The Second Ecclesiastical Society of Saybrook

Dublin Core

Title

The Second Ecclesiastical Society of Saybrook

Subject

Bicentennial quilt; Centerbrook Meeting House; Centerbrook, Connecticut

Description

"For about seventy-five years, our forefathers in this vicinity traveled to the southern part of Saybrook for religious worship. Saybrook, first settled by the English in 1635, was bounded on the south by Long Island Sound, on the north by Haddam, and on the west by Kenelworth, now called Killingworth. Kenelworth reached to the Sound and included the section called Hammonasset, now Clinton. On the east, Saybrook extended across the Connecticut River and included what is now Lyme, Old Lyme, nearly all of East Lyme, and the southwestern part of Salem."

At a town meeting in 1648, the so-called outlands were divided into sections. A survey of this area had been made the year before by William Pratt and William Hide, guided by Joshua (or Attawanahood), and Indian guide. The Potapaug quarter of this division included Essex, Deep River, and part of Chester. On May 10, 1722, the Connecticut General Assembly granted Potapaug the "Priviledges as other Parrishes in this colony." A month later, the Reverend Abraham Nott came to be the first minister of the Second Ecclesiastical Society of Saybrook.

At first, religious services, were held in the home of Charles Williams. A Meeting House as such was started in 1725, completed by 1730, and used for services from 1725 until 1792. This building was then sold and moved to New City wharf, where it was used as a boatshed and workshop. It was torn down in 1860.

The present church building, The Centerbrook Congregational Church, was started in 1790, just west of the old meeting house on a knoll parallel to the "Cart Path," and completed two years later. The great oak framing of the building is still in good condition. The foundation stone was quarried a few rods away.

In 1839, the church was turned so that it fronted on the road. At this time, the original steeple was removed. The story is that 100 cannon balls, made at an iron foundry in North Clinton for use in the Revolutionary War, were used as rollers. Twenty or more pair of oxen pulled the building around.

In 1889, the belfry was replaced by a tower, and the front of the church was remodeled to look as it is today.

Creator

Doane, Darlene

Publisher

Essex Historical Society

Date

1976

Contributor

Little, Matthew W.

Rights

Essex Historical Society

Format

Digital Image, Adobe pdf

Language

English

Type

Still Image

Identifier

Quilt_40

Text Item Type Metadata

Text

"For about seventy-five years, our forefathers in this vicinity traveled to the southern part of Saybrook for religious worship. Saybrook, first settled by the English in 1635, was bounded on the south by Long Island Sound, on the north by Haddam, and on the west by Kenelworth, now called Killingworth. Kenelworth reached to the Sound and included the section called Hammonasset, now Clinton. On the east, Saybrook extended across the Connecticut River and included what is now Lyme, Old Lyme, nearly all of East Lyme, and the southwestern part of Salem."

At a town meeting in 1648, the so-called outlands were divided into sections. A survey of this area had been made the year before by William Pratt and William Hide, guided by Joshua (or Attawanahood), and Indian guide. The Potapaug quarter of this division included Essex, Deep River, and part of Chester. On May 10, 1722, the Connecticut General Assembly granted Potapaug the "Priviledges as other Parrishes in this colony." A month later, the Reverend Abraham Nott came to be the first minister of the Second Ecclesiastical Society of Saybrook.

At first, religious services, were held in the home of Charles Williams. A Meeting House as such was started in 1725, completed by 1730, and used for services from 1725 until 1792. This building was then sold and moved to New City wharf, where it was used as a boatshed and workshop. It was torn down in 1860.

The present church building, The Centerbrook Congregational Church, was started in 1790, just west of the old meeting house on a knoll parallel to the "Cart Path," and completed two years later. The great oak framing of the building is still in good condition. The foundation stone was quarried a few rods away.

In 1839, the church was turned so that it fronted on the road. At this time, the original steeple was removed. The story is that 100 cannon balls, made at an iron foundry in North Clinton for use in the Revolutionary War, were used as rollers. Twenty or more pair of oxen pulled the building around.

In 1889, the belfry was replaced by a tower, and the front of the church was remodeled to look as it is today.

Original Format

Cloth fabric, quilting square, handicraft art

Collection

Citation

Doane, Darlene, “The Second Ecclesiastical Society of Saybrook,” Essex Library Association digital quilt, accessed May 9, 2024, https://bicentennialquilt.omeka.net/items/show/40.

Output Formats