USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Brunswick > History of Gilead Evangelical Lutheran Church, Centre Brunswick, Rensselaer Co., N.Y. and the vicinity > Part 1
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, RENSSELAER CO., N. Y.
Gc 974.702 C333b 1427513
10
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01177 8039
H.WOLF = CO- ENG'S:
SECOND BRICK CHURCH.
HISTORY C
OF
GILEAD EVANGELICAL
LUTHERAN CHURCH,
CENTRE BRUNSWICK, RENSSELAER CO., N. Y.
AND THE VICINITY.
BY REV. J. N. BARNETT.
Gc 974.702 C333b
FORT WAYNE, IND. : GAZETTE CO., BOOK PRINTERS. 1881.
1427513
PREFACE.
In the year 1876 the writer, then pastor of Gilead Luth- eran Church, Centre Brunswick, N. Y., was requested to prepare an historical address, as at that time it was sup- posed the said church was exactly one hundred years old. This he undertook to do, delivering two addresses of the kind. These however did not cover half the age of the church. He then suggested the propriety of making an effort to collect everything that could be found relating to the church and neighborhood, and writing a history to be preserved in manuscript by the church, and forwarding a copy of the same to the Historical Society at Gettysburg, Pa. Soon afterwards, at an annual congregational meet- ing it was resolved it should be published when completed.
The work has been one of greater magnitude than the production indicates; patient research, much time, abund- ant labor and considerable expense having been required for its production. Its circulation will necessarily be lim- ited, as few outside of the immediate vicinity of the church, and descendants of families represented in it, will care to read it. The writer has spared no pains to secure accuracy and has taken no pains to embellish it. He does not court criticism of his language or style, but believes his facts will bear the test of scrutiny. As he could not hope to create a reputation as a historian in such a per- formance the estimate anyone may put upon it does not greatly concern him. He hands it over to those it may interest or serve to amuse, and hopes it will contribute somewhat to the information sought concerning the early history of the Lutheran Church in America.
COLUMBIA CITY, IND., Sept. 1. 1881. J. N. B.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. Stray facts gathered up and history corrected.
CHAPTER II. The period between 1768 and 1792. An unrecognized Lutheran Patriarch.
CHAPTER III. From the removal of Pastor Schwerdfeger till the death of Rev. A. T. Braun.
CHAPTER IV. Dr. Bachman, Revs. Molther, McCarty and Goodman. The old Brick Church.
CHAPTER V.
The period covered by Rev. Dr. Senderling's ministry.
CHAPTER VI.
From the call of Rev. Mr. Kline till the removal of the Fifteenth Pastor.
CHAPTER VII. Addenda.
HISTORY
OF
GILEAD EVANGELICAL
LUTHERAN CHURCH,
CENTRE BRUNSWICK, RENSSELAER CO., N. Y. AND VICINITY.
CHAPTER I.
STRAY FACTS GATHERED UP AND HISTORY COR- RECTED.
Insuperable obstacles prevent the perfect ac- complishment of the work of compiling the history of our church, owing to the fact that books of record kept earlier than the year 1777, have been lost. Papers have been found, how- ever, which enable us to show that the church is much older than it was thought to be, and than its records, now in our possession, indicate. From these we have gleaned many facts not
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
only of local, but of general interest and value to our church in America. We regret that we have not succeeded in fixing the exact date of the organization of Gilead Church, but rejoice to be able to preserve from oblivion much that in a few years must have been lost. It would have been gratifying to their descendants to have been able to recount more fully the struggles and triumphs of the men and women, who, bravely pushing into the wilderness, laid the foundations on which, in after years, was reared the spiritual structure, over which we rejoice, and which, no doubt, is the fulfilment of fondly cherished hopes on their part; for they must have looked forward in hope to the time when civilization should trans- form the wilderness into, fruitful fields, and the voice of praise and prayer should sanctify, through all the generations to follow, the house of the Lord they were toiling and sacrificing to establish. What we this day enjoy as a christian community is the harvest of their planting, and is proof to us that God's pledge to those who sow in faith cannot fail.
A history of Gilead Lutheran Church neces- sarily includes a history of the vicinity, because the church and settlement were coeval; hence many things have been introduced that otherwise
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
need not have been mentioned, including remi- niscences, which, while they have no special value outside the limits of this community, yet, to the writer, seemed worthy of being preserved as associated with the experiences, and illustra- tive of the peculiarities and customs of the found- ers of this church. Other reasons for the intro- duction of extraneous matter will be given as we proceed.
Rensselaer county was formed from Albany county on Feb. 7, 1791, and, for the most part, was included in the territory granted in 1629, by the Dutch West India Company to Killian Van Rensselaer, a pearl merchant of Amsterdam, Holland, and was named Rensselaerwyck. The last Patroon under this grant was Stephen Van Rensselaer, the sixth in line of descent from Kil- lian, the original grantee.
Brunswick township was formed from Troy, March 20, 1807. While yet included in Albany county, the settlement around the church was at first called Hosek Road; then, as it extended, it took the name Feilstown, then Elizabeth- town, afterward Troytown. The "Historical and Statistical Gazeteer of New York" states that "settlement was first made here by Ger- mans, about 1760." The date is wrong, but the
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
other part of the statement is correct. These Germans were Palatines who were settled under the patronage of Queen Anne at East and West Camp and vicinity, from which locality some of them went out and formed settlements else- where. From among those residing in Livings- ton Manor, who volunteered in an expedition against Canada in 1711, several finding the country north of them pleasant and desirable, determined, so soon as convenient after their return and discharge, to locate there; hence, between 1711 and 1717, Johannes Jung, Joh. Adam Freiderich, Georg Shaffer, Phillip Kelmer, Stephen Froelich, Andreas Bergman, Ludowig W. Schmidt, and Joh. Schneider came and lo- cated near the north line of the East Manor of Rensselaerwyck, which is now the north line of Brunswick, most of them in the now townships of Schagticoke and Pittstown. From "ye Inde- pendent Companie of ye Mannor of Livingston as they were mustered at ye Mannor House on ye 30 day of Novem'r 1715" came Coenraet Ham, Jans Witbeck and Hans Jury Kolemer, who, we believe, settled in the immediate vicinity of the place where the first "Meeting House" was afterwards built. Many of these people who did military duty in the several expeditions
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
against Canada between 1711 and 1724 served on compulsion. On their return to their homes Gov. Hunter having become distrustful of them disarmed them, and suspecting one Johannes Conrad Weiserª of inciting them to insubordina- tion, threatened to hang him. The Governor's attitude toward them promoted a spirit of rest- lessness which resulted in the exodus of many to Schoharie Flats. In 1724, among others who signed a paper declaring their willingness to remain on the Livingston Manor, but who subse- quently removed to this vicinity, were Johannes Heener, Paulus Dirk, Petrus Ham, Petrus Phil- lips, Petrus Lamp-Man, Johan. Heinrich Conrad, and Olrig and Pfilibs Barnet. Of these Johan. Hayner and Ulrich and Philip Barnett settled at Haynerville, the first where Herman Hayner now lives, the other two on the farm now owned by Henry Dater; the house stood about one- fourth of a mile south of the present farm build- ings. Paul Derrick and Peter Ham located near
Centre Brunswick. What befel these families during the next twenty-two years diligent search has failed to discover, and had it not been that Johannes Hayner jr. left papers which provi-
a. Grandfather of Rev. Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg's wife, vide Hallische Nachrichten, No. 1, p. 293.
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
dentially escaped destruction, and a stray memo- randum of Pastor Schwerdfeger, nothing could have been told outside of what was written in the Church Record which was begun in 1777.ª There was an older Church Book than this, but it has been lost. That the settlement was in existence in 1746, and on to 1761, and Gilead Lutheran Church as well, the following facts witness. Three receipts for monies paid by Johannes Hayner jr., and signed, the first by L. DWitt, the second by Johan. Kortz, and the third by Dirck Tansen, are dated respectively "May 31, 1746, Jan. 2, 1747, and ye 18 Mai, 1761." In Dr. Hazelius' Historyb we find the following :- "Between the years 1706 and 1712 emigrations to the colonies of New York and Pennsylvania became frequent, and very many industrious families settled in the (now) counties of Dutchess, Ulster, RENSSELAER, and Schoharie, as also on the fertile banks of the Mohawk, in the then Province of New York."
"In 1746, at Schoharie, in the State of New York, the Rev. Peter Nicholas Sommer was laboring with success and the blessing of God.
a. The census of the Manor of Rensselaerwyek taken in 1714 gives the total pop., white 427, slaves 181.
b. A History of the American Lutheran church, by Rev. E. L. Hazelins, D.D., (1846) p. 23.
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
The field assigned for cultivation to this servant of the Lord was very extensive; but no distance, no travels through forests never before entered by white man deterred him from visiting the Lutheran settlements at Stone Arabia, Little Falls, and Canajoharie, on the Mohawk River; at Albany, Helleberg, Beaverdam and HOSSACK ROAD in Albany county." &c.
The names of the emigrants of 1706 to 1712, above mentioned, we cannot give, but it is clear that such as came to this county settled here, for here was the only settlement of Lutherans, and Gilead was the only Lutheran church in Renssel- aer county for more than half a century after that date. In 1742 this church united with that in Schoharie and others in calling Mr. Sommer to become their Pastor. Indeed, though so re- mote from each other, the Lutheran churches in all the region of the upper Hudson were almost as one, being bound together by the re- lationship of families, besides the sympathy of race and country. "This call was sent to Rev. Peter Nicholas Sommer, a native of the city of Hamburgh, while yet a student. He received it on the 7th Sep. 1742. On the 21st of the same month he was ordained in his native city as Pas- tor of these congregations. He arrived in New
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
York City April 21, 1743, and reached Schoharie May 25. He at once took charge of the churches in East and West Camp, Claverack, and Loonen- burgh on the Hudson, (besides several others,) and of this church, on Hosack Road, as the place was then called. In all these places he preached the gospel and administered the Holy Sacraments at regular and stated periods." ª
THE LOG CHURCH .- About what date the first church building was erected an extract from an old paper bearing date 1769, will show :-
"When it had pleased the Almighty and Merciful God in His goodness to plant the Evangelical Lutheran Church in this American part of the world also, and especially in the State of New York, during the reign of Queen Anna, and also in this neighborhood and district called Hosek Road, in Rensselaerwyck, Albany County, then more than twenty years ago, a small body of adherents of the above said Lutheran church, disposed to that end did build and erect a prayer and church House to the Honor of God, and for their convenience, upon that lot of ground which our most worthy Patroonb generously gave to promote and perpetuate the service of God and for the better main- tainance of our preacher, for which purpose he presented us with a Deed of Gift which we acknowledge with heartfelt thanks towards our Good Lord in Heaven, and that in addition He grants us all hereabouts by His grace that we through the permission of the Government
a. Dr. Lintner's History of the Lutheran church in Schoharie. b. There were 4 Stephen Van Rensselaers. This was the second, the grandfather of the last Stephen.
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
are allowed to carry on our pure Lutheran Church service free and without hindrance."
From this we see there was a church building before 1749, and it is probable as early as the beginning of Rev. Mr. Sommer's ministry.
The "Hosek Road," which was the only public highway across Rensselaerwyck at that time, led from Livingston Manor along the east bank of the Hudson to the ferry where Troy now stands, at which point it turned away from the river and ran in a north-easterly direction to the settlements on the Hoosic and Walloomsac patents in the N. E. corner of this ( Rensselaer) county. The hamlet, in the midst of which the church stood, naturally came to be called Hosek Road because it was the only point along the road that ap- proached the dignity of a village, and where travellers could procure entertainment.
During the wars of 1745 and 1754 between the English and French, all this region north of Albany was marked by frequent atrocities perpe- trated by the Savage allies of the French, and twice at least the majority of the settlers fled from their homes in terror, retiring to Livingston Manor and other points down the river, some of whom never returned. There is nothing to show that services were held in the church from the
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
time Pastor Sommer ceased his ministrations till about 1760.
When these troubles were finally at an end, the inducements offered to settlers by the lord of the Manor attracted many emigrants, not only Germans, but Dutch, English, Scotch, Irish and French as well. Of the first names appearing on the Baptismal Record, Brust, Coonradtª, Clum, Daterb, Derrick", Filed, Haynere, Rys- dorph, Snyderf, Smith&, Van Arnum, Van der Huyden, Wager, &c. remain to this day; while Beekman, Bergman, Bratt, Dowty, Fraats, Groon, Hartwig, Hok, Ham, Jung, Kuntz, Laquois, Legrange, McDougal, McMullen, Owens, Out- hout, Quackenbos, Raaf, Van Buehren, Van Aelstyne, Wetzel, &c. have disappeared.
Of the emigrants who were Lutherans, some passing further on, settled in the vicinity of North Petersburgh, in the N. E. corner of the Renssel- aer patent, where, in 1765-or about that date- they built a log church which remained standing in 1800, having been used as a school house after the close of the Revolutionary war. In 1767, being without a regular pastor, "Schole Master Watson" conducted lay services, reading sermons
a. Conrad. b. Dadar, Tater. c. Dyrck, Dirck, Dirk. d. Veile. Fele. e. Heener, Hoener. f. Schneider. g. Schmidt.
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
from a book now in possession of the writer, the title of which is-" Dr. Henry Miller's Evangeli- cal Church Mirror" which contains sermons for all the Sundays and Holydays of the Church year, with an appendix called-"The Tear and Conso- lation Spring, or the history of the great female sinner, Luke 7: 36-50," consisting of 17 sermons on the above text, with hymns; edited and printed by Johann Friedrich Hartung, Erfurt, 1764.
The impetus given to emigration through the influences before mentioned brought much travel over the Hoosic road. This demanded the estab- lishment of inns. The first of these in this vicinity, of which we have any knowledge, stood opposite the church building, on the glebe land, in Hayner- ville, and John Tillman, a member of Gilead Church was "landlord." The statement in the Historical Gazetteer that "the first inn in Bruns- wick was kept by -- File in 1790" is incorrect, as the following paper shows .
"Johannes Hainer Dr To John Tillman €. s. d.
1776 To Board from ye 8 Day of Augst toy 30 Do at 16 | the first week and 2 | pr Day after. .. To 25 gills of wine a 6d.
2 60
0 12 6
to 10 mugs of Beer & a nip of Sangry .. 060
L £ 3: 6: 4
a. All papers are copied verbatim.
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
Johannes Hayner jr. succeeded Mr. Tillman, and soon after he took charge of the tavern it burned down. He then, in 1772, built on his own premises some thirty rods south of the church, about where the barn of his great-grand-son. Herman Hayner, now stands. (1880.) From "Hayner's Tavern" the place came to be called Haynerville. Deacon Hayner's "bar book". in which he kept the "scores" of his bar patrons. shows that some of his fellow church officers and brethren were men of convivial habits.
In further confirmation of the inaccuracy of the Historical Gazetteer we here introduce a copy of Mr. Hayner's business license :-
"Abraham C. Cuyler, Esq., Mayor of the City of Albany, sends Greeting:
ALBANY. (BEAVER.) 1752.
Whereas Johanis Heyner of Manr . Rens" . of the county of Albany, hath made Ap- plication to be licenc'd to keep common Tavern, to retail and vend Beer, and all all sorts spirituous Liquors, to be drank in the House wherein he now dwells, in said County.
These are therefore to certify and declare that the said Johs Heyner of Mannor aforest is hereby admitted, allowed and licenc'd to sell by retail Beer and all other spirituous LIQUORS, to be drank in the now his Dwelling House, in s'd county from the Date hereof, unto the first of January next. Provided always, He doth not suffer any unlawful Game or Games, Drunkenness or any other
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
Disorders, to be committed in his said House; but that good Order and Rule be maintained and kept therein, according to the Law in that Behalf made and provided: in Testimony whereof the said Mayor hath hereunto set his Name, and caused the public Seal of the said City to be hereunto affixed, the Fifteenth day of February in the fifteenth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the Grace of God King of Great-Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith. Annoq: Domini. 1775.
Jacob Nier. Bail.
Abrm. C. Cuyler, Mayor."
The uniqueness of the following paper is my apology for its introduction here :-
"pitstown June 1th 1770
Sir pay John phillips, the Indian have 3 | 5d or Discount So Much vith him and Charge the Same to Mr Tisdale Eddy
This Shall Be towards Nusepaper
To Hones Haner.
On the back of the order is shown its ac- ceptance, and the kind of pay the Indian re- ceived :- -
"im iahr 1771 Jennavary 1 the stabel rum 6 nite latsan (lodging!) for tow 18 tow quort sayter (2 qt. cider') 1 st jill rom (rum!) 6 three haf Jill 9 "
Henry Dater, another of the church officers erected the first frame barn in the settlement, in
·
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
1771, which is yet in use and promises to last for years to come.
It appears that the patronage of the settlers was given to the Livingston Manor store rather than to the one in Albany, notwithstanding the latter was not so far away. This perhaps was owing to the fact that most of them had come from that place; they had relatives there; the business there was largely in the hands of Germans; and their public road led directly there, while to reach Albany they must cross the river, and then must trade with the Dutch. But about the year 1770 Conrad Hayner and Peter Loose opened a store at a place afterwards known as Platestown, now Tamarack. The first grist-mill was built by Johann Heinrich Gross, (1772,) on the Quacken-kill, where the mill owned by Paul Smith now stands. (1880.) It must have been an unsubstantial structure as tradition reports that all the tools used by the millwright in its con- struction were a saw, an axe and an anger; and that when the miller had set it in motion, he invariably waited on the outside while the grist was in process of grinding!
The first resident physicians mentioned were Dr. Peter Jacob Prettan and Dr. August Fred- erick Sandhagen. Dr. John Godfried Knauff
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
came later, and became one of the most promi- nent members of the church.
The old log church, which at first met their necessities, after a time needed to be enlarged. They then doubled its capacity by removing one end, and adding a log's-length to it. But, as the years went by, and God prospered the labors of their hands, they began to consider the desira- bleness of having a' better house of worship. About the year 1770 they commenced to agitate the matter and took some steps toward its ac- complishment, but for some cause were delayed, and did not really begin the work until six years later. Then, almost suddenly -at least so far as they were concerned, -the unpleasantness growing out of the wholesale waste of tea in Boston Harbor, and other events, precipitating the Colonists' struggle for independence, put an end to their completing their building at that time. We will, however, let them tell their own story. The following paper written in English by Rev. Samuel Schwerdfeger is given exactly as written. It has sewed fast to it the following permit :-
"U. S. Albany, June 22d, 1789.
It appearing that a Number of persons have associated to build a Lutheran church at Hosick in the the Town of
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
Rensselaerwyek I hereby permit such person as the Elders of the said Church shall by writing under their Hand ap- point for that purpose to solicit Contributions for the said Church for the Term of Six Weeks from this Date.
John Lansing Junr Mayor of the City of Albany."
Below, in the Mayor's hand writing, was fur- nished a blank which was filled and signed :-
"We the Elders of the Said Church hereby appoint Albertus Simon, and Jacob Waeger for the purpose above mentioned.
Samuel Schwerdfeger Min." John Weger George Schneider Nicolaus Bonensteel
Gentlemen, Ladys and Fellow Christians
The members of the Protestant Lutheran congregation on Hosek Road in Renslaerwyk Albany County, take the liberty by the Permission of the Worshipfull John Lan- sing Junr. Esqr. & Mayor of the City of Albany, (wich Permission is annected to this writings) to address you, and lay their sad and pityfull circumstances before you.
It is about fourteen Years ago, that the said Members of the above Congregation, whilst the Number of them did increase, so that the Block Meeting House, where they used to serve the Lord, was to small for them, and the said Meeting house was not fit for any Worship, for fear it might brake down and kill them, so that the took a Notion of building a Church, and they begone it in the year 1775.
But the disturbance of the War put soon a Stop to it, so that a great many of the said Members were ruin'd & brought to great Distress and Poverty, so that they was oblig'd to leave of building: but now last Year they have
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
begun again, and dit their utmost Endeavour to finish the said Church.
It was not their Intention in the least at that Time to mo- lest their Neighbours and Fellow Christians, with Collec- tions, for it has the appearance last Fall, as if they should have a promising Crop this Harvest, but that Hope is all lost for the most part of the Grane is kill'd with the Frost, and the Rest is destroy'd by the Insects, and now they have such a heavy Debt to pay, which they are not able to dis- charge out of their own Pokets: So they are obliged to implore all good-minded Christians who has it in their Hearts to promote the kingdom of Christ to assist them and lay some mite for the said Building of the said Church in the Hands of their Fellow Brothers which they have send for that purpose Namely Albertus Simon and Jacob Weager.
Gentlemen Lady's and Fellow Christians Please to re- member, what St. Paul says 2 Corinth: Chapt. 9. v. 7. 8. Every Man according as he purposed in his hearth, so let him give not grudgingly or of Necessity, for God loved a chearfull giver and God is able to make all Grace abound you, that you allways having a Sufficiency in all things may abound to every good Work:
Signed by Order and in Behalfe of the above Said Members.
Elizabethtown formerly Feilstown.
Samuel Shwerdfeger: Clerk." June the 26th, 1789.
The log church was, perhaps, their first church building. It stood two or three rods south of the frame church "begone in the year 1775." on the same side of the old Hoosic road, where
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
the house nearest and south of the old graveyard now stands. After the frame church was com- pleted the old church was repaired and changed into a school-house. Three of the boys,ª who attended school in it three quarters of a century ago furnished the writer with much of the matter contained in this history.
Who served the church as pastor during the time intervening between the removal or death of Rev. Mr. Sommer and the arrival of Rev. Mr. Schwerdfeger has not transpired. The following correspondence copied from the Docu- mentary History of New York, Vol. IV, we believe has reference to a pastor of Gilead Church. That it is not the Stone Arabia Church near Pala- tine Bridge on the Mohawk River appears certain, after having made diligent inquiry, and personal examination of the records of that church and contemporary history of that vicinity. Lansing- burgh stands on the Stone Arabia (or "Stone Raby") patent, which included a narrow strip of land, (the south boundary of which began at the mouth of the Piscawan-kill,) extending east to the vicinity of the church, and on which a number of the members lived; and the village was called
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