The Clergy of Litchfield County

by Arthur Goodenough (1909) 

We are happy to announce the republication of this long out-of-print volume of local history and biography.  In 2005 we republished it as a CD-ROM, but now are making it available as a download.

The download includes our new index of names, places, and institutions (there was no index in the original book). 

Download now in PDF format, 304 pages, for $5.00

Just what is in Clergy of Litchfield County?

The book itself is a history of religion in Litchfield County, Connecticut, consisting of around 245 pages of text and provides an insider's  view of church history (Goodenough was a Congregational clergyman), with emphasis on the Congregational Church, in Litchfield County since its beginnings.  The author's vantage point, early in the 20th Century, is close enough to the early days to be able to capture what life must have been like back then, yet is also far enough from today to represent a point in time that is long gone.

Clergy of Litchfield County is NOT a religious tract.  Although Goodenough was a clergyman, for the most part he seems to have been quite able to step aside from the pulpit and see religion in Litchfield County in a historical perspective.  The author clearly does have a high opinion of those who pursued his profession, particularly those who pursued it in the Congregational Church.  Those historical Congregational clergy who happened to see fine points of doctrine more or less the same way he did get the most coverage; others receive less.  The author  is quite discreet with regard to deficiencies other clergy may have had.  As well as many detailed biographies, he includes a 38 page historical appendix listing chronologically the Congregational clergy in each church, as well as "ministers raised up" -- or clergy who were seen as having come from that particular church.

He (wisely) hands over 43 pages to an Episcopal clergyman for a discussion of the history of the Episcopal Church in Litchfield County.  This is a strong chapter, with a summary history of the Episcopal Church followed by histories of all the Episcopal parishes in the county at that time.  The parish histories include names and dates for rectors and priests-in-charge, as well as considerable added historical information for some parishes. 

Other religions sadly do not fare as well.  The Baptists get six pages, the Methodists nine (including a multi-page list of circuit riders, settled clergy, and Presiding Elders).  Other denominations, such as Adventists and the Salvation Army, are included only via occasional mention in the text.  The author's consignment of Roman Catholics -- probably at very least 40% of the population of Litchfield County in the early 1900s -- to the "all others" category is probably the most serious defect of the book as a work of history -- but this treatment is a reflection of history in itself.  As well, there is only limited coverage of the foreign-language Congregational churches, a feature of that historical period in Litchfield County as immigrant workers founded congregations near the factories that employed them. 

We have compiled a 30 page index of Clergy of Litchfield County, as there was no index in the original.

Originally included on our CD-ROM:  Many photographs (both old and new) and postcards showing churches in Litchfield County, from our collection.  Churches shown include both those mentioned in the text and others.

We've added them here for your pleasure  No purchase required! (click to see a full-sized image)

Church of Christ, Norfolk	Congregational Church, New Milford
			Barkhamsted Church
St. Joseph's Church, Brookfield	North Canaan, 7th Day Adventist Church	Christ Church, Canaan	Canaan Methodist Church
Pilgrim Church, Canaan	Baptist Church, Canaan	St. Joseph's Church, Canaan	St. Joseph's Church, Canaan
Girls Friendly Society Vacation House, East Canaan	Pine Grove (Methodist), Canaan	Church in the Wildwood, Colebrook	Colebrook Congregational Church
East Canaan Congregational Church	Falls Village Congregational Church	Falls Village Congregational Church	Falls Village Methodist Church
Falls Village Methodist Church	Gaylordsville Methodist Church	Goshen Church of Christ, Congregational	Kent Congregational Church
Kent Congregational Church	Kent RC Church	St. Andrew's Church, Kent	Lakeville Methodist Church
Trinity Lime Rock	Trinity Lime Rock	Trinity Lime Rock addition	Trinity Lime Rock
Litchfield Church/Armory Hall	Litchfield Congregational Church	Litchfield Congregational Church	Litchfield Congregational Church
St. Michael's Church, Litchfield	Marbledale Church	Trinity Episcopal Church, Milton	Morris Congregational Church
All Saints Church, New Milford	New Milford Congregational Church	New Milford Congregational Church	New Milford Library and Church
Norfolk Church and monument	Norfolk Church of Christ	Plymouth Congregational Church	Roxbury rectory
Salisbury Congregational Church	Salisbury Congregational Church	Salisbury Congregational Church	St. John's Church, Salisbury
St. John's Church and inn, Salisbury	Christ Church, Sharon	Sharon Congregational Church	Sharon Congregational Church
South Canaan meeting house	Thomaston Church	Torringford Church	Torringford Church
Torringford Church	Calvary Baptist Church, Torrington	Torrington Congregational Church	Torrington Methodist Church
St. Francis Church, Torrington	St. Francis Church, Torrington	St. Peter's Church, Torrington	Trinity Church, Torrington
Trinity Church, Torrington	All Saints Orthodox, Twin Lakes	Warren Congregational Church	Washington Congregational Church
Washington Episcopal Church	Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Washington	Watertown library and Congregational church	Watertown library and Congregational church
West Goshen ME Church	Winchester Church	Winsted: First Congregational Church	Winsted: Second Congregational Church
RC Church, Winsted	Methodist Church, Winsted	St. Joseph's RC Church, Winsted	St. Joseph's RC Church, Winsted
Woodbury Episcopal Church	Woodbury Methodist Church	Woodbury, North Church	St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Woodbury
St. Theresa's RC Church, Woodbury

We are happy to provide you with an extract from the index we compiled of Clergy of Litchfield County.

Because of the pagination of the original books, we have omitted page numbers from this list.  We have also somewhat condensed this list, omitting such entries as names of books written by the Litchfield County clergy "back then".

We hope that you will find this list helpful!

to open the PDF file containing the names found in Clergy of Litchfield County.