THE FC STORY
The first church in Torrington was founded on October 21, 1741 by 17 of the first settlers who came from Durham and Windsor, Connecticut, between 1732 and 1740. It did not have a denominational name until after the death of Nathaniel Roberts, the first minister. The first Deacon of the the First Church of Christ was Ebenezer Lyman, Sr.
Before the first church Meeting House was built in 1749, services were held in homes and the Fort, which was built because of the constant fear of Indians among the first settlers. The Meeting House was a framed building, 30 feet square, with 18' posts. It had a gallery and was known as the “Hemlock Church.” It stood on Klug Hill Road in the vicinity of the present granite marker, near the former road to Winchester via Newfield. This road went down across the field and connected with the road to the Torrington Green (now University Drive), where the second Meeting House was erected in 1786.
Called a “true Colonial church”, the second Meeting House was entered on the south side (towards Abernathy’s Store — the building which stands behind the second monument) instead of the end. It had a double row of windows, a gallery on three sides, steeple, and belfry on the side toward the road. The desk, or pulpit, was in the middle of the north side opposite the door. The choir sat in the gallery on the east side.
The Reverend Lemuel Haynes, the first man of African blood to be ordained in America, was minister when the members voted to be called Congregationalists in 1787. This church at Torrington Green came to be known as the Congregational Church in Torrington. After Wolcottville became Torrington, it was called the First Congregational Church to distinguish it from the church in Torringford and what is now the Center Congregational Church.
In 1792 the Reverend Alexander Gillet became the Congregational Church’s fourth minister. In 1797 the interior of the Meeting House was said to be complete after a 593 pound bell was installed in the base of
the steeple. It has the following inscription:
“1797 recast 1878 by the Young People of the Parish Rev. Charles Pitman Croft, Pastor. ’Let him that heareth say, Come’”.
Tradition says that there were 100 silver dollars added to the mixture when it was first cast. It is rung by hand, the rope rocking the cradle on which it is mounted. It was in this second Meeting House that John Brown was baptized in 1802 by The Reverend Gillet.
In 1848 the 50-year old Meeting House was taken down because it was too large, as many members were moving west to settle Ohio, and some had transferred to Wolcottville to found our daughter church, now called Center Congregational Church. A smaller building was dedicated on the same site in 1849. In 1871 it was dismantled except for the steeple and removed to Torrington Hollow (now the West Torrington section), its present site, for the sum of $2,000.00. The members voted to move on August 5, 1871 and held the first board meeting on August 21, 1872 in the new conference room.
The sanctuary has seen many changes and updates throughout the decades. In 1884 the gallery was removed so the pipe organ from Terre Haute, Indiana, could be installed. All that remains of this organ are the large pipes in front and the case. The year 1896 saw the doors taken off the pews, the aisles raised, the pulpit lowered 19 inches, and the front rail and Amen pews removed. In 1906 the clear glass windows and blinds were replaced with the present amber-hammered cathedral glass. The oil chandelier was removed when electric lights were installed in 1920. The present chandelier was installed along with the side spot lights in 1975, a gift of Mrs. William Clinton and others. The wood stove pipes were removed when furnaces were installed in 1924. During 1941, the church’s 200th Anniversary, Memorial Plaques were installed on rebuilt pews and the choir loft was enlarged. The baptismal font is a gift from Laura Hodges Hull in memory of Mr. & Mrs. Levi Hodges. The matching lectern was purchased in 1973. Several memorial pieces grace our sanctuary including the baby grand piano, pulpit candlesticks, hand-wrought candlesticks and the sterling silver communion set. The pulpit furniture has been in use since the Civil War period.
In addition to the sanctuary changing with the times, the rest of the church building and grounds have undergone updates. In 1872, a chapel, or conference room, was added, along with a porch, the width of the building and extending to the edge of the sanctuary. This chapel came just to the wide beam in the Parlors. The “Ladies Parlor” on the east side and a small kitchen on the south were added in 1902. In 1954 two additional rooms, a library and more class room space on the west side, were added in anticipation of continued church growth.
According to Church School Superintendent Records, the Sunday School enrollment in 1958–1959 was at 100 children. In 1961 a larger more modern kitchen and larger rest rooms were added with funds from bakery sales and sewing proceeds. To accommodate parking, land on the west side of building was purchased. A handicap-accessible ramp was installed in 2000, and unisex restrooms were completed in 2002. In 2005 the church acquired adjoining property of the Hope Grange #20, thus bringing together 3 lots into one.
It all began with prayer. There was a deep desire to grow the church building to provide space for our children and families. Sunday school was held in hallways, the kitchen and the Pastor’s office. The children had no place to call their own. How could we ever afford to remodel or add to the building and if we did where would it go? Little did we know that God was already at work to provide both the land and the finances the church needed. The Grange closed and left their land to the church and Verna Lauper, a beloved member of the church, bequeathed over $250,000 to the church as part of her estate. That land and those funds energized the church to move forward in putting an addition on the building. A capital campaign began in 2010 and after a few bumps in the road construction began in 2011. Local contractors were hired, Oliver Wolcott Technical School installed the plumbing, heating and A/C. The rooms were furnished and decorated and in November of 2013 the Lauper Christian
Learning Center was opened. Our prayers were answered. Thanks be to God.
Our history would not be complete without recognizing the many dedicated people who have given of their time, talents and finances to support this church for 274 years. Due to their faithfulness and commitment to God, First Congregational Church of Torrington continues to be a vital and active part of this community.
Before the first church Meeting House was built in 1749, services were held in homes and the Fort, which was built because of the constant fear of Indians among the first settlers. The Meeting House was a framed building, 30 feet square, with 18' posts. It had a gallery and was known as the “Hemlock Church.” It stood on Klug Hill Road in the vicinity of the present granite marker, near the former road to Winchester via Newfield. This road went down across the field and connected with the road to the Torrington Green (now University Drive), where the second Meeting House was erected in 1786.
Called a “true Colonial church”, the second Meeting House was entered on the south side (towards Abernathy’s Store — the building which stands behind the second monument) instead of the end. It had a double row of windows, a gallery on three sides, steeple, and belfry on the side toward the road. The desk, or pulpit, was in the middle of the north side opposite the door. The choir sat in the gallery on the east side.
The Reverend Lemuel Haynes, the first man of African blood to be ordained in America, was minister when the members voted to be called Congregationalists in 1787. This church at Torrington Green came to be known as the Congregational Church in Torrington. After Wolcottville became Torrington, it was called the First Congregational Church to distinguish it from the church in Torringford and what is now the Center Congregational Church.
In 1792 the Reverend Alexander Gillet became the Congregational Church’s fourth minister. In 1797 the interior of the Meeting House was said to be complete after a 593 pound bell was installed in the base of
the steeple. It has the following inscription:
“1797 recast 1878 by the Young People of the Parish Rev. Charles Pitman Croft, Pastor. ’Let him that heareth say, Come’”.
Tradition says that there were 100 silver dollars added to the mixture when it was first cast. It is rung by hand, the rope rocking the cradle on which it is mounted. It was in this second Meeting House that John Brown was baptized in 1802 by The Reverend Gillet.
In 1848 the 50-year old Meeting House was taken down because it was too large, as many members were moving west to settle Ohio, and some had transferred to Wolcottville to found our daughter church, now called Center Congregational Church. A smaller building was dedicated on the same site in 1849. In 1871 it was dismantled except for the steeple and removed to Torrington Hollow (now the West Torrington section), its present site, for the sum of $2,000.00. The members voted to move on August 5, 1871 and held the first board meeting on August 21, 1872 in the new conference room.
The sanctuary has seen many changes and updates throughout the decades. In 1884 the gallery was removed so the pipe organ from Terre Haute, Indiana, could be installed. All that remains of this organ are the large pipes in front and the case. The year 1896 saw the doors taken off the pews, the aisles raised, the pulpit lowered 19 inches, and the front rail and Amen pews removed. In 1906 the clear glass windows and blinds were replaced with the present amber-hammered cathedral glass. The oil chandelier was removed when electric lights were installed in 1920. The present chandelier was installed along with the side spot lights in 1975, a gift of Mrs. William Clinton and others. The wood stove pipes were removed when furnaces were installed in 1924. During 1941, the church’s 200th Anniversary, Memorial Plaques were installed on rebuilt pews and the choir loft was enlarged. The baptismal font is a gift from Laura Hodges Hull in memory of Mr. & Mrs. Levi Hodges. The matching lectern was purchased in 1973. Several memorial pieces grace our sanctuary including the baby grand piano, pulpit candlesticks, hand-wrought candlesticks and the sterling silver communion set. The pulpit furniture has been in use since the Civil War period.
In addition to the sanctuary changing with the times, the rest of the church building and grounds have undergone updates. In 1872, a chapel, or conference room, was added, along with a porch, the width of the building and extending to the edge of the sanctuary. This chapel came just to the wide beam in the Parlors. The “Ladies Parlor” on the east side and a small kitchen on the south were added in 1902. In 1954 two additional rooms, a library and more class room space on the west side, were added in anticipation of continued church growth.
According to Church School Superintendent Records, the Sunday School enrollment in 1958–1959 was at 100 children. In 1961 a larger more modern kitchen and larger rest rooms were added with funds from bakery sales and sewing proceeds. To accommodate parking, land on the west side of building was purchased. A handicap-accessible ramp was installed in 2000, and unisex restrooms were completed in 2002. In 2005 the church acquired adjoining property of the Hope Grange #20, thus bringing together 3 lots into one.
It all began with prayer. There was a deep desire to grow the church building to provide space for our children and families. Sunday school was held in hallways, the kitchen and the Pastor’s office. The children had no place to call their own. How could we ever afford to remodel or add to the building and if we did where would it go? Little did we know that God was already at work to provide both the land and the finances the church needed. The Grange closed and left their land to the church and Verna Lauper, a beloved member of the church, bequeathed over $250,000 to the church as part of her estate. That land and those funds energized the church to move forward in putting an addition on the building. A capital campaign began in 2010 and after a few bumps in the road construction began in 2011. Local contractors were hired, Oliver Wolcott Technical School installed the plumbing, heating and A/C. The rooms were furnished and decorated and in November of 2013 the Lauper Christian
Learning Center was opened. Our prayers were answered. Thanks be to God.
Our history would not be complete without recognizing the many dedicated people who have given of their time, talents and finances to support this church for 274 years. Due to their faithfulness and commitment to God, First Congregational Church of Torrington continues to be a vital and active part of this community.
SO THAT ALL PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF CHRIST