Crofut Legacy

Our library was created through the bequest of Florence Crofut, the Hartford historian and philanthropist who joined First Church at the age of 88. In 1962 she endowed the John P. Webster Collection of the Church Library, a collection of religious resources named in honor of the Senior Minister of First Church. Upon her death in 1974 Florence Crofut bequeathed one-third of her estate to First Church for the establishment of "an outstanding New England church library to be known as the John P. Webster Library." What began as an anniversary gift, and continued as a thank offering, has become a lasting legacy to our church and the broader community.