in support of Center Church
Watkinson School Project
On Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 10:30am Center Church in Hartford, CT will honor Black History Month with a Dedication and Installation of a Memorial Quilt created by students from Watkinson School.
The students worked with educators from Hidden History to study the institution of slavery in colonial Hartford. Using primary source research, they uncovered the story of an 18th-century enslaved Hartford family; Andrew, Tamar, Lydia, Daniel and Isabella.
Richard Lord was a wealthy merchant in Hartford and he took several voyages by ship to the West Indies. He partnered with Samuel Wyllys to purchase the Cabbage Tree Plantation in St. Paul’s Parish, Antigua, in partnership with Samuel Wyllys. When Richard Lord died in 1711, his widow Abigail was given an enslaved man named Andrew (he may have been born in Antigua). When Abigail remarried to Rev. Timothy Woodbridge, Andrew joined the household and met Tamar (who was also enslaved). Andre and Tamar were married in 1721 and had three children; Lydia, Daniel and Isabella. Read more about Andrew and Tamar on the Ancient Burying Ground Association’s research project here >>
Rev. Woodbridge was the minister at Center Church from 1681 until his death in 1732 and was buried in the Ancient Burying Ground.
The students presented their findings to Christine Jewell, a museum professional and historian, whose organization works with the historic Center Church in Hartford. A committee of five student volunteers designed a slideshow presentation for our guest. The students explored the geography, religion, economy, and daily life of Hartford colonists; expanded their understanding of the institution of slavery in the colonies; and participated in the authentic work of historians.
Additionally, to honor the memory of Andrew, Tamar, and their children, students presented the church with a beautiful memory quilt for which every eighth-grade student designed a square. The quilt was displayed at Watkinson School and at West Hartford's Juneteenth commemoration. It will be permanently installed in the Center Church Meeting House, located at 675 Main Street, Hartford, CT.
The framed quilt will be dedicated on Sunday, February 23, 2025 at tCenter Church, 675 Main Street, Hartford, CT Sunday Service. Everyone is welcome to attend.
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Learn more about Andrew & Tamar through the Ancient Burying Ground Association Project African Native Burials:
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Walk in the Footsteps of a Prince
The Center Church Meeting House | 675 Main Street, Hartford, CT
Monday, May 13, 2024 | 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
The public is invited to a special presentation at The First Church of Christ in downtown Hartford, also known as Center Church. Center Church will host a visit from descendants of Prince Abdulrahman Ibrahima ibn Sori. The delegation is composed of the Elders of Timbo from Guinea, West Africa, Dr. Artemus Gaye from Monrovia, Liberia, and Princess Karen Chatman from Natchez, Mississippi. The journey of the Elders of Timbo, Gaye, and Princess Karen across the United States, aptly named “Walk in the Footsteps of a Prince,” aims to trace the footsteps of their ancestor, Prince Abdulrahman, from the Official Royal House of Sori. The visit is organized by the U.S. Embassy in Guinea.
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Summer Open Sanctuary
The Center Church Meeting House: Open Sanctuary
Saturdays, June 8, July 6, August 10, September 14 | 10am - 1:30pm
Location: 675 Main Street, Hartford, CT
Volunteers from the 1636 Heritage Partnership open the 1807 Meeting House sanctuary for self-guided tours during the summer. Learn more about nearly 400 years of history and view stained glass windows surrounded by the architecture of the church.
In 1807 the fourth Meeting House was constructed under the leadership of Daniel Wadsworth with Classical Revival architecture inspired by the church St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Between 1881 and 1914, gorgeous stained glass windows were installed, five by Tiffany Studios, including windows honoring Horace Wells, discoverer of anesthesia, Thomas Gallaudet, founder of the American School for the Deaf (both church members), and the Reverend Thomas Hooker.