USA > New York > Columbia County > Hudson > Centennial celebration of the First Baptist Church, Hudson, N.Y., November 15th, 16th, and 17th, 1910 > Part 1
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GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Go 974.702 H86f
Centennial celebration of the First Baptist Church, Hudson, N. Y.
First Baptist Church
Audann, N. U.
1810
1910
Centennial Celebration
of the
First Baptist Church
Trườngn, N. V.
November 15th, 16th and 17th, 1910
Printed by order of the Centennial Committer
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
" We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days, in the time of old." Psalms 44 : 1.
" This shall be written for the generation to come, and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord." Psalms 102 : 18.
BRYAN PRINTING CO., HUDSON, N. Y.
Centennial Celebration
The Celebration of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the First Baptist Church of Hudson, N. Y., was un- dertaken by regular action of the Church and the fol- lowing were appointed a
COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS
Rev. Leonard F. Requa, Jr. Joseph K. Casey
Rev. W. Dewitt Lukens Richard W. Allen
Russel B. Benedict Frank R. Knapp
Alfred J. Rowles Charles S. Benedict
Including representation of church organizations on committee of arrangements as follows :
BIBLE SCHOOL
Mrs. Charles H. Bronk Mrs. Charles S. Benedict Remington Elting BAPTIST YOUNG PEOPLE'S UNION
Miss Sara A. Hildreth Miss Pearl Lukens
HELPING BAND SOCIETY
Miss Elizabeth A. Hildreth Mrs. Alfred P. Reynolds KING'S COURT
Miss Edna Van Vliet Miss E. Louise Krum
WOMEN'S MISSIONARY CIRCLE
Miss Cornelia Skinner Mrs. W. Dewitt Lukens
From this general committee were chosen sub-com- mittees on entertainment, press notices, printing, finance, music, collation, correspondence, decorations and antiquities.
The first work of the committee was to send to every member of the church the following letter :
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
1810-FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH-1910 Hudson, N. Y., Nov. 5th, 1910.
Dear Fellow Member :-
In the month of August of the year eighteen hun- dred and ten, the First Baptist Church of Christ in Hudson, came into being. Through the one hundred years that have elapsed since then, the Church has not ceased to know the gracious protection and the tender mercies of the Lord who gave it life. Many pastors have come and gone; several generations have ac- complished their service and passed onward to their rest, but the Church itself lives, a monument to the Living God whose years fail not.
We desire to observe with some exercises appropri- ate to this joyous time, the three nights of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, November 15th, 16th, and 17th ; pausing for a little while to refresh ourselves with the recollections of divine faithfulness and then making memory to suggest hope, turning our faces to the future, blessed and strengthened for service by the remembrance of God's former things.
The first night will be devoted, in part, to a calling of the roll of living members. We hope to see your face and hear your voice, and it may be suggested in this connection, that rising in your place and answer- ing "Present" will be considered a suitable and suf- ficient reponse to your name when called. But if, be- cause of distance, you are not able to be in attendance, will you not at least make some representation for yourself through a brief letter or a verse of scripture? This may be addressed to Mr. Joseph K. Casey, 526 Warren Street, Hudson, N. Y., the clerk of the Church It is important that every member be heard from in one way or the other, and that the clerk have the
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
verse of scripture from those who cannot personally attend, in good season. The services each night will commence at half past seven o'clock. To facilitate the work of ushering strangers, members should be in their places fifteen minutes before the time of begin- ning.
May we not feel that in these days we are all united in prayer for the church and for one another before Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.
Yours in Christian love,
SIGNED BY THE COMMITTEE.
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Centennial Exercises
The centennial exercises were held upon the even- ings of November 15th, 16th and 17th. Rev. Leonard F. Requa, Jr., whose pastorate officially closed in Oc- tober, led in arranging the anniversary program and was present at the centennial and presided during the three evenings. Mr. Joseph K. Casey, choir director, arranged for the music of each evening and Mrs. A. E. Davis presided at the organ. Of the first evening of the anniversary the Hudson Register said :
"The large audience that filled the Baptist Church last evening pronounced the exercises of unique inter- est. If this opening night of the centennial celebration is a prophecy of what the other two nights will be, the occasion will be a fitting closing of one hundred years of Church history. After the opening exercises, including special music by the choir, came the address of Rev. L. J. Dean, D. D., of Saratoga. In forceful and eloquent words he struck the keynote for the future of the church.
Then followed the history of the Church written by Miss Sarah R. Skinner who has been a member of the Church for sixty-eight years and is a woman of rare culture and highly respected in the Church and com- munity. The history was read by Rev. L. F. Requa, Jr., and so well was it prepared that there is a general demand for its publication as a souvenir of the cen- tennial.
Special interest was attached to the roll call of the membership which followed, as over eighty-five per cent. of the membership responded either in person or by letter. The decorations of the audience room were commended by everybody and praises were showered upon R. W. Allen and Remington Elting. To see the
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
artistic arrangement of flags alone is worth a visit to the Church. Under the date 1810 is a flag with fifteen stars, the number of states when the church was organized and under 1910 on the other side of the pulpit is the flag with the full number of the states, showing national progress during the hundred years. The historic collection of rare old church records, photographs of former pastors and prominent mem- bers, the old communion service, one of the old pulpit chairs, a foot stove such as was used in the pews, a home missionary box, a singing book and tuning fork of one of the earliest choristers, the first melodeon and other things of sacred interest kept the people long after the formal service had adjourned."
The next evening was Pastor's Night. The follow- ing is a portion of the report of the meeting given in the Hudson Republican :
"Last evening four former pastors of the First Baptist Church of Hudson took part in the centennial services being held in that Church this week. They were the Rev. James M. Bruce, who was pastor from 1881 to 1886; the Rev. W. J. Quincy, pastor from 1886 to 1892 ; the Rev. Arthur B. Potter, pastor from 1899 to 1903, and the Rev. Leonard F. Requa, Jr., pastor from 1906 to 1910. All four were glad to be able to attend the one hundredth anniversary of the Church in which they had labored and for which they re- tained an affection that is dearly cherished.
When the services opened with an organ prelude every seat in the Church was taken. A well rendered anthem by the choir followed the opening prayer.
During the evening the Rev. W. D. Lukens read a very interesting letter from Rev. L. A. Palmer, who was pastor of the Church from 1903 to 1906. He is now located in western Canada and very much re-
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
gretted his inability to be present to share in the joys the centennial occasion has brought about.
The several ministers who made addresses related reminiscences that brought back the past to many of the older members in a most refreshing way and told anecdotes that were full of mirth and greatly en- joyed.
The church is prettily decorated in honor of the event it is celebrating. A pretty arrangement of flags, pictures and records has changed the entire in- terior aspect of the Church, and is very pleasing."
Upon the third evening there were two notable ad- dresses. The first by Rev. George C. Yeisley, D. D., of the Presbyterian Church of Hudson, who spoke as a representative of the churches and citizens of Hud- son. The second by Rev. H. Clark Colebrook, repre- senting the Association and Baptist denomination at large. Extracts from the reports of the daily news- papers of the city are as follows :
The Evening Register said :
"The closing session of the centennial services of the Baptist Church was held last night. Every item of the program has been filled to the letter and the friends of the Church have been showering with con- gratulations the members upon this fitting conclusion of a hundred years of history. The Rev. George C. Yeisley, D. D., of the Presbyterian Church gave an eloquent tribute to the Baptist people. He said that he appreciated the privilege of offering his congratu- latons and God-speed for himself, Church and com- munity. Of the one hundred years he had been a neighbor for one-third of the period. He had noted the persistent growth of the Church in the face of many difficulties, its unswerving fidelity to the faith of the fathers amid all the modern changes in dogma
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and creed. He gloried in the faith and patience of this household of faith. He was glad for the fraternal fellowships and co-operation which he had ex- perienced with the seven pastors of the Church whom he had known. He paid to each a glowing tribute ending with Mr. Requa of whom he said, "His de- parture all good citizens and all lovers of Christ deeply deplore." He said that the churches of a city are the factors of a city's truest wealth, recognized in the fact that they are not taxed. The institutions that contribute to the better life of the community are the very best public utilities of a city. Unless men are shallow they look with respect upon the shrine of religion. This Church has been a beneficent force in this community for a century, it has been a fountain of blessing."
The Hudson Republican said :
"The centennial services of the First Baptist Church of Hudson were brought to a successful close last evening, and there was general rejoicing among the members, who congratulated one another on the way the one hundredth anniversary of the Church had been celebrated.
The Church was filled to its capacity when the ser- vices opened with an organ prelude and the choir was in fine voice for the closing anthem, which was beau- tifully sung. Throughout the services there was deep interest in the observance of an occasion which is al- ways of peculiar interest to everybody and especially so to the Baptists of Hudson.
After singing, the Rev. H. Clark Colebrook, Mod- erator of the Hudson River Baptist Association, North, was introduced, and he made a fine address, congratulating the Baptists of Hudson on the suc- cessful manner in which they had planned and carried
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
out the centennial of the Church and wishing them well for the future.
His address was on "The Trumpet Call," in which he showed the duty of the Church and its members in connection with the problems to be solved in the future.
After the benediction, which was pronounced by Rev. W. D. Lukens, there was a social hour in the lecture room. It followed the concluding exercises, and good fellowship and general rejoicing prevailed. It was a fitting closing event. Ice cream, cake and coffee were served."
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Centennial History
of the
First Baptist Church
nf
Tudann, New york
1810 --- 1910
arah R. kinner
Centennial History
In 1783, a company of the Society of Friends came from Providence and Nantucket, far west, to the Hud- son River and purchased the land on which our goodly city now stands. They came in a brig by the sound and the river, and brought material, with which to erect their houses. The settlement grew so rapidly, that, two years later it obtained a city charter and in 1800 the population was over 4,000 and the city, which was third in age in the state, ranked also third in com- merce and fourth in manufactures.
Immediately upon their arrival, the proprietors put up a small frame building for a meeting house, but the Society of Friends grew so rapidly that ten years later they replaced it by a brick structure, to accommodate six hundred worshippers.
Meanwhile the Methodists and Presbyterians had each built on lots given them by the city fathers, and the Episcopalians had established a parish, and were preparing to build, but when H. P. Skinner came to Hudson in 1798, the Friends' meetings were still the largest in the youthful city.
The first record of any Baptist gathering in this city, is on the 4th of August, 1810, when Rev. Daniel Steers, a missionary of the Baptist Missionary Society of the state of New York, met with twelve Baptists, five men and seven women, to consider the propriety of or- ganizing a Church. This meeting was at the home of H. P. Skinner, whose wife was one of the twelve. Al- though he did not unite with the Church until 1823, he was from the first one of its firm supporters.
A late number of the Examiner speaks of Rev.
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Daniel Steers as assisting at the organization of the first Baptist Church in Rockland county, in 1789, and it may be fairly inferred that this was not his first visit to Hudson, as two of the members of the new church did not bring letters, but are registered as baptized, no date of the baptisms being given.
Two other meetings were held under the guidance of Elder Steers, who assisted in arranging for a Council, and on Tuesday the 28th of August, fourteen delegates from Baptist churches in Aena, Coeymans, Rennslaer- ville, North-East and Catskill, met in the Court House, which stood then on the corner of Warren and Fourth streets, now occupied by the Presbyterian House of Worship. After due deliberation, the Council recog- nized the twelve as a Church of their own faith and order.
Elder Steers held still another conference with them, to assist in the appointment of a deacon and a clerk. Charles Brown was chosen deacon and William Foster clerk. On the next Sunday, Elder Steers preached, and administered the communion.
With the exception of the Council, all these meet- ings and many others through succeeding years, were held in the homes of the members, but the next spring the Church having more than doubled in number, they sometimes met in "the school house." This school house was on Chapel street and the teacher was Mr. Foster, the first clerk of the Church.
Frequent mention is made of ministers "Providential- ly with them," among whom are John M. Peck, after- ward well known for his work as a pioneer missionary in Illinois, and Stephen Gano, who also did pioneer work in this state and in Ohio. The recurrence of Elder Steers' name intimates that he kept watch over the little band until in 1812, they called Rev. Harvey
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Jenks as their first pastor. Mr. Jenks' pastorate was very brief, as in 1814 he was called to his reward, and his body was laid in our burying ground. At that time the Church numbered thirty-six, there having been forty-one names on the roll, but three had died and two had been dismissed.
In the fall of 1814, the place of meeting was moved up-town, to the school room of Deacon Brown, nearly on the site of our present House of Worship.
After the death of Mr. Jenks, the Church was for more than a year without a pastor, and then called Mr. Ogilvie, a young preacher, who was ordained here, the service being in the Presbyterian meeting house, which stood on the lot now vacant, at the cor- ner of Allen and Second streets. The ordaining prayer was offered by Francis Wayland, Sr., then of Troy. In September, 1816, the Church held a communion ser- vice in the Presbyterian House.
The pastorate of Mr. Ogilvie lasted but little over a year. The Sunday services were, at this time, fre- quently held in the Court House, and the good sisters were often called upon to clean the court room, after the court had adjourned on Saturday, that it might be in suitable condition for the worship of the next day. This and other inconveniences led to the circu- lating of a subscription paper for a meeting house.
The church had joined the New York Association in 18II, but the Hudson River Association being consti- tuted, they voted to transfer their membership to that body, and on August 28th, 1816, their delegates met at Poughkeepsie, with those from five other churches of over nine hundred members in their first regular ses- sion. No other Church united with that Association until 1819, but when they divided in 1850, it numbered
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sixty-five churches, with more that thirteen thousand members.
In December of 1817, Deacon Brown having died, and Mr. Foster having left the city, "the church agreed to hire the privilege of the school room for the Sabbath and other days, at fifty cents per week."
About this time, the records note that "provision was made to procure hay for the horses of visiting ministers."
During the three years of service of our next pastor, Rev. Avery Briggs, there were fifty-three baptisms, more than doubling the membership of the Church. On June 7th, 1818, Mr. Briggs had the joy of conducting the opening service, in a new and commodious room, which the church occupied for Sunday services, until in 1861, they removed to their present edifice.
The city proposing to erect, on the site of the pres- ent High School, a brick building for a free school on the Lancaster plan, offered to the Baptists the privilege of running up the walls an additional story, and putting a tower entrance on the front; the city to have the right to buy them out whenever the growth of the school might require. The Church gladly embraced the opportunity to have a local habitation, though they did not own the roof over their heads. The members of the Church were fond of designating it "the upper room."
The tower entrance was commodious, the stairs and landings being broad and well lighted. The room was large and airy. It was warmed by stoves, supple- mented by little foot stoves, brought by those who specially feared the cold, and was lighted by oil lamps. The only covering on the floor, except where the pew- holders carpeted each his own pew, was a strip laid along the aisles. The pulpit was raised above the
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floor but little more than our present one, and the gallery for the singers at the opposite end of the room, was at the same height and entered by steps at the end of the aisles. The pulpit chairs were the mahog- any ones, presented by John Hathaway, and lately pur- chased by his great grandson, but under the pulpit stood two common wooden chairs, painted white.
My special recollections of the room are connected with the close of the Sunday School sessions, when each teacher knelt with her class, and somewhat sheltered by the high partitions of the pews, offered prayer for a blessing on the lesson of the day ; or, with the gatherings of the Juvenile Missionary Society, on the seats in front of the pews, to listen to Father Peck's account of his work among the Indians, on the Tonawanda Reservation, in Western New York. Father Peck claimed that he "took his degree off a log in the woods," but he had certainly purchased for himself the "good degree," of which Paul wrote to Timothy.
Fourth street had not been graded, the hill was steep and the pavement uneven, the houses few and scattered, and the street so dimly lighted that the dea- cons often carried lanterns to guide the congregation on their homeward way, and the week meetings were still held mainly in the homes of the members.
· In November, 1819, Mr. Briggs having resigned, the Church wrote to Dr. Staughton, of Sansom street, Philadelphia, asking him to recommend a pastor. He immediately replied, naming Howard Malcom, a young licentiate of that Church, then studying in Princeton. Mr. Malcom having, at the request of the Church, spent a month with them, received an earnest invitation to become their pastor. He accepted, but stipulated that he should be allowed to finish his term at Princeton.
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Having accomplished that, and having been ordained by his home Church, he commenced here a pastorate of more than six years, which proved of untold value to the young Church.
Mr. Malcom was a born leader of men and a skill- ful organizer, as is well attested by the numerous activities established by the Church, under his guid- ance. He had but just assumed the pastorate, when he organized a Sabbath School, the first Bible School of any denomination in this region. At the end of the first year, it numbered one hundred and seventy-nine scholars and sixteen teachers. In the second year, branches were established in Athens, Catskill and the city Alms House, reporting in all four hundred scholars, and when in 1826, Mr. Malcom left for Boston, the Columbia County Sunday School Association (formed largely through his efforts) represented, as far as I can ascertain, thirty schools. A youth, asked to give an account of a meeting of the Association, re- plied : "Oh it was just as usual. Mr. Malcom said to one go, and he goeth; and to another come, and he cometh ; and to another do this, and he doeth it."
Mr. Malcom and his wife also led the church in or- ganizing a Female Visiting Society, for distributing Bibles and tracts, a Domestic Missionary Society, a Female Working Society, to aid students in the Theo- logical Seminary at Washington, D. C. (This society reports one year the knitting of fifty pairs of socks), and a Juvenile Missionary Society in the Sunday School, a Poor Fund, and a collection for Missions, in connection with the monthly Concert of Prayer.
In 1824 the Church reported to the Association 128 members, a Sunday School library of 200 volumes, the beginning of a church library of religious books, to be kept in the pastor's study and loaned to the members,
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
30 religious periodicals taken, and $263 collected for benevolent objects.
A lamp had been placed on the front of the meeting house, stone steps at the door and new lamps on the pulpit and the city had granted the request for a better pavement, but the church still desiring a place nearer to the centre of things and more accessible, in 1825, the city having given a lot to each of the other churches, granted to the Baptists a space on Third street, be- hind the lodge of the Free Masons. On this they erected a small frame building, to be used for social meetings.
In our Conference room, as it was called, many a happy group gathered for prayer and study of the Bible ; but, on winter evenings, rooms already warmed and lighted were made still more attractive by the cheery welcome of their owners, and had the additional advantage of being in different neighborhoods, and serving the needs of different groups.
The sexton's duties in both buildings were variously cared for. At one time twelve men were chosen, each to take charge for a given month; at another, two sisters were appointed to attend to the sweeping of the meeting house for a month. In winter, there was al- ways a snow committee to clear the walks. These committees might procure substitutes, but they were held responsible for the work.
Mr. Malcom held a regular weekly service in Athens, resulting in adding to our Church a number of faith- ful members from that village.
Mr. Malcom's pastorate was the longest, with one exception, in the history of this Church, and when, in 1826, he felt it his duty to accept an appointment as General Secretary of the American Sunday School Union, the Church could but bid him God-speed,
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though his departure was greatly regretted, not only by them, but by the community at large.
The salary of Mr. Malcom, four hundred dollars, was entirely inadequate to the support of his family, but he was only one of several of our pastors, who, for more than a quarter of the century, have given full proof that, like Paul, they were our "servants for Jesus' sake," and sought "not ours but us."
Mr. Sandys, a young licentiate, next supplied the Church for six months. In that time Elder Galusha presented the needs of Columbian University, in Washington, and received a contribution, and, in 1827, all the churches in the city took up collections, for the suffering Greeks.
Rev. Mr. Loomis followed, with a pastorate of three and a half years. The Church was now very much interested in Domestic Missions, as well as in the work in Burma. A building fund was also started, but grew so slowly that it was soon given up.
In 1828, there having been a serious division in the Society of Friends, the Orthodox members withdrew, and, for more than three years, used our Conference room for their meetings.
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