Presbyterian

In 1841 there was a dispute in the First Presbyterian Church in Enfield over whether an organ could be used in church services. Those in opposition to using an organ (their rallying cry was “No fiddle in the Kirk”) formed the separate United Presbyterian Church in 1845. They built a meeting house in Thompsonville in Enfield the following year. The church was built on land acquired from Orrin Thompson’s carpet company for a dollar with the requirement that they return the property when asked. This eventually happened fifty-five years later when the company built an expansion. A new church building was erected at 100 High Street in 1901. The church had an organ, the original cause of separation having long disappeared by that time. The church was damaged by a fire in 1943 but was repaired after eleven months of work. The church merged with the First Presbyterian Church in 1973 to form the Calvary Presbyterian Church, located on King Street in the southwestern corner of Enfield. The old church building on High Street then served as the Enfield Senior Center from 1974-2003 and afterward housed town offices, a local theater group and the New Life Community Church. This year, the Town of Enfield solicited proposals for development of the property, which is now called the Village Center. The town requires adaptive reuse of the building that will preserve its impressive stained glass windows.