Preston City Baptist Church, 1885, Historical Abstract

Meetings began to be held in Preston City, Conn., in January 1811, under the leadership of Elders John Sterry, Silas Burrows, and Roswell Burrows. May 25th 1811, fifteen persons living near Preston City, were constituted a branch of the Second Baptist church of Groton, Conn., Elder Silas Burrows, pastor.

In May 1812, the meeting-house was raised; and it was built the same year. October 10th 1815, the church was constituted and organized in full. The Sunday School was commenced in May 1828. In 1832 the meeting-house was enlarged and repaired, and the bell hung in its place. Improvements were made upon the house and church property in 1867 and an enlarged vestry dedicated in 1870.

The ministers called to ordination by this church are G. F. Davis, Levi Meech, Bela Hicks, N. V. Stedman.

The licentiates, Thomas Terry, Wm. N. Wilbur, Oliver W. Gates, Isaac E. Gates, Edwin Bromley, Geo. W. Kinney, Wm. H. Kling and Lemuel W. Frink.

In consequence of the records of the church not being accurately kept during some of its earlier history the statistics are necessarily incomplete.

In the preparation of this manual, some records have been copied from the compilation of Mr. Charles B. Ayer published in 1849.

References

1. "Historical Abstract", Manual of the Preston City Baptist Church, of Preston, Conn., 1855, page 3.