King Street United Church of Christ: A Brief History

A Brief History of King Street Church

ugust 21, 2005, was the 175^th anniversary of our beloved King Street Church. Let's go back

and try to imagine life as it was in 1830. Although it's hard to picture it now, Danbury in

those days was a quiet, rural area. People lived on farms, often far apart. Religion was at a low ebb, and those wishing to gather to study the Gospel did so in homes or schools with curtains tightly drawn.

Then, in the winter of 1822, two missionaries from the Christian Church, Abigail Roberts and Levi Hathaway, visited us. They were to kindle the spark that altered our course in history.

By the summer of 1830, eight persons had decided to "unite together, to watch over each other for good, and to maintain the ordinances of the Gospel." Thus the First Christian Church of Danbury and Patterson was formed.

During the next few years, membership grew. We were sometimes blessed with a pastor, but more often not.

n December 1845, a meeting was held for the purpose of selecting land and building a house of

worship. Since most members of the congregation lived in northwestern Danbury, they chose

the corner of King and South King streets. The monies were raised by subscription, land was purchased, and in 1846 construction began.

Before the building was completed, the wife of Aaron Pearce, the church clerk, passed away. For her funeral, the parishioners brought in planks and made seats. Burial followed in the King Street Cemetery, next to the church. The cemetery dates to May 1822, when Lydia Barber, eight-year-old daughter of Azor and Abigail Barber, was buried.

Early records say that the social event of the year was a free-will offering bestowed on the pastor in autumn or early winter. The Donation, as they called it, was held during full moon, making the drive by horse and buggy safer. The ladies provided an excellent meal, after which a basket was passed. The Donation varied from $40 to $90, depending on weather and crops.

This 1868 map clearly shows a "Christian Ch." at the corner of King and South King streets. The solid black lines are streams, including the brook that flows under South King Street and skirts the cemetery south of the church. "New Reservoir," the gray body of water to the southeast of the unmagnified area, is now known as Upper Kohanza Reservoir.

This picture was taken in the 1890s. The large white house in the distance, still a well kept family home, is now 300 years old. Today, the spruce tree standing beyond the church is still healthy, and the monument circled at right is in good shape -- as photos from our 175th anniversary attest.

T	he church did not own a piano or an organ. Instead, a leader who pitched the congregation with a tuning fork conducted singing.
Later, a melodeon was added, and in the late 1870s, the church bought a little pump organ.

In 1889, the home of Asa Hoyt, near what is now the corner of King Street and Delno Drive, was purchased to be used as a parsonage. Previously, the preacher and his family had lived wherever rooms were available.

About this same time, the church was renovated and the original, boxed-in pews removed. It was still a custom, however, for men to sit on one side and ladies on the other.

T	he church had a pretty, five-pointed spire that added much to its appearance -- but around 1900 a terrific whirlwind tore it off, and it
landed point-down in the cemetery. Sadly, no pictures of this bizarre event seem to have survived. Many years were to pass before the King Street steeple wore its crown again.

The early 1900's were difficult times. Rev. Fielder was pastor from 1913 to 1923. The church was often closed from January through April because of bad weather and traveling conditions. The building sorely needed repair, and the congregation dwindled to a handful. Still, the faithful held on, filling the pulpit with supply ministers or divinity students.

Around 1900, the steeple blew off.

s the farms began disappearing after World War I and the Great Depression,

clusters of homes sprang up. By 1946, nearly a century after the little

meeting house was built, the community's growth inspired plans for a parish house. Cinder blocks were sold for 50 cents, and a basement was added at the rear of the church. For seven years it hosted Sunday school and social events.

Finally, in 1955, for the first time in the church's history, we went into debt, borrowing to complete the upper story. The new room was named after the Rev. Harry S. Martin, whose dream it was to complete the addition. Today the Martin Room is best known as a place for socializing after Sunday worship.

In 1960 the old Hoyt house was sold and the lovely parsonage on South King Street was built. Rev. Charles Kennedy and his family were the first occupants.

The Martin Room, before the Education Wing.

n 1963, with the help of the Missionary Society of the United Church of Christ, we

received a grant to help pay the salary of a resident minister, who at that time

was the Rev. Stoddard Williams. Within a few years, we built membership and pledges to a point where could manage by ourselves.

The area continued to grow, and in 1967 our Education Wing became a reality. In 1968, Rev. C. Gerlinger became our interim pastor, and in 1969 we welcomed Rev. Calvin Hansen, who stayed with us until 1971. Rev. Denis Noonan then became our pastor and stayed five years. We were then blessed to receive Rev. Kenneth Landall. Attendance grew dramatically, and the small size of the sanctuary became a concern.

fter much deliberation, the decision was made in 1980 to enlarge the sanctuary

by using part of the Martin Room. The transition was memorable. After two

services on Easter Sunday, the sanctuary was stripped of its fixtures, pews, carpeting, furniture, and banners. The following Sunday, we gazed about in amazement. Folding chairs had been brought in. A cross made of two-by-fours stood on the altar. Every week, services were held as usual and we watched each event as it took place: a window moved; walls painted blue (surprisingly, the color of many years before); carpet installed; new pews; and many gifts, including an organ given by the Rogers family. On August 21, 1980, our 150th anniversary, we proudly consecrated our remodeled church.

Today the parsonage we built in 1960 has an updated kitchen and all the amenities typical of homes in its neighborhood.

In 1989, nearly a century after its ignominious plunge, the steeple was finally replaced.

A	nother notable event occurred in 1989, when, thanks to Robert and Susan Olsen and two other members, a steeple -- an exact replica
of the one that had dived into the cemetery -- was built and raised to the tower. We staged a gala parade down South King Street, where parishioners cheered as a crane lowered the long-lost spire into place.

We were all saddened when, after thirteen years of service, Rev. Landall took a pastorship in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Rev. Richard Leach, as our interim pastor, ministered with love and care as the pastoral committee once again began its search. In June 1990, we welcomed Rev. Betsy Skinner, who left after two years. Rev. Ron Kittel, interim pastor, guided us through a difficult period until June 1993, when the members approve the call of Rev. Weldon Palmer.

nder Rev. Palmer's guidance, we embarked on a period of new beginnings. In 1996, however, he accepted a call to

be senior pastor of the Newton Highlands Congregational Church in Newton, Massachusetts. Once again we were

without a pastor, but God had not forsaken us: With joy we learned that the Rev. Heather Hopkins had agreed to be our full-time interim pastor. She immediately endeared herself to us, and gave us deep affection and wise spiritual guidance for two years.

In early 1999, Roger and Sandy Daly made history by becoming our first co-pastors -- a husband-and-wife team. Two years later, Roger announced he had received an invitation to become an interim pastor at a large church in Hartford. After discussion with Sandy about our hopes and goals, the congregation reaffirmed its call to Sandy and made her full-time Pastor. She continued in that capacity until August 2002, when she moved on to a church in Simsbury.

I	n September 2002 the Rev. Bonnie Bardot became our interim pastor. With great experience, compassion, and good humor, Bonnie led us through yet another time of transition. Finally, in the spring of 2005, we welcomed the Rev. Cindy
Maddox, a dynamic leader best known for her rare combination of preaching and management skills. Under her guidance, membership is growing and the church is full of new ideas -- not the least of which is the world-class website that you are enjoying right now, designed and built completely by volunteers.

The King Street United Church of Christ has a remarkable heritage, as proven by the generations of devoted members who have kept this house of worship alive -- fulfilling the covenant laid down for them in the early days of the church, to "watch over each other for good, and to maintain the ordinances of the Gospel."

-- Barbara Westby, King Street Church Historian Emeritus

Today, members who built King Street Church more than a century and a half ago rest in the cemetery outside its south windows, where, on a quiet summer Sabbath morning, you can hear the burbling of the same brook that sang to them in those far-off yesterdays.

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This page last modified April 04, 2006, at 10:15 by TD