Now & Then
New Canaan Now & Then: The ‘First’ Methodist Church
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‘New Canaan Now & Then’ is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens Realtors Joanne Santulli, Karen Ceraso, Bettina Hegel and Schuyler Morris. Spiga Wine Bar & Salumeria, located at 134 Main Street directly across from the Morse Parking Lot was built in 1833 as the first Methodist Church in New Canaan. It was originally located on the corner of Church and Main Street, but it was quickly too small for its growing congregation and in 1850 was moved by ox teams up Main Street to its present location. In its new location, the second floor was remodeled into a concert hall and the first floor was remodeled as a retail space. The concert hall could seat 500 people and was used for amateur theatrical productions and for political speeches. P.T. Barnum, the well known entrepreneur and entertainer, produced a show in the venue and the former editor of New York Tribune, Horace Greeley, addressed a Republican meeting there.