"The Ecclesiastical Society of Oxford was established, by an Act of The General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, in May , 1741. The first meeting of the Society was held June 30th, 1741 when it was voted to hire a minister for the present year." For several years thereafter, until a Meeting House was built and a Minister settled, Ministers were hired for one year periods on probation.
    "At a meeting held on October 6th, 1741, it was 'voted and passed by 2/3rds part of the inhabitance of said Parish or Society.... to build a Meeting House and to move to the General Assembly in their next session at New Haven (Connecticut had two Capitols at that time) to pray for a Committee to appoint order and affix said place whereupon their Meeting House shall be erected and built'. At the same time it was voted 'that Mr. Sam Twitchell's house shall be Ye place to meet on Ye Sabbath til Ye year is over.'
    "A site was chosen near the highway on the east side of Little River on land owned by Ephriam Washband and deeded to the Society on October 20th, 1741. The Society met on that date and agreed by vote ' to build a Meeting House thirty eight foots long and thirty two foots wide and nineteen foot posts.' A building committee of three was chosen and a rate of twelve pence on the pound was levied, ' in order to Ye carrying on of Ye building of said Meeting House.' Further taxes were levied from time to time so that the Meeting House could be completed and a Minister settled.
    "The spot chosen for the building of this first meeting house was about 100 feet south of the present structure. Though the actual building was under construction for some 14 years, it was sufficiently closed in by June of 1743 so that the first meeting was held on June 21st, 1743.
    "A petition to the General Assembly by a number of members of the Parish for permission to embody into a Church Estate and to settle a Minister was granted. The Congregational Church of Oxford was formally organized on January 9th, 1746. The Rev. Jonathan Lyman was called in June 1746 on four weeks probation and became the first settled Minister. He served this church for 18 years until his accidental death in 1763.
    "It is presumed that the old cemetery property was acquired sometime between 1746 and 1763 since it is recorded that Jonathan Lyman was buried there.