United Church of Christ, Southbury (1844)

The United Church of Christ in Southbury was constructed in 1844 as the the meeting house of the First Ecclesiastical Society of Southbury. It was the Society’s third meeting house, as described in Vol. II of the 1892 History of New Haven County, Connecticut (edited by J. L. Rockey):

For more than half a century the settlers of Southbury worshipped in Woodbury church, and were tributary to the First Ecclesiastical Society of that town. In May, 1731, the Southbury parish was incorporated, and November 29th, 1732, this society voted to build a meeting house, and asked the assembly for a committee to locate a site. In May, 1733, the committee selected a final place, “setting the stake down on the hill between Lt. Andrew Hinman’s and the house that was Elnathan Strong’s.” This site was in the highway nearly in front of the present White Oak school house. The building was a plain frame, 35 by 45 feet, with 23 foot posts, and was not fully completed for 20 years.

[…] It was not many years before the first meeting house was too small to accommodate the congregation, and a new house was demanded. As in the first instance, the question of site proved troublesome, and it was several years before an agreement could be reached. Finally, after four years’ effort, a site was selected on Southbury street, south of the old site, on which was begun in 1764 one of the largest and finest meeting houses in this part of the state. It was twelve years before it was fully completed and was a noteworthy object many miles around, with its high spire, in which was a good bell and also a clock. These were purchased by general subscriptions of the citizens of the town, which were secured in December, 1773.

The meeting house stood at the head of the lane leading to the middle cemetery, which it fronted, and was used until the present house was occupied in 1844, when it was taken down and the material removed.

Attached to the rear of the church is the former Southbury Methodist Church building. Also in the Greek Revival style, it was built in 1847 and was moved and attached to the Congregational church in 1957.