Central Christian Church, Danbury (1936)

The origins of Central Christian Church in Danbury go back to 1817, when it established by the Osborne and Wildeman families. It was a founding member of a new denomination, known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which grew out of the religious revival of the early nineteenth century. It is the denomination‘s only church in Connecticut. As related by Rev. E.J. Teagarden, in a contribution to James M. Bailey’s History of Danbury, Conn. (1896):

During the first two years of the life of the church the meetings were held each Lord’s Day at the home of Mr. [Levi] Osborne, situated on the corner of what are now Osborne and Summit streets, but at that time far outside the borough limits. [. . .] In 1819 Mr. Osborne fitted up a room for church purposes in the loft of his weaver’s shop, in the same yard with his house. This room served as a place of meeting for twenty-one years.

[. . .] It was not until the year 1827 that the brotherhood at large became a distinct religious body, known as the Disciples of Christ, or Christian Church; but not until many years later did the church in Danbury adopt the name Disciples of Christ. During the periods mentioned they were known as Osbornites, after the name of Mr. Osborne, who had been the presiding officer and leading spirit from the first.

In 1840, the church began to worship in a new building. According to Teagarden, “This new building stood directly opposite the present site of the New England Hotel, about where the electric-light tower now stands.” In 1853 occurred

the removal of the congregation from White Street to Liberty Street, near Main, their present location. At a cost of $2000 the society purchased a house and lot from the Methodist church, which had vacated it for larger quarters.

In February of 1934, the church on Liberty Street burned down. Two years later, the current church, located at 71 West Street, was dedicated.