ABOUT US

     Our church history begins, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) There were a few more than two or three, seven to be exact, who met together in His name.

     Our church began on December 27, 1813, when that little group of seven gathered in a home on the south side of what is now Gilbert Avenue. Although at a time when only men were allowed to hold official positions and manage the affairs of the church, they were led by a woman—Sybil Tuttle.

     The story of HPUMC continues, “On September 11, 1819, Ruth Benham, one of the original seven class members, gave land on Circular Avenue opposite Church Street on which to erect the first Methodist church in Hamden. The church that was built on that land was a box-like structure 21’ wide and 22’ long.”

     In 1833, when Eli Whitney, son of the inventor of the cotton gin, wanted to do something for his fellow Congregationalists, he donated land in Whitneyville for them to build a new church. In 1834, the East Plains Congregational Church sold their property to Amos and Isaac Benham for $80; Isaac Benham paid $68 for his portion, which he sold to the Hamden Plains Methodist Episcopal Church and Society for that same amount. The old Congregational church was torn down, and a new church measuring 35’ by 45’ was built in its place. The new church served the Methodists well until it was destroyed in a fire in 1918.

     The cornerstone for our present building was laid on Sunday, July 20, 1919, and the new church was dedicated on October 10, 1920. Just a month before the fire, land next to the church was purchased. Some of the slightly charred, but usable timber from the church can still be seen in the attic of our parsonage.

     Through God's love and grace, Hamden Plains United Methodist Church has been serving its congregation and community for well over 200 years and now looks forward to what God has in store for its future.​