"Deacon" Samuel Chapin was born in England in 1598. Along with William Pynchons, he founded the city of Springfield. Deacon Samuel Chapin was a forceful and dynamic man. A man with Puritan faith, he brought his family to New England about 1638. Living first in Roxbury, Mass. then moving to Springfield in 1642. He was one of the founders of that city then called Agawam. He served his town in many capacities including Selectman, Auditor and Magistrate and he was Deacon of the church for some 25 years. Next to the Public Library in Springfield there is a bronze statue, "The Puritan", which honors Samuel Chapin. The statue was commisioned by railroad magnate, Chester W. Chapin (1798 - 1883). The sculptor was Augustus Saint-Gaudens who used a bust of Chester Chapin as a model for the statue. The statue was erected in downtown Springfield on November 24, 1887.
Click for more detail Click for more detail Click for more detail Click for more detail
Deacon Chapin's statue
at the corner of State and
Chestnut streets in
Springfield MA.		 The "Puritan" as it looked
before the restoration in
November 1995		 Kathy (CHAPIN) Gracey
at Samuel Deacon Chapin's
statue May 2004		 Samuel Deacon Chapin,
one of the founders of
Springfield MA.

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