154 A HALF CENTURY. 



During the period from 1864, the year the present church edifice 

 was begun, to 1880, the year the last of the indebtedness was paid, a 

 period of seventeen years, the average annual receipts of this society 

 from the members of this church and congregation were $16,832.28 — 

 the total being $286,148.82. 



From the date of the completion of this building, when the indebt- 

 edness of the society was a little over $60,000, to January, 1881, this 

 society was heavily encumbered with debt. In November of 1880, by 

 what might almost be termed a spontaneous subscription, amounting to 

 twenty thousand dollars, provision was made for canceling the last of 

 this indebtedness, and in January, 1881, I notice an entry, on the cash 

 account of the treasurer, of a payment of $1,500 to the Savings Bank 

 of New Britain, and interlined with it are these words, " which is the 

 last indebtedness." And so it has proved in a double sense thus far, 

 for since that time the society has had no debt. 



For the erection and furnishing of this building, and the parish 

 chapel, and for canceling the indebtedness, there have been six sub- 

 scriptions, as follows : The first in February, 1864, amounting to 

 $60,334, to which there were seventy-eight subscribers ; the second in 

 January, 1867, amounting to $52,278.24 ; to this there were forty-two 

 subscribers ; the third in November, 1874, amounting to $47,300, to 

 which there were one hundred and eight subscribers ; the fourth in 

 November, 1880, amounting to $20,241, to this there were one hun- 

 dred and seventeen subscribers ; the fifth in February, 1887, amount- 

 ing to $5,371 ; this subscription was for building the parish chapel 

 and had eighty -five subscribers ; the sixth and last in December, 1888, 

 for furnishing the parish chapel, amounted to $1,432.48, to which there 

 were one hundred and eleven subscribers, mainly ladies of the church. 



The original cost of the present house of worship, including the 

 organ and furnishing, was $143,170.77. The building committee, 

 which had the care of its construction, was appointed March 17, 1864, 

 as follows : C. B. Erwin, F. H, North, Henry Stanley, Oliver Stanley, 

 H. H. Brown, Philip Corbin, and Lucius Woodruff. Mr. Erwin was 

 appointed ciiairman, but resigned in March, 1865, and was succeeded 

 by Mr. Henry Stanley. Oliver Stanley was appointed agent and 

 superintendent of building, and when the statement is made that the 

 whole edifice from foundation to pinnacle was built by day labor, it is 

 hardly necessary to add that it occupied a very large part of his time 

 and thought during the three years of its construction. 



The cost of the parish chapel, including furnishing, was $27,533.37. 

 The building committee having this work in charge was Oliver Stan- 

 ley, A. P. Collins, Dr. E. B. Lyon, D. O. Rogers, and T. W. Wilbor. 

 D. O. Rogers was appointed secretary, and Mr. Rogers and Oliver 

 Stanley were appointed a sub-committee to superintend the erection 



