Page 44 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 54 Late Spring 2025

by Steve Knight

Author’s Note: Welcome back to Part 2 of the history of the First Congregational
Church of Wallingford. If you haven’t already, I strongly urge you to read Part 1
published in the previous issue of Wallingford Magazine (Early Spring 2025). As not-
ed there, the founding of the Town of Wallingford is practically one and the same
as that of the church. The paths of the two institutions would necessarily deviate
as the future unfolded, but it is an important concept for an understanding of the
establishment of both.

I also want to note that my primary source for these articles is a 114-page booklet
written by church members for the 300th anniversary of the church in 1975. I con-
fess to have adopted many of the phrases and sentences in this publication without
proper notation. In other places, you will find passages in quotes where I actually
feel obligated to set them apart as an acknowledgment to the authors, all from this
booklet.

We left off at the completion of con- also granted 200 acres of land and
struction of the first meetinghouse in other financial considerations. and other laws meant to ensure their
1681, located where Simpson Court status. Thus, they carried the high-
is today. Previously, in 1671, the first As the town’s population grew and est status in both the church and the
town tax was passed, the purpose of became more prosperous, it outgrew community.
which was to provide for a minister the 28’ x 24’ meetinghouse, and in
of the church. In 1673, the Reverend 1690 a 16-foot addition to its breadth The church had three honorary po-
Samuel Street of New Haven accept- was built to better accommodate the sitions, ranked in hierarchy in this
ed the town’s invitation to be its first now 75 families (400 inhabitants) in order: teacher, ruling elder and dea-
ordained minister, and further taxes town. In the previous year, a fort was cons, all of whom were ordained with
were levied on the townspeople both built around the building as protec- great solemnity. The teacher was the
for his salary and the construction of tion from Indian attacks. Growth con- person who expounded on the laws of
a place for him to live. His residence tinued, necessitating another 20’ x 50’ both the church and the community,
was completed in 1674, and he was addition in 1698, giving the improved oftentimes one and the same.
building the form of a capital T.
The ruling elder assisted the pastor in
I need to deviate from the building governing the church. A description
history for a few paragraphs to briefly given in the booklet celebrating the
describe the organization in place at 300th anniversary is instructive as to
that time. In the colony of Connecti- his duties, his status and probably his
cut, the Congregational church was manner: “…keeping strict watch over
the state church supported by taxes all the congregation, to see that they
levied on everyone. Commensurately, conducted themselves in an orderly
ministers of these churches were the and godly manner. He also had to pre-
most highly regarded individuals both pare and bring forward all cases of dis-
in their church and also in their com- cipline, to visit and pray with the sick,
munities. Reverend Street graduated to warn the careless, to admonish the
from Harvard University, and many wayward, and to present the incorrigi-
other ministers also graduated from ble for discipline.”
there or Yale University. (Both schools
are said to have originally been found- The responsibility of the deacons was
ed to train ministers). There were to, as they described it, “to provide for
state laws exempting ministers from the Lord’s Supper,” i.e., communion.
taxation of their livestock and estates, They handled the secular affairs of the

44 WALLINGFORD MAGAZINE - LATE SPRING 2025