Second Church in Lebanon

Second Society in Lebanon

Lebanon Crank, CT (Modern: 325 Route 87, Columbia, CT 06237)

The Second Church in Lebanon was the parish where Eleazar Wheelock was minister from 1735 until 1769. The Connecticut Assembly established the Second Church, or Second Society, in 1716 in response to demand from the residents of North Lebanon, or Lebanon Crank, who were tired of commuting to the First Church (in Lebanon proper) for services. In practice, the Second Church in Lebanon was the town government of Lebanon Crank until Lebanon Crank was formally incorporated as the town of Columbia, Connecticut in 1804. The Second Church in Lebanon played an important role in Eleazar Wheelock’s life. He presided over a revival there in 1740, and it was his base of operations for his career as an itinerant minister. His students at Moor’s Indian Charity School attended the Second Church as part of the school’s schedule; they had their own pews. The Second Church was so supportive of Wheelock’s educational agenda that they wanted to keep Moor’s Indian Charity School in town when Wheelock began to plan his departure, but they were unsuccessful in this attempt.

Columbia Congregational Church. “History of Columbia Congregational Church” http://www.colcch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20&Itemid=565. Accessed 10/26/2013. McClure, David and Parish, Elijah. Memoirs of the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock. Newburyport: Edward Little & Co. 1811. New England Historic Genealogical Society Staff, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register,: Volume 20 1866. Heritage Books 1994. Accessed via GoogleBooks. The Women’s Guild of the Columbia Congregational Church. The Story of Columbia. Privately published, 1954. Accessed via http://www.columbiact.org/vertical/sites/%7B0E99EADE-5A51-4F01-A125-DF0E38340A1E%7D/uploads/%7B47C43791-6A6C-466B-B5D9-1B9608F66AB9%7D.PDF 10/26/2013.