There’s some disagreement about when the site for the church was selected, whether it was on February 19, 1864 or on June 25, 1864 – or maybe on both. An important component in this dispute is the offer made by William Turner prior to March 28, 1864, which may have led the group to re-affirm their original selection?
The church’s historians agree that it was Samuel Coit, but the Courant disputes that. In its March 25, 1916 obituary of Franklin Smith, the Courant reported that Smith “superintended the erection of many large houses and several churches in this city and New Britain. Among them was the Asylum Hill Congregational Church, which was built in 1865 under his direction.” In its August 13, 1896 obituary for Sam Coit, the Courant reported that “Mr. Coit was also connected with building interests in this city, and was largely interested in the building of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church.” Unfortunately, the Courant was entirely silent as to who was supervising the church’s construction while it was under construction.