New Britain Herald Newspaper, March 18, 1919, Page 13

Y R NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT., . FRIGID CHURCHES AIDED GODLINESS, ANCIENT BELIEF And Sabbath Day Houses Were Built to Warm Congrega- tions Between Services—History of Neighbor- ing Places of That Character. December 10th, 1759, voted, liberty to Thomas Stanley and Noah Stanley small house in the high- {he meeting house in New the most convenicnt convenience'on Sab- (Contributed by James Shepard.) During the New England winters of two centuries ago, some warm places | to build of refuge for half frozen worshippers, | way near T at the close of the Sunday morning { Britain parish in service, was a great convenience, if | place for the not a necessity. Those living near the | bath-days.” meeting but| “The Sabba'da those who had to hang around during | sixteen fect square, the noon hour were obliged to warm | dow on three sides themselves elsewhere or suffer. Thus | built of stone, it came about, from the very begin- i on the outsid ning, that little small buildings called | attached \bbady house! were a common | termission adjunct to houses of worship, first, for | in the Congregational mecting houses | after hes the of on mc were about small win- chimney houses with a and house could home, g0 a pa z¢ fire: the short ser or perhaps with a * % here between the sreeti perhaps, in- ices was mutual 1th and ning sermon Bars in Taverns. Another writer states went to a neizhboring spen: comment: later for houses worship | on the denominations. The churches | s cold as a barn. with no stove, | fireplace chimney. The | t temperature of the meeting houses | warm themselves after the service in must have been frightful at times. | the cold meeiing house. Others went Men with bald spots on their heads | to the tavern, for in New England as Were sometimes compelled to put their | in 0ld England the couplet was true, to keep their heads | that—TWhere pious men erect a house stamping of cold feet | of praver, the Devil is sure to build drowned the a Chapel there;’ in which they found the preachicr. The ministers some- {an open door and open where d in their ‘‘great coat |an evil spirit sometimes carried away and with “a muffler { much the good seed sown the * and yet zer wther | preacher.”” New Britain was fortun- ; church atten- in that its three colonial vices each | were each some distance from house. further from of Southington, there cowd houses) on “Some to that, dwelling no and no thereon mittens rm often wa and the completely voi . bar, times preach mittens' of by the neck,’ obstacle to were two s service hours or that if onc meeting must and about taverns the was ate There nday and one asted full historian sta:es ed of the ety Christian you frost proof deacon would say, * vour zecal.” came into nce s eftentimes | meeting more. Quoting complain- | Sketches hou “a | known now be," | few (of these sround Hill. “But after the moved to the center of the town crected by the wealthier timie a large number of them were sinzle feet Timlow's “So far as have been hut Buryir ) two One | cold some | a to need church was re- tire warm Before might have had places, but strange to | use ' they | 1 firc- now | class and after a seem cold house worship was | were built. Most then a matter of choice. “Indeed, | apartments, perbabs some would have deemed il an inno- | square, with a chimney and windows some were two stories, having make | stable underneath for the hors As it | Others with a stable were double, hav- of | ing a chimney in the middle.”” (In un- | 1787, one of these double houses is in- | refeved to in a deed of Aug. 27th as) to have a good | “‘one-half of Sabbath Day House The | east of Meeting House of sd. South- 1s much as the | ington, that is to s to tak the North End of sd. House, to include half ye chimney Stabling & all other Rights and Privileges belonginz thereto.” hese stoves chimueys were at first it an as may a of fifteen des of = sadly ominous ctual prophanity God vation if not the house of s written in culhinzton: ble to us, eneracy, | Bu! of tc s, comfortable low’s Sketches s ‘From some cause decmed it a discove they cxpedient, if not wrong vbhath service.' suffer h my warm place for 1id they women did not men, for each containing tieir stoves live d oot little of é coals, New Haven First to Ileat. | Trinity Episcopal parish of Haven was the first in ate to provide warm hot worship. In 1806 they warmed their church means and that t “as an- a pan < New | this ol houses had plain and but furniture. A few chairs for the and a bench for children around the hearth. A coarse material stood in the of the room. Upon this tablc was Bible, and perhaps one or more books of devotional-reading, such as the Saint’'s Rest. Iater the sermons of Bellamy or Smalley (John, of New Britain,) or Hopkins in pamphlet | form, were brought here, read, and discussed between services. 1 in (my) possession a pamphlet of the f t edition of Dr. Dialogue on the Half-way covenant, that was thus used. It belonged to he Munson family, and the tradition is, that ve warnm had over its contents. Bellamy and Smalley were names very familiar to all the church here, and every thing they published was duly discussed | little older people placed probably a werc rable, centre i of stoves o denounced me The built a with chim- thereafter The oward pope Center a tional) provided and on house regula Nowth church built a housc hip provided with ut propositions to connect stoves with its ample were voted down, until church (Congrez meeting neys in 1814 warmed thei new house, of chimneys in copy chimneys repeatedly the severe cold snap in the winter of 1827, the chimneys then being used for the first time. Cold Aided Worship. Quoting from Davis' History Wallingford, “Tt is a curious illustra tion of ihe tenacity with which old habits cherished that here as| $ elsewhere the proposal to make the | the member: house of God comfortable and health- | Congregation Brought Supplics. ful by means of stoves was met with [ “On rude shelves at the side of the ed opposition ven in 1831, | room, were placed some pewter mugs the new house in Meriden was ‘and dishes and one or two iron uten- it was with great difficulty that | sils for warming food. The rum and ocicty could be induced to allow | cider were hrought by each family to built, though they | required, but the dishes, ete., to be erected gratuitously | left permanently. As there were no Waterbury, Mr. lsrael Coe, on locks it would not have heen safe own responsibility, placed stoves | leave any tempting beverage behind the meeting house in 1823, but it | “The custom to drive directly not until Nov. 1831 that the so- | to the Sabba'day House, care for the gave permission to have the | horses, kindle a ‘rousing fire,’ Some of arguments | drink of either cider or rum and of stoves were, that| repair to the church. Such a routine minister could not speak if the' of warming and drinkin house was warm, and some of the|ly to the comfort of the worshippers people thought that they would suffer | as compared with the condition of with the heat if stoves were intro-|things where there were no:outbuild- luced into the church. Probably these | ings of this kind.” objections would not have been raised | Dr. Edward Robinson, as to fireplaces with which the people | memories of his youth as connected more than accustomed. Warm- | with Southington, writes, “So t0o, the meeting houses brought about | long row of Sabba’daoy houses on the the disuse of Sabbath-day houses| East side of the square, which you vhich had been used for nearly two | perhaps hardly remember. They wero hundred years. In the thirties of the | already mostly in ruins in my early use of stoves in universal, thus end-!ter state, either with = houses. | and neat room with a il Wethersficld, | or with the room and Noon-day | side. Here the good people, who camo are described “small | three, four and miles to meeting ildings of one or two|sheltered their horses; rooms in the neighborhood of | comfortable meetinz house, in which thoseiing the brief intermission \g at a distance from the place of | tendance on the public worship of might during the noon | God was something to occupy the day hour on Sabbath-days and .enjoy a}a day's work: and not the convenient dinner cooked then and there, and | matiter of a few hours. Hence they the comfort of a fire. Usually one or|'were ever regular and punctual * * * two families were accommodated in | “These houses with two or threa house.” exceptions, stood on the east side of from the the present highway and occupied the Magazine for May, I | ground from about where Mr. Joel ence to Worcester, “In Woodruff's store down to was the meetil cold as | Bradley House. * * * Some bleak wind of could | withdrew from the Society and joined it, ana two fire rooms, which|the Baptists or Episcopalians, re- ™ were constructed the very begin- | moved their to their own ning, being rude club houses used be | farms, and doubtless some of the tim- fore the ordinary or inn was ready bers are today doing service in stables for public resort.”” These “fire rooms” | and barns in varic parts of the or “club hous no doubt town.” hath-day houses such At throughout New honses were whitewashed oriefly mentioned them a neat app the attention French Army of imney be were were il At his 24 in was ciety stoves used inst the was 3 ag use e in recording ing the remained in a bet- stable epla stable last centt the ntu boyhood, vet a few ches became below of Sabbath-day History of houses above, e ing the use In “sabbath-day hy [S les® b houses, five wooden bu 1selves d Their a each Livir worship stay Quoting i New 1896, Mass., g house Wachusett England refer- tk wi is, ho entre who the make house in 8" were b= con Iingland. They : or described in various town histories. A number of them stood near the meeting house on Park in New Britain. Quot-town on the way to Hudson o Andrews' history, “At a|officers and S e held Fapmington, { to understand their use. Some of them as were first some, ir not all, thes of This gave tracied the tha mon W W throu irance, traveler of hen ~ passed h sSmalley River, ing from town meeting men in inquiries | they | have | Bellamy's discussions were | to | take a | then | added great- | | | | Wednesday 400 pairs of Herrick’s Gun| ) Metal, Patent Leather and § Suede High Shoes $1.00 OFF on any pair of Ladies’ and Men’s Shoes, Oxfords or Pumps. Modern Boot - Shop, 168 Main Street In to state houses,” and a permit was given thought they were the military had seen A part of 1st north bath. A rooms at a remains of a1 on private land. encampment, they | tee was appointed other paris of the world. | building “Sabbady the army had encamped | tle later a general of the town over the s,xh—! to build them in the highway against part of the officers had | Sandy hollow. Near the St. James hotel on Queen street and | Iipiscopal chuvch there was a hous a part at the hotel that stood near | of this sort containing several room where the North Center school house | The town ot Derby in 1725 granted NOW Some of these officers hung | liberty to its inhabitants to build con- around the church during service and | venient houses near the meeting could not be made to understand | house for their families “on the Sab- what relation such buildings had to | bath Day or public davs.” In 1728 relizious worship. As they observed |a committee was appointed to gather the cating and drinking going on | subscriptions to build a school house | near the meetinz house, the said durings the intermission at noon, they were still more surprised. It is said | school house to also used as hiey entertained themselves with | “Sabbaday house” under the jolkes at the expense of the worship- | committee’s “‘command.’ A Mrs. Johnson lived at Derby near Christ church and her house was frequented on Sundays by church | people during the intermission that ! 'was called the “Sabbaday house. Most writers on the use of Sab- | bath Day houses state that the coals | for ithe foot stoves were brought from the home hearth for the morn- | ing service and replenished during | the midday intermission from the fire- | | blaces of the Sabbath Day houses, or from the liberal fires which were kept | burning at the hospital houses in the | vicinity. Two different historians | state that the Sabbath Day houses were resorted to and fires built be- fore the morning service. With prop er fuel, the foot stoves might easily have been supplied with live coals for | the morning service from the haih Day he Carried C When we such as places for a be a Numecrous in Perhaps these Southington. liouses were moro numerous in Southington than in most places, but no doubt Timlow's description of them will, in ithe main, apply to Sabba’day houses in general. As early as 1742 a general permit was granted to such farmers as lived at a distance to erect small houses along the fences on either side of | the green in ‘armington center for their comfort on the Sabbath, or, in the words of the vote, “for their duds and horses.” This implies a fire room and stable in one house as de- seribed by Timlow. Farmington also granted a permit of this nature to the tants of Bristol “At a meeting of the held so | general inhabi town of Farm- adjournment April 1, upon t memorial of Step Josiah ILewis, Elnathan Ives, I'risbie and Asa Upson, In- | carr habitants of New Cambridge Parish | until (Bristol) Liberty to the inhabitants 't of Said Society, ten feet in width out | to of the 4 rod highway East of the' Mecting house in Said Society, and sixteen rods in Length on the Woest sab- by ington 1ses. Smith, Zebulon i hen s on Horsebacl remember that f; not in common bout t time the War and that on | mily | iages were use the | seting horseba we i wh diffioult task it must | have been to brinz coals of fire from | home. Yet, we have been told by side of the Highway to Build Sab- good authority that our grandmothers bath Day Houses on & Horse Houses did ride to church on horseback and | on.” it they also carried their These houses were probably containing a pan of live than ten feet from front to rear, the stove by its bail in they no doubt cxtended five feet with the arm extended niore upon the ground belonging e at a proper distance. the meceting house Fifteen - feet While *Noon housc square is the smalles: for such used mainly on buildings in the description of them W of course, used which T have read. Various writers Whenever refer to a “row of Sahba'day houses” the confronting the Congregational meet- o ing house in Bristol, [ presume that the in it} it stable, the Revolu- people rode 5 m k, can realize more ' sto holding md and p the os coals, one to as or k of refuge they days, near ot G Sundays, on other gathered a considerable the the used the people for 15 4 in churches the day. happened to town and was ings or election ally the case, these little houses were, no doubt, well filled and enlivened v animated political d ns. The use o st (erbury. is inferred sranted by the town e on Sab- bath Da pe meeting house center of the for town mes was gener phirase “horse houses’ Eristol in for means and da them fanmily a . as some of the haps accom- wodation for md he ston were by side as in South v scus: ir these houses on the De week Houses in rere were quit by of W a Waiterhury, permit number of these o “for o houses in ome of them days.’ mhie || English Caps. One Dollar off on all Heath 3 Regular 45¢c Hose .. $l 00 2 Réj;ular 65¢c Hose 2 Regular 85¢c Cashmere ! : 1 Regular $1:50 Wool $1 00 Neckwear 2 Selected Dollar $l OO e s 2 New 85c Ties ..... $l.00 Selected Lot $1.50, $2.00 and $2.50 Ties Each -$1.00 $1.00 said Underwear Carter’s $2.00 and $2.50 Union Suits, Light Weight ... American Hosiery Union Suits Special .. The American for January, 1872, contains an entitled “Sabba'day or Noon Houses'” together with an illustration of a four room Noon house, then standing af Townsend Centre, Mass., in the form which it originally had, as early as 1804. We quote from the “Record” a description of ithese houses and their uses as taken from a historical discourse by the Rev. G. H. Morse: Like the one standing at Town- nd, they consisted of four rooms, ten or twelve feet square, with a fire place in each room. They were gen- erally built at the united of four or more persons to be occupied on the Sabbath their respective families and such guests as they in vited to with them Dry fuel was kep hand ready kindling fires and usually a barrel ider fc each family On the morning of the Sabhath each de- P sary article expense by join on for of room neces and for the in refreshme owner his saddle ba th himself an early start first called & lre, nts for family the ‘Noon took He buili and at his inetuar Louse, Historical Record | his luncheon, warmed himself and | |1y cola, dspssited | $2.00 and $2.50 Stiff Cuff Shirts in size 14 1-2 only Eachy . $l‘00 One Dollar off any $5.00 Silk Shirt or better. SPRING SUITS AND OVERCOATS $35.00 A Saving of $10 to $15. $1.00 $1.00 and Conned pent the §4 Sunday b a necess| and at the of worship | cut were all ready to sally forth and [ bath to shiver in the cold during the morn- | gz ins service at the of worship. At noon they returned to their Noon house with invited friends, where a fire received them. The saddle bags were now brought forth and their contents discharged on the ta- ble of which all pantook a little. Then each in turn drank from the pitchers or mugs of cider which had been brought from the cellar. The serv- ice being performed and thanks turned, the remaining hour was spent in reading from the Bible or from some other book of a religious char- 1cter: not infrequently prayer fered before returning again sanctuary for the afternoon At close of the afternoon, if the weather was severe- the family returned to the house o warm themselves going home. The fires were extinguished, the saddle bags gathered up, the house locked and all Telurned howe.” Ma Yankee: never sachusetts thus considered nday family, they hour who mes or movies STl e fe e 8 HEAD STUFFED FROM CATARRH OR A COLD Says Cream Applied ‘in Nostrils % Opens Air Passages Right Up. tosgeate 120%~M%MA~4~M«2~4-. eodrfefedede Instant relief—no waiting. clogged nostrils open right up; the 4 passages of your head clear and ¥ can breathe freely. No more hawkin snuffling, blowi headache, drype No struggling breath at "‘fl your cold catarrh disappears. Get a smull bottle of Ely's Crea Balm from your druggist now. . Ap, little of this int, antisept healing cream nostrils, penetrates through of the head. swollen mucous comes instantly It's just fine. Don't stay stuffeds with a cold gr nasly catargh, house warm Yol re- was o the worship. in the for to or the service d a frag in your Noon fore then every air passa inflamed and reli soothes the membrane