Browse the First Church of Christ records in Mansfield, Connecticut

The First Church of Christ in Mansfield, Connecticut was organized in 1710. The first settled minister was Rev. Eleazar Williams. He was ordained in 1710 and continued as minister until his death in 1742. Rev. Richard Salter was ordained at Mansfield in 1744. Salter married Rev. Williams’ daughter, Mary Williams, and he served as minister until his death in 1787. He was followed by Rev. Elijah Gridley, who was ordained in 1789 and dismissed in 1796 to move to the church at Granby, Massachusetts. Rev. John Sherman was ordained in 1797, but became a Unitarian and asked to be dismissed in 1805 to move to a church in New York. Later ministers at Mansfield in the nineteenth century included Revs. Samuel Williams, Anson Atwood, Charles Ayer, and Keziah Glidden. 

The first meetinghouse in Mansfield was built in 1706. The second meetinghouse was constructed in 1753 and destroyed by fire in 1866. A new church was built in 1866 and is still in use today. The First Church of Christ in Mansfield is active and is a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC). 

This collection contains two volumes of church records and one volume of society records, which include admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, clergy correspondences, and meeting notes. 

Materials in this collection have been digitized in partnership with the Connecticut State Library and have been made available through our New England's Hidden Histories project.