CHURCH HISTORY

100 English Puritans under the leadership of Rev. Thomas Hooker arrived in Massachusetts in 1634. They soon discovered that their interpretation of theology differed from the Puritans already settled there. Upon hearing of the rich lands in the Connecticut River Valley, Thomas Hooker and a number of families moved southward to establish the communities of Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield.

Militia returning from the Pequot Swamp Fight in 1637 spoke of the fair lands along the Sound. In 1639 many of these families moved again to found the colonies of Stratford and Fairfield.

By 1717 there were enough families living six miles or more from the Stratford Meeting House to petition for their own parish church. This northernmost area of Stratford colony became Ripton Parish. Whether it was named for Ripon, Yorkshire, which was Daniel Shelton’s birthplace, or Repton, Derbyshire, the home of a number of Stratford Colonists, has never been determined. Daniel Shelton was one of the largest landowners in the colony.

U  Parish originally was a geographical unit.

U  Ecclesiastical Society was the legal organization which conducted the business of the church.

U  1723 - decided on where to build a church building.

U  1724 - ordained Jedidiah Mills, paid him “100 acres of land…80 pounds toward his house…40 pounds in money and 40 pounds in work…50 pounds salary a year. He graduated from Yale ’22.

U  Churches at this time which were sanctioned were permitted to raise their own taxes of the property in the parish.

U  1740 - Daniel Shelton and others broke away and established the Episcopal Society (St. Paul’s).

U  1740 - Rev. Mills preached in Bridgeport in revival fashion without permission from that parish and he lost salary for seven years.

U  1745 - Second meeting house was erected.

U  1772 – Rev. Mills retired (age 52) – semi.

U  1776 – Rev. Mills died at 79 and Rev. David Ely succeeded him (Mills’ grandson-in-law).

U  Part of Stratford until 1789.

U  Samuel Huntington, Signer of Declaration of Independence and Governor of Connecticut. Huntington was named after him in 1789.

U  St. Paul’s present building was erected in 1812.

U  Early 1800’s - church and state separated and funds for church became a problem.

U  Began a subscription paper and later pew rentals.

U  1816(?) – Ely retired.

U  Church served for 92 years by first two pastors.

U  1823 – New Stratford broke away and became Monroe.

U  1831 – new meeting house approved, 1833 dedicated in this location.

U  1882 – Shelton became a borough of the town of Huntington.

U  1892 – Fire.

U  1893 – the present building was erected (4^th meeting house)

U  1915 – new town created out of Huntington and Shelton.

U  1919 – town is named Shelton by vote of the people.

U  1926 – church found that is needed outside financial assistance.

a.       industry drained off many people from Huntington.

b.   Assistance from Missionary Society of Connecticut helped pay pastor’s salary from 1926-1945.

U  1926 – a gift of $10,000. allowed for the building of the parsonage.

U  1930 – Parish Hall (kitchen, stage) present offices.

U  1955 – Reuman House purchased for $34,000 originally a school.

U  1965 – New Parish House (Fellowship Hall)

U  1976 – Bishop property purchased.

U  1977 – a split occurred between mainline and charismatic factions of the church. Rev. Smith led the charismatic away to form a new congregation.

U  1995 – New parsonage built on land bequeathed by Guila Hawley.

U  1996 – Sold Parsonage (47 Church St.) Built New Parsonage (160 Huntington St.)

U  2008 – 284 years