Plainfield Connecticut Church History
The manufacturing industries have brought to Plainfield a new era. The
old interests have faded almost away, and with the coming of the factories
and workshops, railroads and a new class of people, a new era is open to
her. To the notice of the churches and other institutions that belong to
this era of the present day we propose to devote this chapter.
Previous to the year 1800, Methodist preachers found their way into this
town, preaching in different neighborhoods, and organizing a class and
society which in time held services in the old Separate meeting house. But
the first beginnings of the organic life of the Methodist Episcopal church
in 'this town of which we have definitely learned were in 1825, when the
locality was included in the Norwich Circuit, under the joint pastorate of
B. Hazeltine and 0. Robbins. A class was formed with E. Dunlap as leader,
and it was composed of Nathan M. Brown, Eunice Brown, Eliza Bass, Mary
Torry, Susan Stowell, Bridget Starkweather and Jesse Ames. The first
quarterly conference held here was in January, 1827; Edward Hyde,
presiding elder. In 1829 Plainfield was connected with Thompson Circuit,
under I. Bonney, I. M. Bidwell, 0. Robbins and P. Townsend. In 1830 John
Lovejoy, with others, was appointed on the Thompson Circuit; and in 1831
Mr. Livesey and others. In 1832 Plainfield reported thirteen members, with
B. Paine as pastor. He was followed in 1833 by E. Benton (for two years),
Z. Loveland, J. Ireson, N. Culver, H. Thatcher and A. B. Wheeler. During
the pastorate of the latter two important events took place: the purchase
of the " Union church " in Moosup, March 24th, 1842, which was the first
house of worship owned by this church; and the withdrawal of sixty-five of
their membership to constitute the Danielsonville church, which was done
September 3d, 1842. In the meantime a great revival prevailed, in which
many were added to this body. Beginning with 1843 and coming down to 1870
this charge has been supplied successively by the following pastors: D.
Dorchester, V. R. Osborne, C. C. Barnes, J. Mather, G. W. Brewster, W.
Emerson, J. F. Sheffield, W. Turkington, Peter S. Mather, G. W. Rogers, R.
Parsons, J. M. Worcester, P. Crandall and George de B. Stoddard. In 1870
the membership reported was one hundred and forty, with seventeen
probationers. Under the pastorate of L. E. Dunham, which continued two
years and ended in April, 1872, a new house of worship was erected, the
dedication of which occurred in February, 1872. He was followed by E. M.
Anthony, W. W. Ellis, G. W. Hunt, E. J. Ayers, R. D. Dyson, F. A. Crafts
and John McVey. The church is in a prosperous condition and has a
membership of about one hundred and seventy-five.
The Plainfield Union Baptist church, located at Moosup, was organized
October 16th, 1792, with nineteen members. On November 9th, of the same
year, Reverend Nathaniel Cole, of Swansea, Mass., was called to become the
pastor. The church soon had a membership of one hundred. Elder Cole
labored here forty-one years, retiring from the ministry in 1833, at the
age of seventy-seven years. The second pastor was Reverend C. S. Weaver,
who served the church for three years, during which term fifty-three
members were added to the church. by baptism. The following pastors then
successively served the church about two years each: Chester Tilden,
Thomas Barber, John Read, James Smither and Frederic Carlton. The present
house of worship was dedicated January 5th, 1843, at the close of the
ministry of Elder Read. The pastorate of Reverend J. P. Brown began in
April, 1849, and continued until May, 1871, a little more than twenty-two
years. During this period three hundred and five persons were received
into the church, two hundred and ten by baptism. In 1866 the bell,
weighing 1,015 pounds, was purchased at a cost of $670, which with other
improvements swelled the extra expenses of that year to $1,000. In 1867
the church edifice was raised and a vestry placed under it at a cost of
more than $2,000.
In 1871 Reverend G. F. Raymond, of Brown University, was ordained to the
pastorate. He resigned in the following August. In 1873 Reverend M. J.
Goff was called to the pastoral office, but his labors soon ended with his
death. In October, 1874, Reverend F. B. Joy began as stated supply,
continuing until August, 1875. In October following Reverend C. B.
Rockwell began a pastorate which lasted two years. Reverend L. W. Frink
was pastor from the fall of 1877 to the spring of 1879. He was succeeded
by Reverend J. N. Shipman in June, 1879. He continued until April, 1885,
when he resigned to accept the pastorate of the Baptist church in Peabody,
Mass. On November 5th, 1882, the house of worship was rededicated after
extensive repairs and improvements, costing upwards of $2,000, had been
made upon it. Reverend Robert Pegrum, of East Marion, L. I., commenced his
labors here July 1st, 1885. In September, 1888, he resigned this pastorate
to become pastor of the Congregational church of Middle Haddam. The
membership of the church at present is about one hundred and ninety. The
deacons are Joseph Vaughn, Joshua Hill and P. M. Peckham. The church clerk
is Waldo Tillinghast.
The Congregational church of Central Village was organized from membership
having connection with the church at Plainfield street, in 1846, with
forty-seven members. Jared O. Knapp was the first pastor, and under his
labors a great revival refreshed the church and resulted in adding to its
membership twenty-two persons by profession. From 1846 to the beginning of
1856, there were added two hundred and fourteen members, and losses
occurred in that time by forty-four deaths, and many removals. The present
membership is about seventy-six. The following list comprises the names of
all the men who have served this church as pastors for any considerable
length of time. After Mr. Knapp came N. A. Hyde, 1S52, dismissed 1853;
James Bates, 1853, dismissed 1855; William E. Bassett, 1856, dismissed
1859; George Hall, 1859; Paul Couch, 1862; J. K. Aldrich, 1863; George
Huntington, 1864; J. K. Barnes, ordained October 5th, 1865, dismissed
1866; J. D.. Moore, installed July 2d, 1867, dismissed 1868; G. J.
Tillotson, began July 1st, 1870, continued about three years; John Avery,
July 2d, 1873, continued till 1878; J. Marsland, 1579, continued till
i880; H. L. Reade, 1881; William B. Clark, 1882, about two years; A. H.
Wilcox, 1884, till January, 1886. From January, 1886, to May, 1887, there
was no settled pastor. Dighton Moses was pastor, May 1st, 1887, to
September 1st, 1888. This church had a time of great refreshing in 1857,
when twenty-one were added by profession; and again in 1880, when
twenty-two were added. The deacons now in office are Henry C. Torrey and
Henry H. French.
In the early part of the year 1853 a company was formed for the purpose of
manufacturing cotton goods, in the northern part of this town, and at the
May session of the legislature it was incorporated under the name of
"Wauregan Kills," taking the old Indian name of the locality. which means
" Pleasant Valley." The first mill was built in 1553 and 1854, and
families then began to settle there. In the early part of 1854 a Sabbath
school was formed in the old school house, which stood where the new house
now stands; and that Sabbath school has been continued without
interruption till the present time. Prayer meetings were held among the
families, but there were no Sabbath services nearer than Central Village,
a mile and a half away. In 1855 the company built a hall for public
worship, and the first sermon was preached in it September 24th of that
year, by Reverend G. J. Tillotson, then pastor of the Trinitarian
Congregational church in the adjoining town of Brooklyn. The place was
supplied by different ministers till January 1st, 1856, when Mr. Charles
L. Ayer, a licentiate of Windham Association, was engaged as stated
supply. A church was organized by a council of Congregational ministers
and deacons June 17th, 1856. The church thus formed was composed of the
following members: Samuel 0. Tabor, Benjamin Wilson, Charles L. Ayer,
Joseph Chatterton, Nathan A. Chatterton, Mrs. Frances Taylor, Mrs. Mary E.
Wilson, Mrs. Mary B. Ayer, Mrs. Fanny D. King, hiss Ann M. Woodward.
Mr. Ayer continued to preach till April 1st, 1858, when he resigned to
accept a call to the churches of Voluntown and Sterling. The membership
was then seventeen. From September 14th, 1858, to April 1st, 1859,
Reverend Edward F. Brooks was engaged as a supply. December 19th, 1859,
Reverend S. H. Fellows was engaged as acting pastor, and still remains,
thus filling a term of nearly thirty years, and how much longer it may be
must be left for the future historian to write. The whole number who have
been connected with the church during its thirty-two years of existence
has been one hundred and sixtyfour. The largest accession in a single year
was in 1878, when thirty-four were received. The twenty-fifth anniversary
of the organization of the church was celebrated with appropriate
exercises, at which only one of the original members was present, though
all except one were living. December 21st, 1884, the pastor preached a
sermon in review of his twenty-five years' work here, which was published
by request.
Services were held in the hall without any active effort to build a church
until October, 1872, when Mr. James S. Atwood, agent of the manufacturing
company, secured from them an appropriation of $10,000 for the erection of
a church, to be expended under his direction. The ground was broken April
1st, 1873; the corner stone was laid. with appropriate ceremonies, May
10th; and the church was dedicated January 29th, 1874. The building is of
the Gothic style of architecture, with a chapel in the rear. The audience
room has a seating capacity of about three hundred. It is supplied with a
pipe organ, is lighted with gas, and is one of the most neat and
commodious churches in the county. The membership of the church at the
present time is about ninety.
The Roman Catholic church at Moosup, called All Hallows church, was
dedicated by Right Reverend F. P. McFarland, bishop of Hartford, in July,
1859. The successive pastors of this church since that time have been as
follows: Reverend P. B. Daily, appointed in July, 1859; James Quinn,
appointed in June, 1861; J. J. McCabe, appointed in October, 1869;
Ferdinand Belanger, appointed in April, 1870: John Quinn, appointed in
November, 1872; D. Desmond, appointed in July, 1874; P. M. Kennedy,
appointed in October, 1876; J. A. Creedon, appointed in October, 1878, to
the present time.
Back to: Plainfield, Windham
County, Connecticut History Source: History of Windham County, Connecticut,
Bayles, Richard M.; New York: W.W. Preston, 1889 Back to: Windham County, Connecticut
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