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07/11/2024 12:00 PMEAST HAVEN
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the construction of Old Stone Church in East Haven. Old Stone Church is the second-oldest stone church in New England and convenes as one of the longest-running continuous church congregations in the region.
Since its completion in 1774, the church building has been used as both a temple of religious worship and a meeting house, according to Peggy Thomas, Old Stone’s historian, making it a central part of East Haven since the era of the American Revolution.
Even before the construction of the church building—when the congregation’s spiritual fathers were originally called the First Ecclesiastical Society of East Haven—its connections to Connecticut’s history are notable. The congregation's first minister, Jacob Heminway, who was ordained on Oct. 8, 1711, was the first student at Yale University.
Since then, both Connecticut and American history have continued to shape the building. The old chime to toll the bell was created by Paul Revere, according to Thomas, while the “outside of the church screams history” and received its own gunshot wounds from the time of Revere, said Rev. Mark Pilletere.
“If you look closely at some of the stonework out there, you'll see bullet holes from the American Revolution,” he said.
The building’s stone composition is of local significance considering that it was made from the town itself. Church records show that, with support from members of the Indigenous Quinnipiac tribe, builders collected sandstone from a quarry in the Laurel Street area. The dimensions of the building and its interior materials have shifted throughout the centuries, but the original plaster from 1774 is still visible behind re-coated walls.
Aside from shifting dimensions and architecture, along with the people who have led the church’s community, what is equally integral to the longevity of Old Stone Church is how the community has displayed its generosity in maintaining its prominent structure in the Main Street area of East Haven. A recent example was seen in the donations which were raised by the public for the replacement of the steeple in 2023, something made possible by the “graciousness and generosity of not only the church members, but the surrounding community and businesses,” said Pilletere.
“The church is a testament to the community and to its members who have taken the time for so many years to take care of it and to make sure it's still standing,” he said. “I'm thankful that the church and its members are always looking towards the future.”
The congregation will be hosting several celebratory events in honor of the building’s 250th anniversary, starting with a barbecue on Saturday, Aug. 3 at Margaret Tucker Park. Following this, there will be historic costumed tours of the building on Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8; a musical event on Sunday, Sept. 15; and an anniversary-specific celebration on Sunday, Sept. 22.