First Church of Windsor
Encyclopedia
First Church in Windsor, Connecticut is the oldest Congregational church
in Connecticut, tracing its beginnings to 1630 in Plymouth
, England, where 140 men and women sailed on the Mary & John, the first of 17 ships of the so-called Winthrop Fleet
bound for the colony of Massachusetts. Hearing from the Indians
of the fertile land along the Connecticut River
in what is now called the Connecticut River Valley, a small contingent of settlers headed southwest, establishing the first Connecticut town settlement at Windsor
in 1633. Word soon spread that Windsor was a good place to settle, and in 1635 the First Church congregation ventured forth from their homes in Dorchester, Massachusetts
to answer the beckoning call of a new life in Connecticut.
Lest anyone doubt the fortitude of the womenfolk in those days, it was Rachel Stiles who is credited with being the first of the settlers to set her foot upon the soil of Windsor. The Windsor colony succeeded in no small part due to the Rev. John Warham, who led the first congregation and owned the first gristmill
in Connecticut. Wareham was called "the principal pillar and father of the colony" by Cotton Mather
.
While the First Church of Windsor was at the center of life in the town both politically and religiously, and offered strength an encouragement to the fledgling community, its past is not without its dark times. Long before the witch trials at Salem
that took so many innocent lives, Windsor had the dubious distinction of having put to death the first witches in the New World which included Alse Young
(or Alice Young - for whom a judicial room is now named in Town Hall) and Lydia Gilbert.
The original site of the First Church was a meetinghouse built under the direction of Ephraim Huit, a town leader and teacher who is buried in the Palisado Cemetery. This square building stood in the middle of the Palisado Green, and was enclosed in a stockade
(palisado), as protection against Indians, wolves and other such intruders. It was covered with a thatched roof, with a cupola
in the center; a platform was later added to the cupola for the convenience of the man who beat the drums to warn residents of impending Sunday services—and perhaps threats of attack.
Around 1668 a schism in the church resulted in the formation of a Presbyterian Party of Windsor that ordained their first minister in 1669 and held services in the town house while First Church continued as Congregationalist and continued to occupy the meetinghouse.
There were several attempts at reconciliation during the next 10 years, but it appears that the First Church congregation would take the others back only on unconditional surrender. It remained for Samuel Mather, cousin of Cotton Mather, to accomplish this reconciliation. That must have been the right decision, for it is recorded in Stiles’ History of Ancient Windsor that during Mr. Mather’s ministry [1684-1728] “not a shadow of complaint seemed to have darkened his or their pathways.”
By 1711 the state had established a separate ecclesiastical society in each Connecticut town. In Windsor, that was First Church. Near the end of the 18th century, care of local cemeteries and public education was transferred to the newly organized First School Society; in time, education became the province of Windsor community government, but First School Society still administers the Palisado and Riverside cemeteries.
The location of the meetinghouse, near where the Connecticut River
and the Farmington River
converge, often made it difficult during flood times for many of the congregation to attend services. So, when in 1754 a fire leveled the meetinghouse, parishioners decided they would build two meetinghouses: one on either side of the river. The Rev. William Russell, and later the Rev. David Rowland, ministered to the First Ecclesiastical Society on the south side of the river, and the Rev. Theodore Hinsdale ministered to the dissidents on the north side. Two years later the present meetinghouse was erected on the north side of the river and a covered bridge built spanning the river to accommodate the comings and goings of parishioners from the south end of town. The school was built on the south side of the river shortly thereafter.
Major changes in the meetinghouse were undertaken in 1844, 50 years after its construction. A Greek-Revival
portico
replaced the tower with its tall steeple
, box pew
s were removed and today’s “slips” substituted. The high pulpit
and stairs were taken out and the present pulpit installed. A Sunday School
room was built at the rear of the meetinghouse in 1890; it now serves as rehearsal space for the church choirs.
In the 1950s Windsor experienced a burst of population growth. The First Church acquired additional property in 1953—the neighboring Pierson and Russell houses—and in 1955 broke ground for a new Parish House. In 1961 First Church voted to become a member congregation of the recently formed United Church of Christ
, a merger, in 1957, of the Congregational and Evangelical & Reformed churches.
Today the First Church continues to be a driving force in the community. The new millennium has seen a Long-Range Planning Committee at work looking at the spiritual mission of the church as it relates to worship, music, youth and the attraction of new members.
(1745-1807), the second chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (he also served as a senator in the newly formed Congress). Ellsworth is primarily remembered for his contribution to the formation of the U.S. Constitution
and for drafting the Judiciary Act of 1789
, which provided for a strong federal judiciary system and created the U.S. Supreme Court. Ellsworth is buried at Old Cemetery, now known as Palisado Cemetery, behind the First Church. Joseph H. Rainey (1832-1877) was the first African American
person to serve in the United States House of Representatives
and the second black person to serve in the United States Congress. The Rainey family was active in the First Church of Windsor, and in 1876 Rainey spoke at the town's observance of the American Centennial celebration.
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
in Connecticut, tracing its beginnings to 1630 in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England, where 140 men and women sailed on the Mary & John, the first of 17 ships of the so-called Winthrop Fleet
Winthrop Fleet
The Winthrop Fleet was a group of eleven sailing ships under the leadership of John Winthrop that carried approximately 700 Puritans plus livestock and provisions from England to New England over the summer of 1630.-Motivation:...
bound for the colony of Massachusetts. Hearing from the Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
of the fertile land along the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
in what is now called the Connecticut River Valley, a small contingent of settlers headed southwest, establishing the first Connecticut town settlement at Windsor
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
in 1633. Word soon spread that Windsor was a good place to settle, and in 1635 the First Church congregation ventured forth from their homes in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
to answer the beckoning call of a new life in Connecticut.
Lest anyone doubt the fortitude of the womenfolk in those days, it was Rachel Stiles who is credited with being the first of the settlers to set her foot upon the soil of Windsor. The Windsor colony succeeded in no small part due to the Rev. John Warham, who led the first congregation and owned the first gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
in Connecticut. Wareham was called "the principal pillar and father of the colony" by Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather, FRS was a socially and politically influential New England Puritan minister, prolific author and pamphleteer; he is often remembered for his role in the Salem witch trials...
.
While the First Church of Windsor was at the center of life in the town both politically and religiously, and offered strength an encouragement to the fledgling community, its past is not without its dark times. Long before the witch trials at Salem
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
that took so many innocent lives, Windsor had the dubious distinction of having put to death the first witches in the New World which included Alse Young
Alse Young
Alse Young of Windsor, Connecticut, was the first person in the records executed for witchcraft in the thirteen American colonies.-Background:...
(or Alice Young - for whom a judicial room is now named in Town Hall) and Lydia Gilbert.
The original site of the First Church was a meetinghouse built under the direction of Ephraim Huit, a town leader and teacher who is buried in the Palisado Cemetery. This square building stood in the middle of the Palisado Green, and was enclosed in a stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
(palisado), as protection against Indians, wolves and other such intruders. It was covered with a thatched roof, with a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
in the center; a platform was later added to the cupola for the convenience of the man who beat the drums to warn residents of impending Sunday services—and perhaps threats of attack.
Around 1668 a schism in the church resulted in the formation of a Presbyterian Party of Windsor that ordained their first minister in 1669 and held services in the town house while First Church continued as Congregationalist and continued to occupy the meetinghouse.
There were several attempts at reconciliation during the next 10 years, but it appears that the First Church congregation would take the others back only on unconditional surrender. It remained for Samuel Mather, cousin of Cotton Mather, to accomplish this reconciliation. That must have been the right decision, for it is recorded in Stiles’ History of Ancient Windsor that during Mr. Mather’s ministry [1684-1728] “not a shadow of complaint seemed to have darkened his or their pathways.”
By 1711 the state had established a separate ecclesiastical society in each Connecticut town. In Windsor, that was First Church. Near the end of the 18th century, care of local cemeteries and public education was transferred to the newly organized First School Society; in time, education became the province of Windsor community government, but First School Society still administers the Palisado and Riverside cemeteries.
The location of the meetinghouse, near where the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
and the Farmington River
Farmington River
The Farmington River is a river located in northwest Connecticut, with major tributaries extending into southwest Massachusetts. Via its longest branch , the Farmington's length increases to , making it the Connecticut River's longest tributary by a mere over the major river directly to its...
converge, often made it difficult during flood times for many of the congregation to attend services. So, when in 1754 a fire leveled the meetinghouse, parishioners decided they would build two meetinghouses: one on either side of the river. The Rev. William Russell, and later the Rev. David Rowland, ministered to the First Ecclesiastical Society on the south side of the river, and the Rev. Theodore Hinsdale ministered to the dissidents on the north side. Two years later the present meetinghouse was erected on the north side of the river and a covered bridge built spanning the river to accommodate the comings and goings of parishioners from the south end of town. The school was built on the south side of the river shortly thereafter.
Major changes in the meetinghouse were undertaken in 1844, 50 years after its construction. A Greek-Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
replaced the tower with its tall steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
, box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s were removed and today’s “slips” substituted. The high pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and stairs were taken out and the present pulpit installed. A Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
room was built at the rear of the meetinghouse in 1890; it now serves as rehearsal space for the church choirs.
In the 1950s Windsor experienced a burst of population growth. The First Church acquired additional property in 1953—the neighboring Pierson and Russell houses—and in 1955 broke ground for a new Parish House. In 1961 First Church voted to become a member congregation of the recently formed United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
, a merger, in 1957, of the Congregational and Evangelical & Reformed churches.
Today the First Church continues to be a driving force in the community. The new millennium has seen a Long-Range Planning Committee at work looking at the spiritual mission of the church as it relates to worship, music, youth and the attraction of new members.
Notable members
Notable members over the years include Oliver EllsworthOliver Ellsworth
Oliver Ellsworth was an American lawyer and politician, a revolutionary against British rule, a drafter of the United States Constitution, and the third Chief Justice of the United States. While at the Federal Convention, Ellsworth moved to strike the word National from the motion made by Edmund...
(1745-1807), the second chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (he also served as a senator in the newly formed Congress). Ellsworth is primarily remembered for his contribution to the formation of the U.S. Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and for drafting the Judiciary Act of 1789
Judiciary Act of 1789
The United States Judiciary Act of 1789 was a landmark statute adopted on September 24, 1789 in the first session of the First United States Congress establishing the U.S. federal judiciary...
, which provided for a strong federal judiciary system and created the U.S. Supreme Court. Ellsworth is buried at Old Cemetery, now known as Palisado Cemetery, behind the First Church. Joseph H. Rainey (1832-1877) was the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
person to serve in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and the second black person to serve in the United States Congress. The Rainey family was active in the First Church of Windsor, and in 1876 Rainey spoke at the town's observance of the American Centennial celebration.