History
In 1827, the North Greenwich Congregational Church was founded by farmers in need of a rural place of worship. At that time, Greenwich had become a thriving town with a population of around 3,800. However, north of Glenville, the area was still primarily woods, swamps, rocks, and isolated farms. King Street, Quaker Ridge Road, and Round Hill Road were dirt paths, often impassable in heavy snow or floods.
Silas Mead, a deacon and one of the founding members, wrote on the fiftieth anniversary of the church, “It now seems evident that it was God’s purpose that a meeting house for His worship should be built on this hill, on a certain tract of land (Mead's), in said Greenwich, containing 13 acres and three roads…” In 1827, Mr. Mead sold his property to the North Greenwich Society for $500. A year later, in 1828, the cemetery was established next to the church.
In the first fifty years of the church, there was much diversity in the pulpit. Six permanent pastors served, along with 281 different ministers, including 5 Episcopalians, 5 Baptists, 18 Methodists, 1 Quakeress (presumably a woman), and 1 Jew. The remainder were Congregationalists, Dutch Reformed, and Presbyterians.
Since its founding, the church has been illuminated by candles, whale oil, wood stoves, kerosene, electricity from a generator, and later by electricity from Connecticut Power and Light. On a bitterly cold Sunday in December 1895, two wood stoves were blazing when they spread out of control. The parishioners escaped injury, but the wooden church structure was burned to the ground. Fortunately, insurance covered part of the replacement, and the new structure was dedicated in 1897. This building still serves as the current Sanctuary.
In December 1835, a “Temperance” Committee was formed to visit members who had been absent from public worship. Even Silas Mead himself was censured for not attending services! Below are two examples of the committee’s findings and the consequences:
Mrs. Harriet Cummings had missed church services during the winter. She was also questioned about visiting places of amusement and engaging in “unchristian” conduct. She admitted to visiting such places but denied participating in dancing. After requesting prayers, she was restored to “good and regular standing.”
Benjamin Knapp was accused of living in “habits of intemperance.” He refused to refrain from all intoxicating substances and was excommunicated. However, this excommunication was later lifted, and he was placed on a one-year probation.
In addition to the work of the Temperance Committee, financial matters were also a source of tension. Chauncey Wilcox, the first pastor, was dismissed after 18 years of service due to a dispute over his $400 annual salary. The church also rented out the middle front pews of the old church to generate income, though this practice was discontinued in 1918. The "Temperance" Committee, needless to say, was eventually disbanded.
Having refurbished and rededicated our historic sanctuary, the mission of NGCC moves forward, as we are now the living extension of a rich "backcountry" tradition. We are the classic white “Church at the Crossroads,” a vibrant community of fellowship and service. From the 150th church anniversary history book: “The basic theology and religious practice of the Congregational Church have remained essentially the same since 1827. We are much less formal now!
