-63-
ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
In
1749, a missionary from the English church became rector of
the Episcopal Church in Derby, the Rev. Richard Mansfield.
Residents of Oxford who worshiped in the Church of England had
to travel to Derby until 1760 when services began in Oxford
homes.
The Rev. Mansfield founded St. Peter's
Church in 1766, with the purchase of five acres of land from
Joseph Davis.
The old church was built in 1767 or
thereabouts on Governor's Hill Road.
During the time of the War of the
Revolution, the church appears to have been closed, as the
Episcopalian churches were generally suspected of Toryism
because of its connections with England and because of
passages within the Prayer Book with reference to the king.
The Rev. Mansfield served as clergy, while
serving also in Derby. Many efforts were made to obtain a
minister.
The first settled minister was Chauncey
Prindle who served from 1807 to 18l4.
N. J. Wilcoxson, in his Centennial address
said,
"Rev. Mr. Prindle, a native born citizen of
Oxford, a graduate from Yale College, after a twelve years
ministerial service at Watertown, was pastor at St. Peters
for several years. Mr. Prindle was justly noted for sound
and forcible intellect, for stern integrity, and as orthodox
and firm in principle. He was a useful minister. His last
residence for many years was a farm in the northerly part of
Oxford, where he died at a great age in the year 1832.
"After Mr. Prindle, Rev. Aaron
Humphreys was Pastor. Rev. W. A. Curtiss, a native of
Coventry, of this State, came here in April, 1829 from New
York. His pastorate continued little more than two years. He
was a preacher of considerable ability, but such was his
imprudence and indiscretion that he was ever upsetting his
own dish. Rev. Ashbel Baldwin, Rev. Dr. Burhans, Revs.
Messrs. Todd, Sanford, Marvin, Nichols, Eastman, Loop, Gray,
Smith, Clark, Pierce, (for about ten years,) Anketel, Buck,
were in turn in charge of the parish and church as
Presbyter, The church edifice first erected stood on the
hill westerly from the central street and adjacent to the
cemetery. It was taken down and removed and the edifice now
standing on the Public Green was erected in the year 1834.
It was dedicated by Bishop Brownell in the year following.
Rev. Charles Smith was then minister."
An interesting puzzle concerning the
church tower has challenged local historians for some years.
The description of this Church which is given in the contract
for the building of the new church in 1834, calls for a tower
20 feet high with belfry and windows in front.
A picture of the center of town drawn in
1838 by J.W. Barber, depicts the church with such a steeple,
which is gothic in design, much like the contract
specifications.
