Quick
links:
Turn of the century membership-from Burr's
History
Early pastors-from Burr's History
History
of the Georgetown Bible Church-Author unknown
List of Pastors-from Burr's
History and Redding Pilot
Edwin Gilbert and
the church-Author unknown
*To
avoid confusion this history is the same as the Georgetown
Bible Church history that follows this article. It took me
about 6 yrs to sort all this out so I'll save you all the
trouble.
1.
Rev. William M. Stillwell, in 1820, organized a small class
of persons in Georgetown, sharers in his peculiar ideas of
church polity, but who still retained the name of Methodist,
though called by their opponents Stillwellites.
2.
In 1829 a convention was held and adopted the name of Methodist
Protestant, and in 1839 the church at Georgetown was formally
organized as the Methodist Protestant Church and Society of
Wilton Circuit. Church building erected at this time (1839)
across from South Church St. on the Old Mill Rd. side of the
tracks. *At one time a road existed that linked Old Mill Road
with South Church St. Now (2005) South Church St. is a dead
end, but at this time South Church St. came all the way down
the hill, headed toward the Norwalk River, crossed a bridge
over the Norwalk River and connected with Old Mill Road.
3.
The Methodist Protestants voted and approved on dissolving
the connection which existed between the Methodist Protestant
Society in Georgetown and the Methodist Protestant Conference
in 1868,
4.
It united with the local Congregational Association in 1875,
5.
Changed in name from the Methodist Protestant Society to The
Congregational Society of Georgetown in 1887,
6.
Changed in name from the Congregational Society of Georgetown
to Gilbert Memorial Congregational Church to honor Edwin Gilbert
in 1902.
7.
and then became "independent of any denomination"
in 1944. Even though it retained the name Gilbert Memorial
Congregational Church. It was not a Congregational
church. It was independant.
8.
and finally it became the Georgetown Bible Church in 1964
and remains so today.
Now
that is all cleared up...
The
Methodist Protestant Church in Georgetown had its origin in
a small schism in the Methodist Episcopal Church, commencing
about 1818, in the New York Conference.
Among
the ministers who seceded from the church at this time was
the Rev. William M. Stillwell, who, in 1820, organized a small
class of persons in Georgetown, sharers in his peculiar ideas
of church polity, but who still retained the name of Methodist,
though called by their opponents Stillwellites. In 1829 a
convention was held and adopted the name of Methodist Protestant,
and in 1839 the church at Georgetown was formally organized
as the Methodist Protestant Church and Society of Wilton Circuit.
The first members of the class, so far as can be ascertained,
were Ebenezer Hill, Banks Sherwood, David Nichols, Isaac Osborne,
and Benjamin Gilbert and wife. The first minister was Rev.
William M. Stillwell. The first entry in the church records
is as follows :
"The first Methodist Protestant church in Redding was
organized in the year of our Lord 1839, on the 15th of the
9th month, at a regular warned meeting held at the house of
Sturges Bennett. The following officers were chosen. David
Nichols, chairman, John O. St. John, secretary. John O. St.
John was duly elected clerk of said society, and the oath
was administered by Walker Bates, Esq. John O. St. John was
also elected Treasurer of said society."
Aaron Osborne was the first sexton. (He was to open the church
thirty minutes before service, sweep the house, make the fires,
and attend to the lights, for a yearly salary of $6.00).
The house of worship had been built in 1839, prior to the
organization of the church, by John O. St. John and Charles
Scribner. For a number of years the church records show only
the ordinary routine of business In 1851, March 10th, a society's
meeting passed the following resolutions: "Resolved,
1st: That we take into consideration the amount of damage
sustained by the society, by the Danbury and Norwalk R. R.
crossing the society's grounds near this house of worship
and 2nd: That the assessment of damages by crossing the society's
grounds be left to three men- one chosen by the trustees,
one by the Rail Road contractors, and these two to choose
a third. 3rd: That the trustees be instructed to hold the
contractors or Rail Road Company responsible for all damage
to the society's house of worship."
To these resolutions a meeting held December 27th, 1851, added
the following :
"Resolved, by vote of this meeting that the society's
committee be authorized to give by deed to the Danbury and
Norwalk Railroad Company a right of way across said Society's
ground, for the consideration of one hundred and fifty dollars."
At a meeting held February 19th, 1853: "On motion S.
M. Main and Hiram St. John, were appointed a committee to
circulate a subscription to raise money to build a parsonage
house." A meeting held November 17th, 1853, voted: "that
the society's committee be authorized to circulate a subscription
paper, to raise money to the amount of six hundred dollars
for the purpose of purchasing Mr. Weed's house for a parsonage;
and at a subsequent meeting held November 26th, the committee
were authorized to purchase Mr. Weed's house so soon as six
hundred dollars is pledged for that purpose."It was also
voted that the "horse sheds be located 40 feet south
of the butternut tree in the yard, provided the ground can
be obtained for one dollar"
At a meeting held December 7th, 1867, Messrs John R. Sturges,
J.O. St. John and Sturges Bennett were appointed a committee
to ascertain the denominational preferences of all the members
of the church,"with a view to a change of name to that
of Congregational, or that of letting it be the Methodist
Protestant Meeting."
This committee reported to an adjourned meeting, held December
14th, in favor of a change of name, and by a unanimous vote
the name of the church was changed from Methodist Protestant
to Congregational. It was also voted to petition the next
legislature to change the name of the society in accordance
with the above vote, and to secure to the Congregational Society
the property now held by the Methodist Protestant Society.
The committee appointed for this purpose were Messrs. David
E. Smith, Hiram St. John, and E. G. Bennett.
Between
1900 and 1902, a new church building (Gilbert Memorial Church)
was erected, this building is now known as the Georgetown
Bible Church at the corner of Portland Ave. and North Main
Street. It was dedicated on June 26, 1902. The building formerly
used by the church (down by the RR tracks on South Church
St.) would be used for plays, dances, movies, social gatherings.
Known to locals as Miller's Hall, it was named after Lou Miller,
factory superintendent and owner of many properties in the
area.
In
July of 1944, the congregation of the church decided to withdraw
from the Congregational Ministerial Society due to its trend
away from a faithful following of the Bible. This relieved
the church of all organizational ties and since then, the
church has been totally independent. While being independent
of any denomination, it retained the name of the Gilbert Memorial
Congregational Church until 1964 when it was changed to the
name it holds today, the Georgetown Bible Church.
From
October, 1865, to May, 1875, the church was supplied by Rev.
Samuel St. John, of Georgetown. He was succeeded by Rev. Albert
H. Thompson, of Yale Theological Seminary, who supplied the
pulpit until November, 1876. Mr. Thompson's successor was
Rev. C. B. Strong, of Hartford Seminary, who remained until
the close of 1877. The present pastor, the Rev. C. A. Northrop,
began his labors with the church January 6th, 1878, and was
ordained and installed as pastor October 2d, 1878.
The present membership of the church is
79. Males, 30; females, 49.
The records of the Methodist Protestant Church give no data
of the settlement or dismissal of pastors.
From
old members of the church, however, I gain the following names
of those who served the church in this capacity. The list
is probably. complete,* though the names are not given in
the order of succession. They were: William M. Stillwell,
Stephen Treadwell, Abram Glasgow, Stephen Remington, --- Shemeall,
----- Vredenburgh, James Summerbell, Aaron G. Brewer, Richard
K. Diossy, James Rolliston, William McCutchen, William H.
Bosely, William Cliff, Samuel M. Henderson, Jacob Timberman,
-- Wade, Elizur W. Griswold, Merwin Lent, William H. Johnson,
John L. Ambler, Joseph J. Smith, Joshua Hudson, Thomas K.
Witsel, John H.Painter, M. E. Rude, William C. Clarke.
The
History of Georgetown Bible Church
Author Unknown, Forwarded to My Grandfather by Pastor John
Cardamone
*To
avoid confusion this history is the same as the Methodist
Protestant Church history above. It took me about 6 yrs to
sort all this out so I'll save you all the trouble.
1.
The Methodist Protestants voted and approved on dissolving
the connection which existed between the Methodist Protestant
Society in Georgetown and the Methodist Protestant Conference
in 1868,
2.
It united with the local Congregational Association in 1875,
3.
Changed in name from the Methodist Protestant Society to The
Congregational Society of Georgetown in 1887,
4.
Changed in name from the Congregational Society of Georgetown
to Gilbert Memorial Congregational Church to honor Edwin Gilbert
in 1902.
5.
and then became "independent of any denomination"
in 1944. Even though it retained the name Gilbert Memorial
Congregational Church. It was not a Congregational
church. It was independant.
6.
and finally it became the Georgetown Bible Church in 1964
and remains so today.
Now
that is all cleared up...
Georgetown
Bible Church, the oldest of the church societies in Georgetown,
dates back to the early part of the nineteenth century when
it began as the Methodist Protestant Society. In 1826, the
Methodist Protestant Society under the Wilton Circuit of churches,
began to hold its services in Georgetown. Due to the increase
of population associated with the Gilbert and Bennett Manufacturing
Company, there was a need for churches in this area. For many
years, the Methodist Protestant Society of Georgetown met
in local homes and halls. The Methodist Protestant Society
built its own building in 1839 (later known as Miller's Hall)
and they became a separate church.
About
1846, the Methodist Protestant Conference, to which this church
belonged, transferred its relation to the Methodist Episcopal
Church. The Methodist Protestant Church in Georgetown did
not agree with this change, and the majority of its members
won out and remained a Methodist Protestant Church, retaining
the property and building. The congregation voted on March
7, 1868 to dissolve the connection which existed between the
Methodist Protestant Society in Georgetown and the Methodist
Protestant Conference. Then, on June 15, 1875, the church
united with the local Congregational Association and on February
24, 1887, the state House of Representatives authorized the
change in name from the Methodist Protestant Society to The
Congregational Society of Georgetown.
On
October 26, 1901, the corner-stone of the present church building
was laid and on June 26, 1902, the building was dedicated
at a special service. The building and the land was a gift
from Deacon and Mrs. Edwin Gilbert. Mr. Gilbert was a very
committed leader of the church, as well as being president
of the manufacturing company in Georgetown. On October 2,
1902, the name of the church was changed in honor of Mr. Gilbert's
devoted service and generous gift of the church building.
In
July of 1944, the congregation of the church decided to withdraw
from the Congregational Ministerial Society due to its trend
away from a faithful following of the Bible. This relieved
the church of all organizational ties and since then, the
church has been totally independent. While being independent
of any denomination, it retained the name of the Gilbert Memorial
Congregational Church until 1964 when it was changed to the
name it holds today, the Georgetown Bible Church.
The
rich history of the church is preserved in many of the church
records, many of which were written by Mr. Gilbert. These
records, which may go back to the late 1800's, are on display
at the church. You are welcome any time to drop by and look
at the building, which is now part of the National Register
of historic Places, as well as these records. You can also
meet our pastor, who will be glad to show you around.
List
of Pastors
From Both Histories and Notes by Pastor John Cardamone
Joseph
Smith (1844-?)
Samuel St. John (1865-1875)
Samuel J.M. Merwin (1883-1888)
Ursinus O. Mohr (1894-1899)
Elwell O. Mead (1920-1923)
Dr. B.S. Winchester (1932-1938)
Charles E. Pont (1939-1943)
William C. Floge (1943-1952)
William Kinnaman (1954-1963)
Ralph Seeley (1963-1966)
Kenneth Anderson (1966-?) *He was still there as of 1978 according
to the Redding Pilot's Dorthea Stillman.
John Cardamone (present pastor)
Edwin Gilbert and the
Church
On
October 26, 1901, the cornerstone of the present house of
worship was laid and on June 6, 1902, the building was dedicated.
This excellent and attractive stone structure was the gift
of Deacon and Mrs. Edwin Gilbert. Mr. Gilbert was for many
years president of the manufacturing company bearing his name
in this town, and was intensely devoted to the welfare of
this church. The breadth of his spirit may be seen in the
range of his benevolence. He left a substantial endowment
to the Church, an equal amount to the state Home Missionary
Society, and the same amount, the income of which is used
for the relief of those who may need it in the place, regardless
of church affiliations. He also left one-third as much to
the Congregational Church of Wilton, to the Congregational
Church of Redding, to the Swedish Congregational Church of
Georgetown, to the Methodist Episcopal Church of Georgetown,
to the Catholic Church of Georgetown. He also funded
and left a good endowment to the Fresh Air Farm, later known
as Life's Farm (founded by John Ames Mitchell of Ridgefield).
The superintendent of that farm, Rev. Ursinus O. Mohr, a former
pastor of this church and his wife, for most of the time since
1899 were in charge of this work which gave a two week outing
to about 1200 poor city children every summer.
*For more on the farm follow the hyperlink-"Farms"
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