St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Bethel (1910)

Planning began in 1834 to erect an Episcopal chapel in Bethel. Dedicated to St. Thomas, the building was erected the following year on Center Street (now 95 Greenwood Avenue) and at the time was part of St. James’ Parish in Danbury. In 1909, the old white frame church was taken down to make way for a new edifice, built of stone that came from stone walls on outlying farms. Services were held on Christmas Day in the unfinished structure in 1909. The new St. Thomas Episcopal Church was dedicated a few weeks later, on January 16, 1910. Additions, which included a chapel, parish hall, kitchen and an upstairs caretaker’s apartment, were made in the 1970s.