by Mrs. Fran Arnesen
In 1691, a petition was presented to the General Court asking for the privilege of maintaining a separate church on the East side of the [Connecticut] River. The petition was granted in 1694.
The people erected a small frame meetinghouse that stood at the northeast corner of the old burying ground. The Rev. Timothy Edwards began his pastorate at this church.
In 1710, it was to build a new meetinghouse “to stand where the present meetinghouse standeth.” However, its erection was attended with many difficulties. In 1713, a petition was presented to the General Court stating fifty-seven families lived south of the meetinghouse and thirty-seven families north thereof. They urged a more equitable location for the new church. After the General Court denied the relocation of the church, the so-called southenders petitioned the Court for a separate parish. The petition was promptly denied. The new meetinghouse was thereupon erected in 1716.
In 1757, it was decided to build a new church toward the South. This church was built in what is now the center of Main Street, approximately 60-65 feet south of the present church. This church was occupied until 1845 when the present church was erected. The church is beautified by the memorial stained glass windows, a memorial tower and the Wolcott Chapel.
Please note that despite possible inaccuracies, we will include the description of each quilt square as published in the 1995 revised and corrected second edition booklet. This second edition was published in celebration of South Windsor’s “sesquicentennial” anniversary, 1845-1995, and was dedicated to the memory of Gail Woodard, who passed away in 1994. The revised edition was compiled by Charles E. Woodward in September, 1995, with the assitance of Doris Burgdorf who provided many historical corrections.