The first Harwinton Town Meeting was held at a private residence on December 20, 1737. Construction of a meeting house and the salary for a minister were among the decisions. A congregational church was constructed in the center of Harwinton. For many years the Harwinton Congregational Church was the main religious center for the town and boasted a membership of about 450. In the late 1950’s the United Church of Christ began reaching out to churches to join their ranks. The UCC was a merger of the Evangelical and Reformed Churches and they were inviting Congregational Churches to become a part of them.

The question of merging into the UCC brought about a definite split in this quiet church and community. The pros and cons were about evenly divided. The more the merger was pushed, the more the local church members differed in opinion. Lifelong friends and relatives disagreed over the merger question.  

A vote of the congregation was taken to determine if they should join the UCC. The vote didn’t pass and those who were in favor of the merger requested another vote saying the original vote was not well attended and did not give a clear indication of the true feeling of the membership. This brought about even more divisiveness among church members. A group that felt strongly about remaining “true Congregationalists” left the church. This would be the beginning of The Founders Congregational Church.

A meeting was held by those who had left the church at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Willard Bowen. There were twenty-one in attendance at that first meeting and it was decided to form a new church in Harwinton. The new church group met at the Bowen home for a while until they outgrew the space. They then gathered at the Harwinton Community Hall. It was at this location that the new church group decided they needed a new building of their own. By 1961 the group had purchased land on Birge Park Road and planned to build their church on that property.

The church was incorporated in 1962 and became known as Founders Congregational Church of Harwinton, Inc. The name Founders was chosen as the church would be following the example of the founders of our country who strived to be able to worship in freedom. Founders Congregational Church is an autonomous church. They have no higher authority or association that dictates down to the local church; however, they are in association with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches for fellowship purposes and guidance.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held on Easter of 1963 and the new meeting house began to be built. On March 8, 1964 the first worship service was held at the new Founders Congregational Church building.

The interior of the new church building was furnished with many gifts from other churches. The organ and chandelier are memorials. The pulpit was a gift. The stained-glass windows are from the old Huntington Memorial Chapel that once stood behind the Harwinton Congregational Church across from the Town Green. In 1885, Collis Huntington, one of the Big Four of the Transcontinental Railroad who was born in Harwinton, presented the Congregational Church Society with a plan to build a granite chapel in loving memory of his mother. All Europe was searched for the finest stained glass to be used in the windows. The chapel was finished in 1887 and torn down in 1960. Today the windows are part of the Founders Congregational Church. These irreplaceable stained-glass windows add a tone of beauty and a note of antiquity to the atmosphere.

Beautiful stained-glass windows ~ from the now gone old Huntington Memorial Chapel

The pews were ten years old and purchased at a very reasonable price. The carpeting was installed wall to wall as it was less expensive than hardwood floors. The steeple was a gift from another church. Everyone is captivated and warmed by the simplicity and richness of the meeting house.

Over the years Founders Congregational Church has been home to many from our community and from surrounding towns. Many adults today reminisce about going to Sunday School at Founders as a child or being baptized or married at Founders Church. There is a very great evangelistic spirit among the members of Founders Congregational Church. This special church ministers to the community of Harwinton as well as far beyond our borders.

Location: 41 Birge Park Road in Harwinton, Connecticut

Church Website: https://founderschurch.elementor.cloud/