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 Delaware County, Iowa  

 Church & Religious Directory

 

 

The Congregational Church, 1878 

Burrington  (Manchester)

 

    June 29, 1856, a meeting preliminary to a church organization was held in an unfinished and unoccupied building that then stood on the north side of Fayette street, east of Wayne, and the church was duly organized, August 3, 1856; the sermon by Rev. A. Graves, concluding prayer by H. N. Gates. The original members were Rev. L. B. Fifield, Emily J. Fifield, Peter Richardson, Lucinda C. Richardson, Sanford R. Grow, Susan Grow, George Hartwell and Julia A. Hartwell.

   For eight years, services were held in private houses, in the old brown school house, which stood on the site of the present brick school building, and in Hulburt's Hall.

   At a meeting held in Burrington Hall it was voted to proceed to build a house of worship. A. Building Committee, consisting of Rev. A. T. Loring, S. R. Grow and S. T. Wheeler, were appointed. On the 7th of September, 1864, the present church edifice, was formally dedicated. Rev. O. W. Merrill preached the dedicatory sermon, Rev. Mr. Hew de Bourck offered the dedicatory prayer.

   The cost of the building was about $3,500, the American Congregational Union contributing $300. Improvements from time to time have been made to the building. A new Meneely bell, at an expense of $515, was put up in 1873.

   The ministers who have served from the organization of the church to the present (1878) time are Revs. L. B. Fifield, August 3, 1856, to June, 1860; A. T. Loring, from July 1860, to July 20, 1866; Daniel Russell, from October 1, 1866, to April 1, 1867; A. A. Baker, from October 30, 1867, to October 1, 1869; E. R. Stiles, who commenced preaching December 19, 1869, was installed November 8, 1870, by Rev. J. S. Bingham, D. D.

   Deacons: George Hartwell, from September 18, 1856, to Oct 28, 1857; B. H. Keller, from September 17, 1856, to January 6, 1858; Peter Richardson, from January 6, 1858, to May, 1871; Wm. Bremner, from January 2, 1861, to the present time; F. W. Dunham, from March 21, 1866, to July 3, 1867; H. L. Servoss and B. H. Keller, from May, 1870, to 1873. Present (1878) membership 150.

   Present church officers: Trustees, W. H. Goodell, H. A. Granger and Frank Atwater; Clerk, H. M. Ruggles; Deacons, Wm. Bremner, Wm. Goodell and C. Sanborn. 

   A weekly prayer meeting has been kept up since the organization of the church.

   Since the Fall of 1864, a Sunday school has been sustained by the church; previous to that, it had for several years helped to form the Union Sunday school which met in the public school house. Wm. Bremner, B. H. Keller, H. L. Servoss, Jonathan Piper, Luke Harvey, H. W. Rule have been its Superintendents. Sunday school officers for 1878 are H. W. Rule, Superintendent; R. M. Marvin, Assistant Superintendent; George A. Day, Chorister; Eva L. Day, Organist; F. B. Gregg, Secretary and Treasurer.

    Ladies' Aid Society. -- Previous to August 16, 1861, the ladies of this denomination co-operated with the Union Benevolent Society; since then, they have formed an independent association, having the same object in view. Socially and financially their efforts have met with the greatest success.

 

~ source: History of Delaware County, Iowa, Published by Western Historical Company, Successors to H. F. Kett & Co., Chicago., Illinois, 1878.; page 500-502

~ contributed by: Debbie Clough Gerischer for Delaware County IAGenWeb

~ Transcribed by: Constance Diamond for Delaware County IAGenWeb

 

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