1840-1923: Greeneville Methodist Episcopal Church
Before 1834, five Methodist women moved to the area that is known today as Greeneville to work in a small cotton mill. Soon thereafter, they banded together and exercised their freedom of religion by forming a class that met every Sabbath at five o’clock. Mr. Jesse Dennison, a local man who provided persuasive advice and ideas that stimulated good deeds, was their first leader. They met in a wooded area that, at that time, was thick and dark. In this natural setting, the zealous women were accustomed to listening to the Word of Life while seated on rocks, boards, and chairs.
Reverend David N. Bentley, from the Falls Society Methodist Church, often preached to this band of believers. In 1834, he baptized eleven people in the Shetucket River, and eight more the year following. By 1839, it was clear that the group needed a more suitable meeting environment.
During the Methodist Quarterly Conference of November 21, 1839, it was decided to form a building committee. Reverend D. Dorchester dedicated a chapel in the early part of 1840. During the pastorate of Reverend D.M. Rogers, the chapel was lengthened to meet the needs of an increasing audience.
Greeneville’s Methodist Episcopal Church
401 North Main Street ~ circa 1890
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At the close of 1843, the church had ninety-six full members and eighteen on trial. Twelve converted, and eight withdrew during the year. However, in 1855, the Society’s membership began to decline. By the fall of 1861, the number of members was reduced to twenty, and public Sabbath services were discontinued. The chapel was sold before the end of 1861.
In 1863, an effort to revive Methodism in Greeneville was led by Reverend J. Ellis Hawkins. The 1863 annual Methodist Conference decided to appoint Rev. Hawkins to lead the Society, and a new church was started in 1863. A place of worship was erected on North Main Street and was dedicated on April 7, 1864. There were approximately thirty members at that time.
The edifice at 401 North Main in Greeneville is shown in the photo on the left.
The Society’s membership began to grow and thrive, becoming more active. There were about a hundred members, and seventy-two more enrolled as “probationers” by the end of 1867.
In 1923, North Main Street was absorbed into Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church in Norwich proper.
Merged with others to form the present-day Lee Memorial United Methodist Church in 1939.
Acknowledgements
“The Methodist Episcopal Churches of Norwich, Conn.,” (1867), pp 144-152, by Reverend Edgar F. Clark
“History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession From the Indians, to the Year 1866,” pgs 472 and 602, by Frances Manwaring Caulkins
“Records of Lee Memorial United Methodist Church of Norwich, Connecticut,” In a collection at Boston University School of Theology Archives & Special Collections
“The Faith Jennings Collection (1997),” p 107, by Faith Jennings
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Greeneville Methodist” in the SEARCH box.
1846-1895: Sachem Street Methodist Episcopal Church ~ Norwich
1850: Sachem Street Methodist Church
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The church at 49 Sachem Street, belonging to the Third Congregational Society, after they disbanded that society in 1842, was purchased by the Methodists in circa 1846. By 1866, the Sachem Street church was the strongest Methodist society in Norwich, and the only one that numbered more than a hundred members. The Methodists, at that time, had five churches and reported a membership in all somewhat above four hundred.
When the Methodists first occupied their church on Sachem Street, it was a small brick building, built in 1827, that had been ravaged by fire in 1844.
49 Sachem Street ~ Modern Day
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Info Source 3 states that the Sachem Street Church was remodeled in 1867 for $2,500 ($85,000 in 2025 $). According to Info Source 2, today’s building at 49 Sachem Street was constructed in 1880, fifteen years before the church left the area to merge with others and form Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church. The Methodists almost certainly used the building shown in the photo above-right from at least 1880 to 1895.
There was a great religious awakening in Norwich in 1867. Significant additions were made to all the churches, and there was a substantial increase in the receipts from pew rents. According to Info Source 1, the auction for renting slips (also known as pews) in the Sachem Street Methodist Church for April 1867 resulted in an income of $1,100 ($39,000 in 2025 $)
In 1895, after the church had been used for almost 50 years, the congregation merged with the East Main Street Methodist Episcopal Church and the Central Methodist Episcopal Church to form the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, located on Main Street in Norwich.
Acknowledgements
“The Methodist Episcopal Churches of Norwich, Conn.,” (1867), pp 61-89, by Reverend Edgar F. Clark
“History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession From the Indians, to the Year 1866,” pp 602-604, Frances Manwaring Caulkins
“Norwich Board of Trade Quarterly (1909),” pp 43-44
“1850 Map of Norwich,” 1850, by Henry McIntyre
City of Norwich, Connecticut website
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button and then typing “Sachem Street Methodist” in the SEARCH box.
1854-1895: Central Methodist Episcopal Church
Trinity Methodist Church (after 1939)
Site of 1854-1895 Central Methodist Church
The Central Methodist Episcopal Church organization was established in 1854. Their first meetings were held in a large hall on Central Wharf and later at 57 Main Street, the site of the former Main Street Congregational Church. The Methodist church’s services were led chiefly by the Reverend L.D. Bentley. He followed the footsteps of his father, Reverend David N. Bentley, as a preacher in the Methodist faith.
The Methodists built their new church building at 57 Main Street, as shown in the postcard on the left.
The church group was officially known as the “Center Methodist Episcopal Society,” but was also referred to as Bethel, Central Wharf (1854), West Main Street (1855-1858), Free (1858-1868), and Central or Center from 1868 to 1895.
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Central Methodist Church ~ 1868
The church was known as the “Free Methodist Church” between 1858 and 1868 because several other churches in Norwich had helped the church pay off its debts; thus, the trustees were bound to keep the sittings free of charge. Members were not charged for pews; therefore, the church was referred to as “Free.”
The Central Methodist Episcopal Chuch was built in 1854 on the former site of the Main Street Congregational Church. The Congregational church’s edifice had been destroyed by fire earlier on September 17, 1854.
Its location, at 57 Main Street, is shown on the left on the 1868 “Plan of the City of Norwich.”
In 1895, the building became home to the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church.
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Acknowledgements
“The Methodist Episcopal Churches of Norwich, Conn.,” (1867), by Reverend Edgar F. Clark
“Records of Lee Memorial United Methodist Church of Norwich, Connecticut,” In a collection at Boston University School of Theology Archives & Special Collections
“History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession From the Indians, to the Year 1866,” pp 602-604, by Frances Manwaring Caulkins
“1868 Plan of the City of Norwich,” by F.W. Beers, A.D. Ellis, and G.G. Soule
1895-1958: Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church ~ Norwich
Through the wisdom and extraordinary energy of Presiding Elder E. Tirrell, aided by the pastors of three local Methodist churches, a consolidation of three congregations occurred in 1895. Norwich’s Central, Sachem Street, and East Main Street Methodist churches merged to form the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church. The former Central Church building, located at 57 Main Street, served as their combined place of worship.
Refer to the Methodist Church Overview for a graphic that shows the evolution of Methodist churches in Norwich.
Trinity Methodist Church
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By 1920, the membership had increased to 472, and in 1923, the church also absorbed the Greeneville Methodist Church. Additionally, the Gardner Lake Methodist Church was paired with the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church from 1923 to 1925.
The sanctuary served as a Methodist house of worship for more than 100 years (1854-1958).
In 1939, the nation-wide Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist Protestant Church merged to form The Methodist Church. A result of this national change was that Norwich’s “Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church” was renamed the “Trinity Methodist Church.” The postcard shown here reflects the name after 1939.
In 1958, the church underwent another reform, this time by adding the First Methodist Church on Bean Hill. The new church was named “Lee Memorial Methodist Church.” Soon thereafter, it was decided to build a new church edifice on Washington Street.
However, the Trinity Methodist Church house of worship burned to the ground on December 29, 1958, while plans for building the new church were underway. The Methodist congregation met in the German Lutheran Church on Franklin Street until the new church on Washington Street was built, opening on December 7, 1959.
Refer to Info Sources 1 and 2 to see a comprehensive collection of physical artifacts from Norwich’s Methodist churches. They are housed in the Boston University School of Theology Archives and Special Collections.
Acknowledgements
“Records of Lee Memorial United Methodist Church of Norwich, Connecticut,” In a collection at Boston University School of Theology Archives & Special Collections; box contents [CH-CT N6 T7]
“Records of Lee Memorial United Methodist Church of Norwich, Connecticut,” In a collection at Boston University School of Theology Archives & Special Collections; overview
“A Modern History of New London County, Connecticut,” Vol. 1, (1922), p 311, by Benjamin Tinkham Marshall
“Trinity Methodist Church, Norwich, Ct.,” Public Domain postcard
1959-2025: Lee Memorial Methodist Church ~ Norwich
Lee Memorial Methodist Church (2025)
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In 1957, Reverend C. Clifford Sargent was appointed to both the Trinity Methodist Church and the First Methodist Church. He was charged with making plans to build a new church building on Washington Street.
Unfortunately, while plans for the new church were being made, their current house of worship, the Trinity Methodist Church on Main Street, burned to the ground on December 29, 1958. The congregation met in the German Lutheran Church on Franklin Street until a new Methodist church on Washington Street was built. The building was dedicated on December 7, 1959.
The Lee Memorial Methodist Church, which stands at 294 Washington Street, was established in 1958 when the First Methodist Church on Bean Hill merged with Trinity Methodist Church in downtown Norwich.
The church received its name from Reverend Jesse Lee, a circuit rider who preached across the region in the late 1700s. The final English-language speaking pastor for the church was Reverend Jessica LeCrone.
In March of 2025, the church announced its plan to close due to financial problems. The church closed on June 30, 2025. It was the last surviving Methodist Church in Norwich.
Acknowledgements
“Records of Lee Memorial United Methodist Church of Norwich, Connecticut,” In a collection at Boston University School of Theology Archives & Special Collections; box contents [CH-CT N6 L4]
“Records of Lee Memorial United Methodist Church of Norwich, Connecticut,” In a collection at Boston University School of Theology Archives & Special Collections; overview
“Norwich Church to Mark its 50th Year,” (12/03/2009), by Adam Bowles