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History of Churches
The following data is extracted from History of Croydon, Sullivan County, New Hampshire.
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Congregationalists - The first church was organized September 9, 1778, and was of the Presbyterian order. The following are the names of its members: Moses Whipple, Stephen Powers, Isaac Sanger, John Cooper, Joseph Hall, Jacob Leland, John Sanger, Catherine Whipple, Rachel Powers, Mary Cooper, Anna Leland, Lydia Hall, Hannah Giles and Lucy Whipple. The first meeting-house was built in 1794, and in 1828 it was taken down and converted into a town hall. The first minister, Rev. Jacob Haven, was settled June 18, 1787, and he continued pastor until 1834, after which he remained senior pastor until the time of his death, which occurred March 17, 1845, at the advanced age of eighty-two years. A new and commodious church edifice was built in 1826, which was regularly occupied by the society until 1874 when it was closed. Rev. Eli W. Taylor, a native of Hinesburg, VT., was installed pastor June 10, 1834 and was dismissed December 27, 1837. Aurelius S. Swift, of Fairlee, Vt., was ordained May 16, 1838, and was dismissed in 1841. After his removal the desk was supplied by Rev. Joel Davis, a native of Massachusetts, for several years, after which it was supplied by various clergymen until 1881. At the latter date the Methodists at East Village united with them and settled Rev. D. W. Clark, who remained until 1883. He was succeeded by Rev. H. A. Goodhue. John Cooper, Esq., left a legacy of $350 to this church and Mrs. Rebecca Kendall one of $300. Free-Will Baptist - In 1810 some thirty individuals united and formed a Free-will Baptist Church, with Elijah Watson as elder; Eli Davis and David Putnam were appointed deacons. It continued to flourish for some time. At length it was given up and a larger portion of its members united with a then flourishing church at Northville, in Newport. Methodist - Preachers of the Methodist order had often visited the town and organized classes, but it was not until 1853 that a church was formed. At that time a society comprising some thirty-six members, was organized. In 1854 they erected a meeting-house at the East Village, in which their services have since been held. The Rev. C. H. Lovejoy was their first pastor. He has been succeeded by the Rev. Messrs. Hays, Russell, Tilton, Whidden, Griffin, Hardy, Draper, Rogers, Quimby, Bradford, Fiske, Spaulding, LeSeur, Pickles and Windsor. In 1881 this church united with the Congregationalist and settled the Rev. D. W. Clark of the latter denomination. After a pastorate of two years he was succeeded by the Rev. H. A. Goodhue. Universalists - From its earliest settlement in Croydon contained many Universalists, and in 1832 a society was formed embracing some fifty members, who held their meetings in the town hall until 1854, when Paul Jacobs, Esq., a wealthy and liberal citizen of the town, built a house of worship at the Flat and gave it to the society. Rev. Robert Stinson was the only settled pastor, but the desk has been supplied by able ministers of the denomination. Calvinistic Baptist - Many individuals of this town have connected themselves with the Calvinistic Baptist society at Newport Village.
Source: History of Croydon, Sullivan County, New Hampshire
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