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Reformed Church of Flatbush. 1807-1907.
Gc 974.702 F61b 1507301
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M.L"
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01178 3971
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyofreforme00beek
1
REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH. N. Y.
-
HISTORY
C OF THE
REFORMED CHURCH
OF
FLATBUSH, N. Y.
1807-1907.
COMPILED BY REV. P. S. BEEKMAN.
1907 : R. W. ANDERSON & SON, 15 AND 17 WEST STRAND, KINGSTON, N. Y.
DEDICATION
-
TO THE CONSISTORY AND CONGREGATION OF THE REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH, N. Y., THIS COMPILATION OF ITS HISTORY IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY THE PASTOR.
1507301
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Introduction
Organization and Edifice 23
9
Succession of Ministers
Members in the Ministry 37
13I
Organizations 139
A Look Forward 15I
Succession of Elders and Deacons I 54
Present Organization
I 59
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Reformed Church of Flatbush, N. Y.
2
Section from Trustees' Map of 1804 14
Immanuel Chapel, Glasco 2I
Glenerie Chapel 2I
Rev. Peter A. Overbagh 25
Rev. Henry Ostrander, D. D 31
Rev. Jacob Brodhead, D. D 43
Rev. David D. Demarest, D. D., LL. D 53
Rev. John Watson 59
Rev. Victor M. Hulbert, D. D
65
Rev. John Gosman, D. D
Rev. John Minor 71
75
Rev. William B. Merritt
85
Rev. Asher Anderson, D. D
93
Rev. James S. N. Demarest IOI
Rev. Albert A. Zabriskie 107
Rev. George J. Van Neste II3
Rev. Richard DeWitt 121
Rev. Peter S. Beekman 125
MINISTERS.
REV. PETER ABRAHAM OVERBAGH
1809-1841
REV. JACOB BRODHEAD, D. D . 1837-1841 REV. DAVID D. DEMAREST, D. D., LL. D 1841-1843 REV. JOHN WATSON 1844-1847
REV. VICTOR MOREAU HULBERT, D. D . 1848-1852
REV. JOHN GOSMAN, D. D . 1853-1859
REV. JOHN MINOR . 1859-1864
REV. WILLIAM BRUSH MERRITT 1865-1873 REV. ASHER ANDERSON, D. D 1873-1875 REV. JAMES S. N. DEMAREST 1876-1881 REV. ALBERT A. ZABRISKIE . 1881-1886
REV. GEORGE J. VANNESTE 1886-1889 REV. RICHARD DEWITT . 1889-1901
REV. PETER STRYKER BEEKMAN 1901-
PREFACE.
T O the Historical Committee has been assigned the task of preparing this volume. This com- mittee has had in view a three-fold object : First. To provide a souvenir of the one hundredth anniversary of the organization of our church. Second. To preserve in connected, convenient form historical matter that otherwise through lapse of memory and scattered fragmentary records would be wholly, or in part, lost or destroyed. Third. Through the knowl- edge of its history to stimulate the love and loyalty of the children to the church of their fathers and to increase the interest of all the members of the church and congregation in the organization with which in the providence of God we are connected.
The committee takes this opportunity to express its thanks to Mr. Benjamin M. Brink, for his introduction and helpful suggestions ; to Mr. Jacob M. Snyder, who remembers all the pastors of the church, as well as the edifice as first built, and who has furnished much inter- esting and valuable information ; to all members of our congregation, officers of its societies, and to friends
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REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH, N. Y.
outside the congregation who have so cheerfully sup- plied accounts and facts used in this work.
The thanks of the committee are due also to those who by their financial aid have made possible the pub- lication of this history of our church.
Last, but not least, we are indebted to Messrs. R. W. Anderson & Son, for their unfailing courtesy and professional assistance.
THEODORE BRINK, Chairman.
HARRY C. DAVIS,
M. FREDA VANALEN, MAYE OSTERHOUDT, MRS. HOWARD BURHANS.
JOEL BRINK, -
P. S. BEEKMAN, - Advisory Members.
Flatbush, N. Y., May 27th, 1907.
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION.
T HE earliest deed for lands within the bounds of Ulster county was given to Thomas Chambers on the 5th of June, 1652. On that day two Indians appeared at Fort Orange (Albany) before Joannis Dyckman, Commissary and Vice-Director of the Honorable West India Company to say that they had been empowered by eight other Esopus Indians to grant and convey to the said Chambers " a certain parcel of land in the Esopus" "with a path from the said land to the river."
This land lay north of the present Manor avenue of the City of Kingston. It was erected into a manor in 1672, on the 16th of October, and its proprietor, Thomas Chambers, was constituted "Lord of Fox Hall Manor."
This is not the place to speak of the various treaties by which the Indians ceded their ancestral mountains, uplands and lowlands to the white men from over the sea, except the Andros Treaty of April 27th, 1677. " Under the blue sky of heaven," and on " the plains" at the corner of Albany and Clinton avenues, at the
2
IO
REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH, N. Y.
angle of the grounds of Kingston academy, the chiefs of the Esopus. with a representation of the Iroquois, their masters, ("uncles," as they called them), the Indians sold the lands north of Fox Hall Manor unto the bounds of the land they had previously conveyed to the now unknown " old sawyer," which lay north and west from the mouth of the Esopus creek at Saugerties.
On the day in 1677 of which we speak, Kaelcop, for the grantors, pointed out the bounds of the grant in these words :
" Beginning at the Ronduyt Kil, thence to a Kil called Ka-hak-as-nik North along the hills to a Kil called Ma-go- was-ing-inck, thence to the second fall [Glenerie], Easterly to Fen-dey-ack-a-meck on the 'Groote Revier,' along the river South to Ronduyt Kil."
It may be necessary to explain the Indian terms : Ka-hak-as-nik was the Sawkill, now supplying Kings- ton with water; Ma-go-was-ing-inck the present Platte- kill continued down the Esopus to the river, deriving its name from the rock still standing in the stream on the brow of the upper Glenerie falls; while Fen-dey- ack-a-meck contains the earliest reference to Flatbush. It is the Indian term for "the place of low bushes." From the description of Kaelcop it must have been
II
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION.
all the region between the Esopus and the Hudson to the mouth of the former. The second fall was that at Glenerie whether one reckons from the Hudson at Saugerties or from Kingston. If from the latter the first would be that at Legg's Mills. The consideration given the Indians was " a blanket, a shirt and a loaf of bread." When the treaty was finally signed the com- pensation was changed and "a blanket, a piece of cloth, a shirt, a loaf of bread and baize for socks" were paid. The consideration appears ridiculous to us, but it was then an unbroken wilderness of hills, forests and swamps needing the years of toil requisite to clear and develop. To the Indians it was worthless.
If we consider Fen-dey-ack-a-meck as reaching to the mouth of the Esopus, Flatbush must have had this extent when its history begins. This brings its north- ern limits within the Meals & Hayes grant. On April 15th, 1685, eight years after Andros purchased the lands from the Indians spoken of above, a patent for four hundred and forty-one and three-fourths acres lying upon both sides of the Esopus at its mouth-the larger portion on the north side, was granted to George Meals and Richard Hayes. In August, 1686, William Haines was granted a large tract upon the Hudson at the present line between the towns of Saugerties and Ulster. On the 19th of May, 1687, the great patent
12
REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH, N. Y.
was granted to the people of Kingston, which was known as "The Kingston Commons," which covered all the region of Flatbush. On February 13th, 1688, Governor Thomas Dongan granted six hundred acres north of the Haines patent to Jan Mattysson & Com- pany, which was sub-divided into three equal sections. This came from the north as far south as Kalkoen Hoeck (Turkey Point). But in some way this patent lapsed. Thenceforth all original conveyances of lands in this section came from the trustees of Kingston Commons. Their records must be searched to ascer- tain the original owners.
This section was not settled as early as other parts of the town of Saugerties, or as early as neighboring localities. The Esopus creek cut it off from its neigh- bors to the north and west. There were no bridges over this stream before 1800. When the stream was low in mid-summer a rift just north of Glenerie was found available; and a scow ferry crossed at Stony Point, near the spot where now resides George W. Washburn, in the village of Saugerties. A few fam- ilies pressed up the peninsula from Kingston. These were Dutch with a sprinkling of Huguenots. There were few, comparatively, from the Palatines of Kats- baan and West Camp.
Kalkoen Hoeck was known from days when the
13
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION.
earliest Dutch skippers reached up the river. The present Flatbush avenue out of Kingston appears on very early maps as " Het Kalkoen pot," the turkey road, or road to Turkey Point. As Dutchmen pushed over the high hill on that road and passed beyond the Kingston City Almshouse they saw the wooded valley extending to the Hudson. They caught the view from a height which lifted them above its trees and, like the aborigines before their day, it was a place of low flat woods. They called it vlakke bosch, flat woods, as the Indians had done before them. The name survives in the name of this church.
Allusion has been made to the Meals & Hayes grant at Saugerties at the mouth of the Esopus. This passed into the hands of Edward Wood. Tjerck Schoonmaker received a grant from the trustees of Kingston Commons in 1734. Just west of him John Legg was given lands in 1740. The Van Leuvens
received several tracts about 1731. These covered the present Spalding place, now known as "Falling Waters." Here was living the Reverend Peter A. Over- bagh when he was so instrumental in organizing this church. The Minklaers had broad fields about the present Glasco. As early as 1722 the trustees had deeded land to James Whitaker south of Glasco and made a number of conveyances to him subsequently.
(33)
31
17
16.
19
27
28
29
30
115
20
19
21
22
23
24
25
20
15
5
10
11
9
4
8
6
45
7
ESOPUS CREEK
49
32 33 34
35
36
37
38
39
40 41
42
43
46
47
48
52
68
69
50
51
53
54
70
71
72
73
74
75 76 77 78
79
80
83
84
82
115
108
107
106
103
102
101
100
99
114
113 112
111
110
109
97
99
96
104
105
HUDSON RIVER
FROM TRUSTEES' MAP OF 1804.
1
116
13
2
3
55
56
53
58
59
60
61
62
3 ·
64
67
65
8/
87
88
89
90
91
85
95
92
93
94
86
2
ESOPUS CREEK
66
44
12
14
PUBLIC ROAD TO ALBANY
15
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION
South of them there were many acres conveyed during the Revolution, in . 1781, to James Osterhoudt, Petrus . Burhans, Samuel Burhans, Isaac Burhans and Abraham Burhans. Then came the large patent to William Haines mentioned above. This was at the town line.
There were no lands below this which had been conveyed in large tracts but all to farmers able to settle upon their acres and cultivate. No absentee landlordism ever withdrew the wealth of the produce of these acres to be expended by those who had never earned their increment.
The lands about the three successive falls in the Esopus at Glenerie had been granted to Arent Teunis Pier as early as 1688. Except in a very modest way this great privilege had never been put to service, and was not until Colonel Edward Clark established white lead works there about 1835.
We give a copy of the map* of this region made for
* The owners of the parcels of land lying on the east side of the Esopus are given below with the number of the lot. These numbers are not the numbers given on the Trustees' Map :
1. Philip Whitaker 34. Benj. York
32. P. VanKeuren 35. Albertus Joy
33. P. R. Whitaker 36. Benj. Joy
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REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH, N. Y.
the Trustees of Kingston Commons when its patent was divided in 1804. It locates every parcel at that
37. Petrus Whitaker
38. Jacobus VanGaasbeek
39. H. Schoonmaker 69. Geertruy Post
40-1. Cornelius Legg
42. Peter DuBois
43. Harmanus Dederick
44. John A. VanLeuven
45. Tjerck Schoonmaker
46. Jn. T. Schoonmaker
47. Cornelius Legg
48. Will Legg
49. Samuel Legg, Jr.
50. John E. Post
51. John A. Elmendorf
52-3. Albertus Joy
54-5. William Whitaker
56. Martin Post
57. Martin Post and
M. Schoonmaker
58-9. Hermanus Minklaer and Benj. Whitaker 60-1. H. Minklaer
62. Abram Osterhoudt
63-4. Andries VanLeuven
65-6. Anthony VanSchaick
67. B. DeWitt's Children
68. William Dederick
70. T. Dederick
71. John Whitaker
72. Abram Burhans
73. John Osterhoudt
74. Peter L. Osterhoudt
75. Sarah Osterhoudt
76. John H. Osterhoudt
77. Peter Hendricks
78. Samuel Freer, Jr.
79. Jacob Turck, Jr.
80. Johannes Turck
81, 96-8. No Name
82. Peter Whitaker
83. Benj. Osterhoudt
84. Abram Osterhoudt
85. Nathaniel DuBois
86. Sloterman
87. Moses Mulks
88. Andrew VanLeuven
89. Ant. VanSchaick
90. Margaret Persen
91. John Legg, Jr.
17
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION.
time. The location of those who petitioned for the organization of the church may be ascertained in most instances. It presents the condition of the region in clearer detail than any description can do. Unfortunately the roads are not shown. The through travel north and south went from Kingston to the ford at Pine Bush back of the house af the late Teunis P. Osterhoudt and thence on the west side of the Esopus through Plattekill, Katsbaan and Catskill (Leeds) to Albany. The present villages of Catskill and Saugerties could hardly be said to exist when this church was organized.
For the enjoyment of their religious privileges the settlers of this region drove to Kingston. Those within a short distance of the mouth of the Esopus crossed with the scow ferry and went to Katsbaan.
92. Cornelius Minklaer 104. Haines Patent
93. Hend. Schoonmaker 105. Kingston Academy
94. G. Schoonmaker 106-7. P. L. Osterhoudt
95. John VanLeuven 108. Joseph Davis
99. Benj. Swart 109. P. Turck
100. J. Turck
101. I. P. Osterhoudt
102. L. Osterhoudt
103. J. Osterhoudt
110. P. VanKeuren
111. Petrus Myer
112. Isaac Swart
113-4. James Swart
18
REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH, N. Y.
But the journey was long to the former church and the latter was difficult to reach.
During the decades at the middle of the eighteenth century the Reformed church was rent by what is known as " The Cœtus and Conferentie controversy." It was a strife between those who wished an American management for the Reformed church and those who wished to remain under the jurisdiction of the Nether. lands. The former party won. The church of Kings- ton was Conferentie-wished to remain under the Classis of Amsterdam. The minority who wished to be under the control of an American church govern- ment numbered scarce one-third. This minority had stood by the pastor, the Reverend Hermanus Meyer, D.D., as he favored it against the majority of his people. When he was finally called to New Jersey, and peace seemed probable, the two factions of the Reformed church in America came together and formed an American organization. Kingston declined to be Americanized. For the next thirty-six years it was reported to be "Outstanding." It refused to recognize any other authority than the Classis of Amsterdam in Holland. Katsbaan had its origin in
the German Palatines. In the controversy it had taken no part. It did not participate in the re-union in 1772. But when the Reverend Lambertus De
19
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION
Ronde became its pastor in 1780 it became an Amer- ican church. De Ronde had preached the sermon at the meeting at which the union was brought about, being pastor in New York at the time. At this union in 1772 the whole body divided into what would now be called " classes," but were then known as "Particu- lar Bodies," and what is now the Classis of Ulster was then called " The Particular Body of Kingston." The church of Kingston declined all overtures to unite with it. Katsbaan was a member. As parishes were many miles in extent ministers visited neighboring vacant churches to administer the sacraments, and in commu- nities were there were no churches administered the same in school houses and even in convenient barns. The Reverend George J. L. Doll, the pastor in Kings- ton, was in the habit of so doing. The Classis of Ulster (as the Particular Body of Kingston had been called since 1800) resented the aloofness of this old and strong church and in session at Catskill (Leeds) on May Ist and 2nd, 1804, passed the following :
" On motion it was resolved that a friendly letter be sent Do. Doll & the Consistory of Kingston requesting them not to baptize children from congregations under the jurisdiction of this classis & that the clerk be ordered to do it in the Name of this Board the first opportunity."
20
REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH. N. Y.
For this reason, probably, there appear no records of baptisms at Flatbush upon the Kingston church books, as there had been in numerous instances in other places before that year 1804. There do appear there baptisms and marriages from families living in this vicinity, who seem to have presented themselves at Kingston. With the resignation of Domine Doll, and the call of the Reverend John Gosman, the church of Kingston applied for, and was received into the- Classis of Ulster and thus became in law, what it was in fact, an American church.
IMMANUEL CHAPEL, GLASCO.
GLENERIE CHAPEL.
ORGANIZATION AND EDIFICE.
-
T HE Reformed Church of Flatbush, Ulster Co., N. Y., was organized by the Classis of Ulster, June 9th, 1807. At stated session of the Classis in Hurley, May 5th, 1807, a petition from the inhabit- ants of Flatbush was laid before it, which is substantially as follows :
" Whereas it has pleased God of His infinite goodness by the preaching of the Gospel to save lost sinners, we, your humble petitioners, finding ourselves destitute of a great part of the Gospel privileges, without elders and deacons and the ordinary use of the sacraments, the preaching of the Gospel being attended with great difficulties, lament the situation we are in because of our lack of the means of grace and spiritual edification. Having a sincere desire to promote the eternal interests of ourselves and our children, we turn to you, Reverend Fathers, for your advice and assistance. We pray that, if you see fit, you will ordain us Elders and Deacons and take us under your care. And may the great Shepherd bless your pious endeavors to establish a church in this place, is the prayer of us-
24
REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH, N. Y.
" John Kipp
Peter I. Whitaker
Jacob Turck, Jr. John P. Osterhoudt
Philip VanKeuren James Osterhoudt, Jr. Lawrence Osterhoudt Samuel Whitaker
Benjamin Swart Benjamin Whitaker
John Hendricks, Jr.
John Joy
Samuel Freer
Peter W. Osterhoudt
Joseph Davis
Johannes Carl
C. M. Vankeuren
Jacobus Carl
Abram Burhans, Jr.
Peter Dubois
Benjamin Burhans, Jr.
Benjamin I. Whitaker
Francis Hendricks
William Macaffree
Petrus L. Osterhoudt
Cornelius Minklar
John Osterhoudt
Harmon Minklar
Abram Burhans
Abram Osterhoudt
Hendrick E. Schoonmaker
Matthew Dubois
John P. Osterhoudt
Johannes Turck
Isaac Burhans
Abram Osterhoudt, Jr.
John VanSteenburgh John Burhans
John A. Elmendorf
Benjamin Burhans
Isaac Swart
John S. Osterhoudt
Philip VanBeuren
Daniel Osterhoudt
Benjamin Whitaker
Peter Hendricks
Peter Myer, Jr.
John H. Osterhoudt
Samuel Hall
James Osterhoudt
Peter I. Osterhoudt
David Dubois
Frederick Slotemon
Hathaway Bowens
Peter Whitaker
Thomas Holland
Henry W. Whitaker."
George Schoonmaker
REV. PETER A. OVERBAGH.
3
27
ORGANIZATION AND EDIFICE.
It will be seen that this petition contains fifty eight names. Minutes of Classis, however, state that there were sixty-one subscribers. The Classis took the above petition into serious consideration and appoint- ed a committee of six consisting of the Revs. Moses Freligh of Shawangunk and Montgomery; T. C. Smith of Esopus and Bloomingdale; and Stephen Goetschius of Marbletown and Shokan, each with an elder to meet at Flatbush and if they judged expedi- ent to organize the same into a congregation.
On June 9th, 1807, the following members of the committee met at Flatbush : The Reverend Stephen Goetschius and the Reverend Moses Freligh with the Elder Gerardus Hardenburgh and the Elder Hazael Van Keuren. After calling upon the name of the Lord they "determined to comply with the request of said people, and the following persons were admitted as members in communion, viz: From the Congre- gation of Kingston John Osterhoudt and Jane Bur- hans, his wife; Gertrude Schoonmaker, wife of John P. Osterhoudt ; Leah Miller, wife of Abraham Bur- hans; Polly Schoonmaker, wife of Samuel Freer. From the Congregation of Red Hook, John Kipp and Christina Myer, his wife. By Confession of their Faith : James Osterhoudt ; Peter L. Osterhoudt and Catrina Osterhoudt, his wife; Jacob Turck, Jr .;
28
REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH, N. Y.
Abram Burhans, Jr .; Joseph Davis; Abram Oster- houdt ; John Hendricks, Jr., and Annatie Osterhoudt, his wife."
On March 5th, 1808, ten more members were received ; two by certificate and eight on confession of faith ; April 20th, 1809, twenty-five were admitted to membership all by confession.
The action of committee of organization was re- ported to and approved by Classis in special session at Katsbaan, August 10th, 1807. John Osterhoudt was the first delegate to Classis from the Flatbush church. On the date of organization, officers were chosen as follows :
Elders
John Osterhoudt, Abram Burhans, Abram Osterhoudt, John Kipp. -
Deacons
John Hendricks, Jacob Turck, Abram Burhans, Jr. Joseph Davis.
The church was incorporated March 16th. 1809, as the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Flatbush. Before its organization and while the house of worship
29
ORGANIZATION AND EDIFICE.
was building religious services were held at various places within the bounds of the congregation. The barn of Peter Osterhoudt, grandfather of Mrs. Charles Burhans, was used for such meetings. He lived then in a house close by the river on the Coddington farm now owned by the American Ice Company and oc- cupied by Philip Schantz. The new congregation was very desirous of having a church building and immediately began to agitate and work to secure one. Subscription papers circulated among the congrega- tion met with a ready and liberal response. The first one has fortunately been preserved and is entitled, " The First Promising of the Church, the 16th Day of November, 1807." Both money and days' work are asked for and both are pledged and marked "paid " by nearly all the subscribers. The greatest number of days' work promised is twenty-five by two persons. Largest sum of money pledged $25.00 by five persons. One of these five was the Rev. Peter A. Overbagh, first pastor of the church. But with all the efforts and sacrifices of this people and their pastor, they fell short of the amount needed to finish the church and incurred considerable debt. To meet this situation aid was asked for outside of the congregation and petitions were presented to the Trustees of Kingston, to the Consistory of the Reformed Church of Kings-
30
REFORMED CHURCH OF FLATBUSH, N. Y.
ton and "To All Well Disposed Christian Friends." These petitions closed with these words, "We are persuaded that you will act that part which will satisfy your consciences."
What was received from the Trustees and Reform- ed Church of Kingston is not stated, but the Congre- gation at Schenectady gave $18.30 and the Congrega- tion at Albany (one collection) $50.7712.
The church was erected in 1808. This date is not found in minutes of consistory but is cut on a stone in the church wall and appears in papers relating to the building.
The church was built on land from a farm then owned by Hendrick E. Schoonmaker. In a deed, held by Elliot Griffin, of land sold by said Schoon- maker to Francis Hendricks and John Hendricks, Jr., executed October Ist, 1808, we find this clause, " Excepting out of same a small lot lately conveyed by the said Hendrick E. Schoonmaker to the Elders and Deacons of the Congregation of Flatbush." This deed is witnessed by John P. L. Osterhoudt, Thomas Houghtaling and Lawrence Osterhoudt. Another deed also held by Mr. Griffin, dividing the Schoon- maker property between John and Francis Hendricks, the former having the farm now owned by Lawrence H. Osterhoudt, the latter, the farm owned by the heirs
REV. HENRY OSTRANDER, D.D.
33
ORGANIZATION AND EDIFICE.
of Allen Griffin, dated March 1Ith, 1809, mentions both the church lot and the church building. At least two good reasons for the choice of this site appear- one its convenience, the other its beauty. Its location was central to the congregation, which extended north to the mouth of the Esopus, south to what is now East Kingston and west across the Esopus creek. We must remember the nearest church on the south was Kingston, Woodstock on the west and Katsbaan on the north.
" Beautiful for situation " is this Zion, standing on a slight elevation scarcely a mile from the Hudson and commanding a magnificent view of the entire range of the Catskills.
We infer that the debt incurred in building the church was soon removed, for this people "had a mind to work " and to give for their beloved Zion.
Old receipts show the names of some employed in the erection of the church, viz : Jacob and Matthew C. VanKeuren, days' work done at the church ; Peter Weeks and Jacob B. TenEyck were paid $60.00 for mason work. The largest creditor of the church, as appears from these receipts, is Jacob Harp, whether for work or materials, is not clear.
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