streets The Rev. Phi1o
 shelton, great-grandfather of Hamil- ton Shelton, was it's rector.
 The second. a more pretentious structure, was erected on this same site in 1S33 The Rev. Henry R. Judah was rector for a short time and was succeeded by the Rev. Gurdon
 Saltonstau Colt, D. D. During his pastorate this famous divine became
 one of the greatest clergymen in West social and religious qualifications, he increased his flock to such proportions that new quarters were sought for a more commedious church In 18S6, nastorate, the third church was com pleted- It stood on the corner of Broad and Cannon streets, remaining until 1889, when it was razed to make place for the Federal building. House Now a Derelic&- Dr. Colt and his charming wife re- sided in the west end of what was then called St Johns block, on Cannon street This house is now a wreck. eft by the late Charles Judson. un-
 sought, unsung, unwept and without an owner
 Dr. and adrs Colt had an interest I Mary, Nellie. Gurdon- Thomas, For I rester and Samuel Happily married | himself, Dr. Colt took pleasure in per
 forHniIg marriages for the young peo- pie of his own and various other con- srsga11ons, and fashionable weddings \ were held in St Johns church until long after the close of the Civil War. In 1881 Dr. Coit resigned to accept the chaplaincy of a regiment in the I United States Army At that time his
 ctrate was the Rev. Sylvester Clark I Immediately after Dr. Colt resigned
 the Rev. MT Wiley became rector. \ and he, like Dr- Colt. was loyal to the I Army of the North
 Bu4- sad to say the c1rate was m. I ike either Dr. Colt OF tho Rev MT l WIHey, for he favored the South I whereuDon there began a split at Ss
 Johns resulting in the departure O l members with the Rev MT Clark a: their leader
 The Incepsicn of Trinity.
 l The first services of these latter OvHr the railroad depot, about wh err now run the Housatonic tracks Late thsy proceeded to build their ow1 church- at the corner of Fairheld ave nIe and Broad street, appointing tn Rev MT Clark as rector This churcl
 was named Trinity" and is stil
 standing
 Because of its peculiar architectur
 and the sympathies of its members
 Trinity was dubbed by loyal St. John ties ~-fhe Rebel Ram It was con
 secrated about the time of the fall O
 Rev MT Clark died and the Rev Louis N Booth was ordained recto by the Right Rev. Bishop Williams, The Rev. MT Booth built up tn church morale to its present propot
 lions. and by his progressive idea brought about a generous understand ing between St Johns and Trinity
 congregations, which, as has bee said, were more than slightly strain
 ed through the years of the Civil wal The Rev. MT. Booth remained recto of Trinity until his death in the earl 190O's, and he was sincerely mournet The Rev. MT. Wiley, who succeede Dr. Colt at St. Johns, and of whoI no mention was made in the Stan dard's'' History of Bridgeport, hel the pastorate for a short time, unt his death in 1867. He was succeede by the Rev. Eaton w. Maxey, D. D who remained until 1885. During Dl Maxey's incumbency the present S Johns church was erected at the cor her of Park and Fairfield avenues. His Marriages Were Binding. If pr. Maxey was a most companion able man, gifted in his calling, bot affabIe and courteous. It was durin his pastorate that the fashionable also sought St. Johns as the prope II place in which to promise to Hove il honor and obey each other 'unt1 death did them part" By glancini
 overs statistics it can be seen tha
 very few of the couples that D1
 Maxey bound together have sough
 the divorce courts which speaks wei
 for this c1ergyman's powers of "bind ing" .. II Johns was unfortunate. A schls1
 had been started among the good peo pie by some ma1contents because the rector refused to marry a couple. one started the trouble. The result was that Dr. MaXey resigned and accepted II a church in Troy, N. Y.
 The next clergyman to be called tG St. Johns was the Rev. Edgar A Enos, who found out, in time that there was music in the air. II Ge like Dr. MaXey, would not de cially those governing communion This resulted in another schism, whicl
 was started to compel him to acquiesce and renounce his clean-cut determi. nation to maintain his Episcopaliar doctrine.
 The Rev. MT. Enos' adherents were powerful. because of their wealth, ant of-war between two powerful families each with a substantial following. Beginning of a Conspiracy The writer of these lines learned O lthe fracas and called at the home o ! the rector to ascertain the facts fo,