The town of Clinton, originally known as Killingworth, established a congregational church society in 1667. The first meeting house, located in what would develop into Clinton Village, was built of logs and was succeeded by two others, built in 1700 and 1731. In 1735, a second church society was formed in the north part of Killingworth. This later society became a separate town in 1868 and retained the name Killingworth, while the south part became the town of Clinton. The current First Church in Clinton was built in 1837 in a different location than its predecessors: the top of Meeting House Hill, where it faces south and can be seen from Clinton harbor. Also on the hill, near the church, (to the left in the image above) is the Yale College Monument. From 1701 to 1707, Rev. Abraham Pierson, pastor of the church, taught classes of the Collegiate School in the part of Killingworth that would become Clinton. In 1716, the School moved to New Haven and was renamed Yale in 1718.
Wow, I think this church looks disastrous because of the siding. When will people learn there’s nothing that has the look of original clapboarding?
The building is almost 200 years old. I’m sure the exterior was painted and repaired many times in the past, but the number of volunteer painters must have become few overtime. The cost of professional paintings would be enormous and most probably inhibit so much of the good work the church is doing. And so it was decided to vinyl side the building.