|
Church of Eternal Light
This tiny church, one of the three
original churches in the town, began as a schoolhouse which was built in 1884 by agents of Miss Hattie O. Utter, a day school
teacher in the North Chippins Hill district of Bristol. After she moved away from the area to marry, the church and
Sunday school was continued by the Sessions family of Bristol (the famous clock and watch crafters) and Mr. B.S.
Rideout.
On September 2, 1889, the schoolhouse officially entered into a charter,
naming it Mount Hope Chapel, remaining so until September 10, 1962, when it changed hands once again and became the First
Michel Spiritualist Church. Twenty years later, new owners renamed it the Church of Eternal Light. A brand new
steeple and bell tower were built in the year 2000 and on February 18, 2001, the property officially became a pagan spiritualist
church and has remained so.
|
| The sign of Eternal Light |
The church sits upon Hill Street in
Bristol and is quite easy to find as it's the only church along this road. The front steps are very old (most probably
the originals) being fashioned from huge blocks of granite or traprock. There are a few remaining original stepping
stones along the walk as well, but they are haphazardly covered here and there with modern blacktop, which is certainly an
eyesore. The front door of the church is a gorgeous, carved wooden piece, adorned with bas reliefs and a capital "W"
enclosed in a circle (presumably standing for 'wiccanism'). Above the front door, a black pentagram is displayed behind
the many paned window (the link to this church's website has been removed due to its unreliability. If you wish
to access their website, search "Church of Eternal Light, Bristol, CT" and you will better be able to visit
the site). When Creepy Connecticut arrived
at the church, it was closed and there were no cars in the driveway, as it was a holiday.
|
| Did someone really get struck by lightning on these steps? |
|
| Could these be the original steps of Mount Hope Chapel? |
|
| Unsightly blacktop covers the stepping stones |
|
| The date that this structure first became a church |
|
| The Pentacle Window |
|
| The Front Door: Does the "W" stand for 'wiccanism'? |
The History
The church has a history of being haunted, although
its current occupants say that it is no longer so due to a thorough cleansing. The church has been featured on national
television (a ghost hunter supposedly filmed orbs there) yet the most interesting story regards a former parishoner having
been struck by lightning while standing upon the front steps. This person's spirit was reported to be haunting the church,
along with the apparition of another person's face being spotted infrequently inside the bell tower (although as mentioned
above, the steeple and bell tower were only just built in 2000).
|
| The Bell Tower of the Church of Eternal Light |
What's
Next?
It is supposed that the current occupants will
remain in this church and continue to practice open paganism. The building itself and the grounds are very small and
one supposes that the owners will most likely turn the church over to its parishoners if they decide to move on to other
things. Regardless, it doesn't look like this church will be changing hands any time soon. I am not sure of the
number of parishoners, but endeavor to find out on a follow-up interview with the reverend of the church.
As for the hauntings, we found no evidence of such. There are
no records of someone being struck by lightning upon the grounds and, as far as the apparition, it could be anyone associated
with the one-hundred-plus-year history of the structure. Perhaps, Miss Utter has decided to stay on, protecting the
final legacy of the small chapel she began long ago.
GOOSEBUMP FACTOR: 0
Barry A. A. Dillinger
November 24th, 2004
UPDATE: There has recently been a crime committed against this property. Vandals trespassed
upon this property and have spraypainted the outside of the church, front door, lamps, windows and, unfortunately, the sign
bearing the name of the church (pictured above). They also defiled parts of the lawn and the rock labyrinthe upon the
property. By some stroke of luck, these two vandals were caught on video as they defaced the property and Bristol police
are in the process of viewing the tape in hopes of catching the culprits which appear to be two teenaged girls. This
is a despicable act and, hopefully, these two girls will be brought to justice.
September 20th, 2005
|
| In 1982, this structure became the Church of Eternal Light |
|
