THE TOWN OF LEWISBORO. 421 



In his report for 177 1, he informs the Society, " that the fourth church 

 in his mission is now building." This edifice was probably completed and 

 opened for divine service in the fall of 1 7 7 1, and stood directly opposite the 

 cross roads leading from South Salem to Ridgefield, upon the land of the 

 late Thaddeus Keeler, whose grandfather, Timothy, is said to have sold 

 the lot to the church; although, as we have previously shown, tradition as- 

 serts that the lot was given by James Brown, Esq., the donor of the Parson- 

 age Lands. The late Jeremiah Keeler, who died in February, 1853, (at 

 the advanced age of ninety- three,) remembered its erection in 177 1. It 

 was built on contract by Benj. Chapman, of the very best oak timber, 

 and contained three hundred and sixty-five braces.* 



In 1772 Mr. Townsend reported to the Venerable Propagation Society 

 "that his congregations were increasing." The Society's abstract for 1775, 

 says : " That Mr. Townsend is constant in the performance of his duty in 

 his own parish, and preaches frequently in the parts adjacent." The Rec- 

 tor continued the services of the Church in Lower Salem until the third 

 Sunday after the Declaration of Independence, July 21st, 1776, when 

 in the afternoon as he was officiating and had proceeded some length in 

 the service, a company of armed soldiers— said to have belonged to 

 Col. Sheldon's Regiment, stationed on Keelers hill directly opposite — ■ 

 marched into the church with drums beating and fifes playing, their guns 

 loaded and bayonets fixed, as if going to battle ; and as soon as he 

 commenced reading the collects for the king and royal family, they rose 

 to their feet and the officer commanded him upon the peril of his life 

 to desist. Mr. Townsend immediately stopped reading, closed his 

 prayer book, descended from the reading desk, and so the matter passed 

 over without any accident. From this time the church was closed, so 

 far as Episcopal services were concerned ; and no legal transfer of the 

 property could possibly have taken place until the parish was re- 

 organized, which appears not to have been effected until 18 10. 



Mr. Townsend in a letter to the secretary of the society dated Salem, 

 Province of New York, June, 1777, says : 



" I continued the services of the Church within my mission for three 

 Sundays after the Declaration of Independence by the Congress, and 

 should have proceeded still and took the consequences ; but I was inform- 

 ed that all the clergy, in this and the neighboring provinces, had discon- 

 tinued the public service till it might be performed under the protection of 

 His Majesty, excepting only Mr. Beach of Connecticut, who hath con- 

 tinued his church till very lately. Under these circumstances, I considered 



a " The old iron latch which once secured the front door of the old church, is still preserved 

 in the family of Thaddeus Keeler; it is 13 inches and % long, and bears the initials of the 

 founder of the church, T. B. Since its removal, however, from the church it has been stamped 

 with the date 1792, and the initials, J. K. 



