New Milford. A memorial discourse, delivered in the Congregational church, New Milford, Conn., Sunday, July 9, 1876Bonar, J. B. (James Blair)
History
New Milford. A memorial discourse, delivered in the Congregational church, New Milford, Conn., Sunday, July 9, 1876
Bonar, J. B. (James Blair)
First Congregational Church (New Milford, Conn.); New Milford (Conn.) -- History
The first Meeting House, “40 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 24 feet between
“gists,” with suitable proportions,” was built in 1718-19, but not opened
for worship until 1720, and then it was in a very unfinished condition.
In 1720 it was voted to wall up the gists before Winter and fill in
between the lathe and studs with timber and mortar. The floor was not
laid until 1723. This building stood on the highway on Town Hill, a few
rods North of the present residence of Mrs. J. P. Treadwell. The second
house of worship, “64 feet long, 44 feet wide, and 27 fee posts,” nearly
twice the size of the first, was erected in 1754, the town applying to
the General Assembly for power to sell the old Meeting House, and to
tax non-resident land holders for building the new one. This building
stood on the Village Green, nearly opposite the present residence of Mr.
Solomon E. Bostwick. The present edifice was erected in 1833, and though
much larger than the former, for several years persons wishing slips have
been unable to obtain them. It would be a good Centennial work to enlarge
the building.
The Sabbath Day House was an institution that is unknown to the present
generation. In 1745 the town voted “that any farmers, inhabitants, have
leave to build a small house to repair to on Sabbath day on the common
land, provided the public is not damnified thereby.” This building was
located “North of the Meeting House on the side of the hill.” After the
erection of the Church on the Green, the Sabbath Day House was built on
the spot where now stands the house so long occupied by the Rev. Mr.
Acly. It is described to me by a lady still with us (Mrs. Eli Mygatt) who
went through it more than 70 years ago, as a long, low building, with
four large rooms, regarding which frightful stories were told of the
ghosts that inhabited it. In this building, farmers, whose homes were
distant, stored loads of wood, and barrels of cider, and here they warmed
their bean soup, replenished their foot-stoves and regaled themselves in
the hour between services. Until 1870 the services were held morning and
afternoon; since 1870, the second service has been held in the evening.
The Chapel was built by individuals, with permission of the Society in
1838-9. The Meeting Houses were not heated until 1823-5, when two box
stoves were put into the second Meeting House. In November, 1833, the
Society voted to obtain “2 of Dr. Nott’s stoves and one ton of anthracite
coal for the Winter.” Furnaces were put in in 1860, when the Church was
improved at a cost of $5,225, and land for sheds was bought. The organ
was obtained in 1860, at a cost of $1,200.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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