Timothy Wilcox, died 1863 North Greenwich Congregational Church Cemetery

Known commonly as The Church at the Crossroads, the North Greenwich Congregational Church is located at the intersection of Riversville Road and John Street.  In the spring of 1833 Reverend Chauncey Wilcox and church sexton William Lounsbury laid out the cemetery for family plots. These plots were provided free of charge to members of the church, a policy that still survives today.

A number of families associated with the history of this church and North Greenwich are interred here. These include such family names as Brown, Close, Husted, Kenworthy, Mead, Lounsbury, Peck, Mills, Tripp, Purdy, and others. Eight of the original founders  of the church are interred here. According to church records there are 13 Civil War veterans and 3 from World War I interred here.

Without doubt the most famous person buried here is the Reverend Chauncey Wilcox, the first minister of the Church. He served the congregation from 1828-1846. His salary was $500 for the first year. Reverend Wilcox was a popular pastor with the people of the community. His efforts in starting the North Greenwich Academy was one of his works, which was found by him in 1834, where he worked as its first teacher. 

Rev. Wilcox was a strong believer in the missionary movement, and encouraged some parishioners to travel to the islands of Hawaii to convert the inhabitants to Christianity and engage in their education.  One of his parishioners, Charlotte Close, was the step-mother of Sanford Dole, first President of the Republic of Hawaii and eventually its first governor as an American territory in 1900. 

In commemoration of the 350th year celebrations of the founding of Greenwich in 1640 his imposing tombstone was refurbished and rededicated by Reverend Wilcox's great-grand niece Elizabeth Willis in 1990.

The Wilcox family were very active in the early years of the church and many are interred in the cemetery. Willis Wilcox was a Civil War veteran. Josiah Wilcox was a self-made businessman who built a factory off Sherwood Avenue which produced, amongst other things, cannon balls for the war effort. Josiah was also a one term member of the Connecticut legislature. His mansion, built circa 1838, is located just north of the Merritt Parkway. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The epitaphs at this cemetery are Biblical quotes with a few original works. 

Besides the epitaph for Rev. Wilcox others worthy of note include that of his son Timothy, who followed in his fathers' steps but died young at the age of 27 years and 9 months in 1863 at Chicago, Illinois. The image of his stone and the above-ground text of his epitaph is reproduced here. 

The cemetery is still in use today by the church and makes a tranquil spot to visit in one of the most historic areas of the Town of Greenwich. 

Timothy K. Wilcox, 

son of Reverend Chauncey & Sarah A. Wilcox,

died February 27, 1863.

died suddenly at Chicago, Ill. 

Aged 27 years & 9 months.

As a son, brother, friend he has left an

aching void: as a scholar he wore

mostly the first honors of his class

at Yale & became Tutor at his alma mater

as a citizen his energies & substance

were ever ready for every benevolent

& Christian cause: as a minister of the

Gospel he reaped during his brief labors

rare success & personal affection.

He drew so largely from the living Fountain

that every relation with rich.....