USA > New York > Columbia County > History of Columbia County, New York. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 50
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The third pastor, the Rev. David D. Demarest, D.D., was called from the Second Reformed Dutch church of New Brunswick, N. J., and was installed Aug. 1, 1852, on which occasion the Rev. John G. Johnson preached a ser- mon from Galatians vi. 14. The form was read by the Rev. Ira C. Boyce, the charge to the pastor delivered by the Rev. Cornelius E. Crispell, and the charge to the con- gregation by the Rev. Jacob N. Voorhis.
The pastor succeeding Mr. Demarest was the Rev. John McClellan Holmes, from the Lee Avenue church, in Brook- lyn, who remained until June 1, 1877, and was succeeded by the present pastor, the Rev. Thomas B. McLeod, from the Presbyterian church at Batavia, N. Y.
At the present time the membership is about four hun- dred and fifty. The location of their house of worship is on the south side of Warren street, below Fifth. It is a brick edifice, having a seating capacity of seven hundred and fifty, and costing originally about $17,000. During the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Holmes it was materially en- larged and entirely remodeled, at an expense of nearly $20,000.
The society owns a good briek parsonage in Allen street, a little north of the Court-House park. This was pur- chased during the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Demarest, having been previously occupied by the Presbyterians as the resi- dence of their pastor, the Rev. Dr. Waterbury. The present valuation of the church property is $35,000.
Connected with this church is a flourishing Sabbath- school, now under the superiutendency of Mr. Robert M1.
# Furnished by S. B. Miller, Esq.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Shepard. It has existed for more than forty years, having been first organized in the winter of 1836-37.
ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
This, the first Roman Catholic church in Columbia county, was organized in 1847 by Rev. William Howard. The first meetings were held in St. John's Masonic hall. The next year the church, a brick edifice, was erected and dedi- cated. It has since been improved at various times, and will seat six hundred people. Subsequently, the society has made additions to its property, and now owns, in addi- tion to the church on South Third street, a convent, a school-building, corner of South Third and Allen streets, and a pastoral residence at 73 Allen street. The total valuation of the property in 1871 was $30,000.
The school was established by Rev. William Howard, some two or three years after the church was built. It was for a time under the management of Professor Mayot, and afterwards of Miss Bowes. Sinee, it has been under the charge of the Sisters connected with the convent (of whom there are six), and has an attendance of abont four hundred scholars.
The pastors of the church have been Revs. Win. Howard, James S. O'Sullivan, Thomas Keating, D.D., James J. Peyton, and - Smith, who began his connection with this church in 1877, and is the present pastor. There is a temperance society connected with the church, which is fully mentioned elsewhere.
ZION METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (COLORED).
This society was organized March 12, 1855, by Rev. Wesley Marshall. It then comprised a membership of twenty-five persons.
In the year following the church bought of the Baptist society their conference-room, on the corner of North Third and Partition streets, and fitted it up for a place of worship. This was used as the regular place of meeting until the spring of 1860, when the society united with the Wesleyan* Methodists, the combined organization retaining the name of Zion church. The Wesleyans had previously purchased the old Episcopalian church, corner of North Second aud State streets, for the sum of eighteen hundred dollars, and at the time of uniting the former Zion church paid the sum of three hundred and sixty dollars as their share of the expense. This building was improved at various times, and is now valued at $8000.
The pastors (as near as may be in the order of their service) have been Revs. Wesley Marshall, John A. Wil- liams, - Rees, - Butler, Joseph P. Thompson, Demp- sey Canaday, Jenkins Williams, Josiah Biddle, J. S. Powell, Joseph P. Thompson, Joseph G. Smith, James H. Ander- son, E. J. Miller, Thomas O. R. Williams. The latter, who is the present pastor, began his service here in May, 1878. The present membership of the church is one hundred and ten, of whom sixty-five are probationers.
ST. JOHN'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
was organized with thirty-nine members, Nov. 12, 1866, by Rev. William Hull, who has remained its pastor until the present time. Its first trustees were Richard Hallen- beck, Dr. William M. Holsapple, Abram F. Miller, Peter I. Bachman, John Pulver, and Frederick Shaller. Its first elders were Rev. William Sharts, Alfred R. Westfall, and Jeremiah Wagoner. Its first deacons were Stephen G. George, Charles H. Lown, and Lewis W. Bachman.
For two years and a half the society hired the use of the old Universalist church for Sunday afternoon services; at the end of that time the Universalists, having built a new church on Warren street, sold the old building to the Roman Catholics for a school, when the Presbyterians invited this society to worship in their building until the completion of the Lutheran church, then in course of erection on the corner of North Sixth and Diamond streets.
The new church was completed and dedicated Sept. 2, 1869, Rev. Dr. Henry N. Pohlman, of Albany, president of the New York synod, preaching the consecration sermon. The building is fifty by eighty feet in dimensions, contains one hundred and twenty-six pews, and cost about $25,000.
The present number of members on the roll is one hun- dred and fifty, of whom about one hundred reside in the immediate vicinity.
The following persons are now officers of the church : Trustees, Richard Hallenbeck, John W. Holsapple, Lewis W. Bachman, Walter Coons, Robert Allison, Jonas L. Potts; Elders, William M. Holsapple, M.D., Thomas Lasher, Stephen H. Lasher ; Deacons, Peter F. Bachman, Valentine Raab, A. C. Obermeyer.
The Sunday-school was organized on the first Sunday in January, 1870, by Rev. Wm. Hull, who was elected super- intendent. Eugene D. Smith was the first, and is the present, secretary. The school commenced with twenty-two scholars, and now numbers twenty-two officers and teachers and one hundred and five scholars. The library comprises about two hundred and fifty volumes. The present officers of the school are: Superintendent, Rev. William Hull ; Assistant Superintendent, Franklin W. Taylor ; Secretary, Eugene D. Smith ; Treasurer, Lewis W. Bachman ; Libra- rian, Willie J. Decker.
AHAVE' SHOLEM. [JEWISH CONGREGATION OF HUDSON.]
This congregation was incorporated May 21, 1868. Their synagogue, a briek edifice located ou Diamond street, between Fifth and Sixth streets, was built in 1870, at a cost of $8000, and has seating capacity for about one hun- dred and twenty-five persons.
The present officers of the congregation are: President, Julius Solomon ; Vice-President, Joseph Segall ; Secretary, Nathan Dosenheim ; Treasurer, Mark Sylvester; Trustees, M. Harris, M. Greenthal.
The congregation now numbers about twenty members. Their last leader was the Rev. Isaac Rosenthal.
ST. MATTHEW'S GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN
CHURCHI.
The first service preceding the organization of this
# On the 15th of May, 1843, Win. Cummings, James M. Hill, Franklin P. Livingston, John Jackson, Moses Johnson, and their successors, were incorporated, to he called and known as "the Trus- tees of the First Wesleyan Methodist Church in the City of Hudson." Very littlo of their history can be ascertained.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
church was held at the city hall on Sunday, Feb. 7, 1869, by the Rev. A. E. Frey, then pastor of St. John's church at Ghent. Two weeks later the same clergyman held an- other service in the same hall, and on this occasion the organization of the church was effected.
It was soon after incorporated under the above name, the first officers being Rev. A. E. Frey, pastor ; John Menick, Friedrich Maisenbacher, elders ; Herman Dernell, Magnus Herbs, August Schreiber, Sr., trustees.
In August, 1870, Pastor Frey resigned his office, and in March, 1871, the charge of the congregation was assumed by the Rev. C. J. Renz, the present pastor.
In May, 1870, a lot, fifty by one hundred and twenty feet, on State street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, was pur- chased for eight hundred dollars, on which, in 1873, the present church edifice was erected at a cost of nearly thirteen thousand dollars, and was dedicated on the first Sunday in Advent, by the pastor, assisted by Revs. P. Eirich, of Albany, Ch. Wiegel, of Rome, N. Y., and Friedrich Stutz, of Rondout.
The present officers of the church are the Rev. C. J. Renz, pastor ; Samuel Klein and Herman Durnell, elders ; George Heiser, Chr. Klein, Henry Boxberg, and Friedrich Berg, trustees ; Gustav Meissner, secretary.
Connected with the church is a Sabbath-school, organ- ized in 1874.
ST. JOHN'S METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (COLORED).
This organization was the result of a secession from the African Methodist Episcopal Zion church of Hudson, which occurred in April, 1872. On the 10th of that month a meeting of the seceders was held at the house of Henry Pitts, and at that meeting they formed themselves into a religious society, and took the name of " Friends of Religious Liberty." Of this society Philip Reading was chairman, Garret Deyo secretary, and Albert Porter treas- nrer. This society raised among its members the sum of $200, with which they purchased a lot on Diamond street, near the corner of Third, on which they commenced the erection of a church building. Many of the leading citi- zens of Hudson assisted them liberally, enabling them to complete the church at a cost of $3319.11, including fur- niture, and it was dedicated July 27, 1873,-but, as the building was found to be too small for the occasion, the services were held at the First Methodist church, the use of which was most courteously offered.
Prior to this (March 17, 1873) a church organization was effected at the house of Garret Deyo, under charge of Rev. S. J. Ferguson. This consisted of about thirty per- sons, and was named and known as St. John's Methodist Episcopal church of the city of Hudson. Garret Deyo was appointed secretary. They were supplied with preach- ers from different parts of the district until November, 1873, when Rev. Richard Hiscox was employed, and was succeeded by Rev. William P. Snyder, a local preacher, who remained until May, 1878, when the charge was assumed by Rev. Aaron Hunt.
The present membership of the church is forty. Attend- ance at Sabbath-school forty-eight, including officers and teachers.
HUDSON YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
In the spring of 1866, Mr. James Gifford, who had been for several years an active member of the Boston Young Men's Christian Association, and others, feeling the need of an organization in our city whose object should be " the development of Christian character and activity among its members, the promotion of evangelical religion, and the improvement of the spiritual, moral, and social condition of young men," agreed to associate themselves together with this end in view. The first meeting for this purpose was held April 26, and the association was formally organ- ized May 21, 1866, the following persons being chosen for the first executive committee : James Gifford, president ; S. R. Lawrence, vice-president ; S. R. Rainey, correspond- ing secretary ; M. P. Moore, recording secretary ; Theo. Parton, treasurer ; R. B. Benedict, Thomas Tilley, F. H. Webb, J. Hasbrouck, F. H. Spencer.
On the evening of June 5, 1866, a public meeting was held in the city hall, at which the object of the association and its needs were placed before the people, and much interest manifested. Temporary rooms were secured at 118 Warren street the month following, and thrown open to the public every evening for reading and conversation. It was soon, however, ascertained that they were too small, and arrangements were made to secure the second floor of the building corner of Fourth and Warren streets. These commodious rooms having been handsomely furnished by the ladies, were thrown open to the public on the evening of Nov. 27, 1866, and occupied by the association until 1873, when they removed to 192 Warren street, afterwards, in 1876, to 156 Warren street, and are now located at 211 Warren street, five doors above Fourth street. The follow- ing are the presidents since the organization : 1866-67, James Gifford; 1868, F. H. Webb; 1869, Isaac Mull; 1870-72, Rev. H. R. Schermerhorn ; 1873-74, A. S. Peet ; 1875, Milo P. Moore; 1876, James C. Rogerson ; 1877, Richard Graves, Jr.
At the very outset of the organization an effort was made to secure a good library for the rooms, and at the close of the first year it numbered upwards of eight hun- dred volumes, nearly all of which had been donated by friends. S. W. Phoenix, Wm. I. Peake, Miss K. B. Ganl, and others, were among the principal contributors. Much of the subsequent growth and success of the library was due to the indefatigable labors of Dr. J. C. Du Bois, who voluntarily served as librarian for several years. In 1873 it had increased to twelve hundred volumes. The books are circulating among members only, but are free to all if read in the rooms.
The free reading-room and library, which were at first opened to the public during the evening only, are now open from nine A.M till ten P.M. daily (except Sundays), and are well supplied with daily and weekly newspapers and magazines. Writing materials are furnished gra- tuitously to all wishing to write The work of the asso- ciation is carried on by six standing committees, viz. : on Churches-whose duty it is to introduce strangers to the privileges of the church and Sunday-school with which they are connected,-one member being appointed from
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
each church represented in the association ; Visiting-who visit and relieve the sick, so far as in their power; Enter- tainment-who endeavor to provide monthly social and literary entertainments; Rooms-who provide for rooms and library ; Finance -- who collect funds for carrying for- ward the work ; and a committee on Christian Work. The latter now numbers twenty-five members, and is subdivided into smaller committees of from two to three members each, each of whom have charge of one of the regular devotional meetings, twelve of which are now held each week in dif- ferent sections of the city. Their work consists of holding meetings specially for young men and boys, cottage work in the houses of the poor, gospel temperance work, visita- tion of prisoners in jail, and, in warm weather, open-air services on the streets.
In 1876, Mr. H. W. Race published, in the interests of the association, for several months, a four-page monthly paper known as the Helping Hand ; and Mr. F. H. Webb is now publishing monthly, under the auspices of the asso- ciation, The Hudson Repository, devoted to the interests of the Christian and benevolent work of the city, at a sub- scription price of fifty cents per ycar.
In May, 1877. the association having for some time pre- vious felt the need of some one who would devote his entire time to their work, engaged the services of J. T. Bowne as general secretary, who may be found in the rooms at nearly all hours from nine A.M. to ten P.M.
EDUCATIONAL.
EARLY SCHOOLS.
The most ancient building of which there is any authen- tie account as having been devoted to purposes of educa- tion within the present area of Hudson, was a small frame structure which, in the year 1784, stood upon the old country road, at a spot which is now near the corner of Partition and Ferry streets. No person now living knows whether it was built by the proprietors or by the people living at the landing before the purchase; nor is it known whether at its erection it was intended as a school-house, or for other purposes. What is known of it is, that in the year mentioned a small school, made up in part by children of the proprietors, and in part by those of the earlier inhabi- tants, was taught within its walls by one James Burns, of whose antecedents or qualifications we know very little, ex- cept that he was a prudent man, who, when excavation and the blasting of rocks were in progress near the school-house, " in order to open a way to the river and to procure stone for the proprietors," always dismissed his school in anticipation of the blasts ; and on this account, if on no other, was popu- lar with his pupils. Some of those pupils were living, aged citizens of Hudson, until within fifteen years of the present time, and often related this and other incidents of their carlicst school days. The building was afterwards removed or demolished to make way for the opening of the street ; but this was not until after the incorporation of the city, for the first charter clection was held in it, and it was then mentioned as " the school-house,"-from which it must be inferred that it was still used for that purpose, and was the only school-house in the place.
On the 19th of April, 1785, the proprietors voted to donate a full-sized lot on Diamond street to any person who would build thereon a building of size not less than 40 by 24 feet, which building should be and continue a school- house from which no description or denomination of people living in Hudson should be excluded, and for the use of which the owners shall receive an annual income of not more than 9 per cent. on their investment, but should be at liberty to sell it to the corporation for educational purposes when- ever they might have opportunity to do so.
We have no account of the teachers who taught in this building, except Joseph Marshall, who opened in it a school for the teaching of " Reading, Writing, Cyphering, Com- position, English Grammar, Geography, Surveying, and the Latin and Greek Languages."
In a few weeks after granting the lot for the Diamond street building, the proprietors appointed a committee to ex- amine and adopt a plan for a " proprietors' school-house," to be located on Market square. We find nothing to show whether it was built and maintained for the children of proprietors or not.
In the same year Ambrose Liverpool advertised in the Gazette that he would open a seminary, where, besides the English branches, he would teach Latin, Greek, and the use of certain musical instruments. In addition to his educa- tional wares, he offered for sale a quantity of extra strong English beer ; but notwithstanding this fact, and the sug- gestiveness of his name, it is not certain that he was an Englishman.
Schools were taught in the early days by Dorrance Kirt- land, Major Fowler (on Parade alley), Mrs. Wilson, ---- Prowitt (where Burns' saddlery-store now is), and by many others whose names have faded from the memory even of their surviving pupils.
On the 28th of May, 1796, the city council of Hudson
" Resolved, That the supervisor for this city be requested to pro- pose to the board of Supervisors for the county to petition to the next Legislature for permission to raise money by a tax on the county for the purpose of establishing an Academy in this county ; and that the Corporation of this City will sell the City Hall and the lots on which it stands for that purpose, the County paying to the Corporation for same such sum as our said Supervisor shall agree for ; and the Com- mon Council of this City will engage to convey said building and lots for the aforesaid purpose."
This project failed of success, but for a number of years the old city hall furnished school-rooms in which the youth of Hudson were taught by many different teachers. In 1797 (March 1) the council resolved " that the trustees of the school taught by Mr. Hedge have the west chamber in the city hall, and that the trustees of the school taught by Mr. Palmer have the east chamber of the city hall for the use of the said schools for one year from the first of March, instant ;" but in 1799 the school, then occupying a part of the building, was ordered " to vacate the premises before the first of October."
In the minutes of the council's proceedings, Jan. 11, 1804, is found the following resolution :
" WHEREAS, a number of Citizens have petitioned to this Council for one of the Chambers in the City Hall for the purpose of a school- room ; therefore,
"Resolved, That the Council do nnt deem it proper to grant the
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
prayer of the said Petition. And as there are two vacant public Lots cither one of which may he occupied for a School-house; Therefore,
" Resolved further, That if any association of persons will build a convenient School-house, of such materials and of such dimensions as shall be approved by the Common Council, on either one of the said public lots, that the Common Council will convey one of the said lots to the said association for that purpose."
The suggestion, however, does not appear to have been acted on. In February, 1803, it was resolved in council that " the school money now in the hands of the County Treas- urer from the Commissioners of Schools be appropriated by the Corporation for contingent expenses," which to the friends of education must have seemed like a step in the wrong direction. In the same year a charity school was opened by the Episcopalian society in Hudson, and this was so liberally supported by monthly contributions that the number of scholars attending it at one time exceeded forty.
Schools and teachers certainly seem to have been numer- ous enough in Hudson during the carlier years of her ex- istence ; how efficient they were, or with what degree of enlightened public spirit they were sustained, there are now few means of judging. The following extract from an edi- torial article which appeared in the Balance of Dec. 16, 1806, referring to the state of education here at the time of the opening of the Hudson Academy (a sketch of which will be found elsewhere in this book ), is given as being pertinent to the matter in question :
" No public building (not even a common school-house) for the education of youth had been previously built in the city of Hudson .* No public encouragement was given to literary pursuits. The citizens of one of the most flourish- ing towns in the State were compelled to send their chil- dren abroad for education, or to leave them uneducated. Did a teacher appear among them, he had everything to discourage him. Amongst strangers, unaided by commit- tees, trustees, or overseers, he had to procure his rooms, obtain his scholars, and, after all, collect his subscriptions. Had he merit, it would meet with better encouragement under well-regulated institutions. Had he none, his schol- ars would be little better for his instruction."
Undoubtedly these comments were more sweeping and severe than the facts would warrant. Still, it was true that (with the exception of the charity school before mentioned as having been opened under the auspices of the society of Christ church) there had been no provision for free educa- tion in Hudson, nor was any movement made in that direc- tion until ten years later, when a number of large-minded men (among the foremost of whom was Captain Judah Paddock) succeeded in establishing a school on the Lan- casterian plan, a principal object of which was to furnish gratuitous education to the children of the poor.
LANCASTER SOCIETY AND SCHOOL.
The project to establish a Lancaster school in the city of Hudson was originated in the spring or summer of 1816, and warmly advocated by a number of prominent citizens, who, in pursuance of this object, met by appointment at the Hudson library-room, in the evening of Sept. 17, in that year, and proceeded to organize by the choice of Ezra
Sampson as chairman, and Josiah I. Underhill as secretary, of the meeting.
A short discussion and interchange of ideas upon the subject in question disclosed a unanimity of opinion that the establishment of such an institution would be a measure of high importance and of great advantage to the community ; and it was thereupon by the meeting
" Resolved, That Judah Paddock, Robert Jenkins, Samuel White, and Josiah I. Underhill be and are hereby appointed a committee to make the necessary inquiries in procuring a suitable building as a school-house, and if nonc should offer, to take into consideration the expense of a lot and building, the ways and means of defraying it, and report at a future meeting."
It was then voted to adjourn, to re-assemble at Major Daniel Fowler's school-room on the 27th of the same month. At the adjourned meeting the above-named com- mittee reported :
" That we have the prospect of procuring a suitable site for a building, of abont one hundred and thirty fuet square, west of the rope walk.
"The corporation of this city have gratuitously given towards the contemplated object a lot of ground, seventy-five by one hundred and twenty feet, north of the jail, on the corner of State and Fourth streets.
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