USA > New York > Dutchess County > Pine Plains > History of Little Nine Partners of North East precinct, and Pine Plains, New York, Duchess county, Vol. I > Part 15
USA > New York > Dutchess County > North East > History of Little Nine Partners of North East precinct, and Pine Plains, New York, Duchess county, Vol. I > Part 15
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
CHURCHES-ROUND TOP.
Rev. John Christopher Hartwick, successor to the Rev. Mr. Spaller in the Rhinebeck Lutheran church, became its pastor in 1746, the year of the close, substantially, of the Moravin mission near Bethel. He probably was the first preacher in the first Round Top church at Bethel. He may have administered baptisms there, but most likely the people in that vicinity went to his church in Rhinebeck for that purpose where they were received, in some instances, as "from Stissing." It is on record however in the Lutheran church book at Rhinebeck, that he preached during his pastorate-1746 to 1758-in Ancram and administered baptisms and com- munion there In 1746 he records six baptisms in Ancram, in '47 two, in '48 two, in '49 two, and in '50 ten. In 1746, the first year of his pastorate, he administered the Lord's Supper to twenty persons in Ancram, and this special service was continued there many years later if not to the close of his term. Some of the names mentioned as connected with these services in Ancram are familiar as residents at that time in this town. Mr. Hart- wick made an effort at that time to build a church in Ancram and a con- siderable sum of money was subscribed but the plan was never consum- mated. He records 392 baptisms, 60 marriages and 34 confirmations in the Rhinebeck church. At the close of his pastorate, two years pass with. out a regular pastor. Its next Lutheran minister was Rev. Johannes Frederick Ries, who became pastor in March, 1760. He was a zealous and
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earnest worker, preaching at what is known as Wurtemburg, southeast from Rhinebeck, at the Germantown church, at Churchtown, at Livings- ton Manor and at the first Round Top in Pine Plains. Contemporaneons with the commencement of the pastorate of Dominie Ries in the Lutheran church at Rhinebeck-1760-commences a record relating to the services held at Round Top, which record continued until 1772, when a book was bought and a copy of this record written in. ( The original record from 1760 to 1772 has probably been destroyed.) This book is at my hand and is eiglit by twelve inches, about one inch thick, bound with what appears to be buckskin, and composed of the old-time, regal-stamped blank paper. It is a record of baptisms and communicants and continues from 1772 when the book was purchased to 1778. It came to me from a danghter of Capt. Henry Strever, who deceased many years ago, and whose family and ancestors were Lutherans. The fly leaf heads with " In Nomen Jesu. Copia aus dem KirchenBuck von Anno Christi 1760 bis 1772," which may be rendered " In the name of Jesus. Copy of the Church Book from the year of Christ 1760 to 1772." From the names recorded it is evidently a Lutheran record and the original record was probably instituted by Dominie Ries. His pastorate of the Lutheran church at Rhinebeck closed in 1783, but he continued to preach in Germantown, Livingston and Churchtown until his death in 1791. He was very popular as a minister. He baptized 815 children during his pastorate, and at a communion in 1783, the close of the revolutionary war, one hundred and fifty persons partook of the Sacraments. His successor was Rev. George Heinrich Pfeiffer, who commenced in 1784 and probably under him the old record before us is made from 1784 to its close in 1788, except the year, 1787, which is a record made by Rev. Heinrich Miller from "Albany and Lunen- berg " -- now Athens. The record is irregular as to chronological dates from its commencement in 1760 to 1772, which indicates a somewhat fragmentary original to copy from. Probably it was a few sheets of paper loosely put together, and had become much torn and defaced at the end of twelve years, handling. The first baptism was March 4, 1760. James, son of James Hettie and his wife Nellie, witnesses Weinand Weber and N. Silbernaglin, (Silvernail.) The name "Weber" in this record is the modern Weaver, and Striebel-Stribel, is the modern Strever. Nicolas Schmidt and wife Catharine had a son Andreas, baptized Sep. 14, 1760, witnesses Andreas Rauh and Elizabeth Junghans. Dec. 10, Henrich Winnegar and wife Magdalena had a son Henrich baptized. March 4, 1761, Conrad Winnegar and wife Anna Maria had a daughter Susanna baptized, witnesses were Nicolaus Rauh and wife Susanna. These Winnegar families lived at this time near Amenia Union, in Amenia, and the witness Nicolaus Rauh above, was the eldest son of Moravian John Rauh. He (Nicolaus ) lived at Amenia Union and his wife was Susanna Win- negar. The church relations of these families were Lutheran and this
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HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS
at Round Top was the nearest. Twenty baptisms are recorded to June 4, 1763, when the first communion took place. The following are recorded communicants : Michael Rauh and wife Anna Maria, Hanteis Schmidt and Maria Susanna, Mattheus Janghans and Margaretha, Henrich Hoff- mann and Magdalena, Weinand Weber and Maria Catharina, Philip Kautzmann and wife Regina. The next communion was April 18, 1764. The communicants were Tice Miller and wife Apollonia ( in another place it is written Johan Teus Miller ) William Mayer and wife Maria, Gottfried Tederer and Catharina, Mattheus Junghans and Margaretha, Michael Rauh and Anna Maria, Johann Jacob Hubsch and Anna Maria. These are put down as married, then follow single names at this same date also com- municants : Anna Maria Owen, Frederick Rauh, Conrad Schmidt, Jurgen Mayer, Henrick Winnegar, Elizabeth Schneider, Anna Winnegar, Maria Sornberger, Sophia Rauh, Elizabeth Weber, Clara Mackentesch, she was Clara Jonkhance wife of Alexander McIntosh, Catharine Meckentheier, Elizabeth Junghans, Christina Neberen, Eva Finckel, Eva Gertje Miller, Catharine Wilsen, Philip Nees, ( Nase ) Maria Uttilia Nees, Elizabeth Lothin, Margaret Bartel, Maria Ablerin. Total thirty-four. Some names are recorded twice in the list of communicants, evidently an error in copy- ing from the original record. The duplicate names I have counted as one person, unless the evidence is positive to the contrary.
Thirty-one baptisms are then recorded to the next communion-"Am Tag der Himelfarth Christi"-in 1766. At this time there were forty-four communicants. Twenty one baptisms are then recorded to the next com- munion in 1768. The married communicants at this time were Johantice Smith and wife, Henry Hoffman and wife Magdalena, Frederick Rauh and wife Barbara, Michael Lott and wife Elizabeth, Michael Rauh and wife Anna Maria, Balthasar Kiefer and wife Christina, Philip Henry Kuntz and wife, Elizabeth. The single names are Johannes Rauh, Henry Junghans, Philip Nase, Anna Maria Rauh, Margaret Junghans, Jurgen Junghans, Maria Sornberger, Elizabeth Lott, Susanna Lott, Elizabeth Schneider. Anna Winne- gar, Mattheus Junghans, Henry Junghans, Sophia Rauh, Margaret Kuhn, Catharine Wihler, Flora Grec, Maria Alberin. The communicants at this time for the first time "(Zum erstenmahl)" were Philip Rauh, Henry Weber, Henry Munsen, Catharine Rauh, Elizabeth Rauh, Anna Silvernail, Sara Junghans. Total, thirty-nine. This communion season appears to have been in May, and the baptisms for that year are recorded afterward, twen- ty-one in all, and thirteen in 1769, when another communion is recorded for that year. There were 25 at this communion» In 1770 there were two seasons of communion. At one there were twenty-five communicants, at the other sixty-two. (This may be two communions.) There were eleven baptisms in 1770, one of whom-May 4-was Elizabeth, daughter of Andreas Richter and wife Eva. having Johannes Richter and wife Elizabeth for sponsors. In 1771 there were eleven baptisms, among them were Andreas
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and Gertrude-January 24-children of Andreas Pulver and wife Eva Link. In 1772 a communion is recorded when thirty-seven were present. One baptism is recorded for that year which is the end of the "copy" from the "church book." The record of the church then becomes original in this book and is continued to 1788. In 1772 there are six baptisms, in '73, five. At a communion on Ascension day in 1773, thirty-two names are recorded; eighteen at a communion in 1774, and thirty-one in 1775. There were fifteen baptisms in 1774, four in 1775, and one in '76. Then there is no record until 1780, This break may have been caused in part by the commencement of the revolutionary war. Three baptisms are recorded in 1780, nineteen in '81, four in '82, twenty-one in '83, nine in '84. nineteen in '85, seventeen in '86, twenty-five in '87 and ten in 1788. Three of the bap- tisms for 1787 and the ten in 1788, were performed by Rev. Hendrick Mil- ler, who was pastor at "Albany and Loonberg"-now Athens. The bap- tisms by him in 1787 took place on the twenty-first of August, and those in 1788 on the twenty first of September. There are no records after his bap- tisms in 1788. The next communion after 1775-already mentioned-was on "Pinkster"-Pentecost-May 19; thirty were present. The next was June 8, 1783, when there were thirty-eight communicants. The next was May 23, 1784, when sixty-seven names are on the list of communicants. (This list is probably for two commumons.) The next was May 22, 1785, when there were thirty-one. The next was June 18, 1789, with forty-one names, and May 20, 1787, was the last communion on record in this book, when forty-one names are put down as communicants. Of these, eight have the modern surname Streever and six Hoffman. Among the com- municants in 1784, eight were Streever, five Hoffman, five Rowe, five Sornberger, five Kiefer and two Silvernail. These are prominent names among the communicants from first to last. Henry Hoffman and wife Magdalena are at the first communion in June, 1763, and they are present at nearly every communion including the last one in 1787. Johantice Smith and wife Maria Susanna were present at the first communion. Michael Rauh and wife Anna Maria, were present at the second commun- ion in April, 1774. She does not appear after 1775, but he is present in 1787. Johantice Smith and Michael Rowe above were the grantees in the deed of the church property in 1769-Hontice Smith, whose wife was Phebe Wilson, who lived on the Phenix Deuel place, was a son of the above. [Note .- In Round Top Cemetery are two headstones bearing re- spectively these inscriptions: "In memory of Mr, Hendrick Hoffman, who departed this life Feb. 4, 1789, in the 70 year of his age." "In mem- ory of Mrs. Sibbell M. (Magdalena,) wife to Mr. Hendrick Hoffman who de- parted this life July 26, 1805, aged 83." Mr. Hoffman died two years after his last recorded communion in Round Top.] The names Clapp, Dusen- berry, Conrad Smith, Nase and Rowe, belong to the Andreas Rowe neigh- borhood near the old Carman Mill. The Nase family later moved to
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Amenia. The Kiefer family is prominent in this church record. Hendrick Kiefer lived on what is now Schultz Hill. Forty years before this the Mora- vians called that hill "Hendrickson's Mountain." All these families were Lutherans. Two hundred and ninety four infant baptisms are recorded in this book and the communion seasons average each about thirty-two per- sons. This indicates a high state of church interest for Round Top Luth- eran Church from 1760 to 1788, an interest not heretofore supposed or known, and never would have been, had it not been for this old book. That this early church work should not be lost and forgotten is why I have taken so much from this old book. It is now a wanderer, but should have a home with the records of the old Lutheran Church (St. Peter's) at Rhinebeck.
George Heinrick Pfeiffer was successor to Dominie Ries in the old Lutheran church at Rhinebeck, commencing in 1785 and ending in '97 or '8. He probably preached at Round Top during these years excepting the two occasions referred to of Henry Miller, of Albany, who preached here August 21, 1787. and Sept. 21, 1788, baptizing three children the first year and 10 in 1788. Dominie Miller appears to have recorded his own baptisms, and the other baptisms of the same years and back to 1784 are probably those of Pfeiffer. The next minister to Round Top was Rev. Dr. Frederick H. Quitman, the ancestor of the celebrated Quitmans, of American note. Gen. Quitman, once governor of Mississippi, was his son by a first wife. A daughter of his by a second wife married Rev. Augustus Wackerhagen, who preached at Pine Plains within the memory of many now living. Dr. Quitman became pastor at Rhinebeck in 1798, and we have it from very old people that he preached at Round Top in the early years of this cen- tury previous to 1815 when the " Meeting House"-now Presbyterian church- was built at Pine Plains and then in that meeting house later on, the Lutherans having one quarter interest in the church. This drew away the interest in Round Top as a special center. Indeed before that time it was used by other denominations. John Culver, a pioneer Metho- dist preacher in this vicinity licensed about 1790, often preached there before and after 1815. In 1872 he preached two hours with great effect from the text "Curse ye Meroz said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." It was a war sermon, On another occasion he preached from "old things have passed away and all things have become new."
These various church services from this time on became less frequent and less in attendance. The early members of the church had passed away and their descendants drifted naturally to the growing business center of the town, the village of Pine Plains. The clapboards of the old second church-it was 30 by 40 feet with 18 feet posts and was never " finished off inside," benches for seats-were getting loose and some had
P
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fallen. A subscription paper dated March 21, 1826," reads : " We the subscribers promise to pay unto Matthias Hoffman and John P. Rowe the several sums to which our names are annexed, to be by them applied for the purpose of repairing the meeting honse called the round top meeting house south of Charles Hoag's. The said house when completed is to be free to be used as a house of worship for all persuasions and denominations indiscriminately." The subscribers are Andrew Smith 10 dollars, Henry Hoffman 25, Matthias Hoffman 10, Aaron E. Winchell 10, Niles Hartwell 3, Cornelius Allerton 2, Samuel Russel 1, Walter Mead 5, Charles Johnston 3, Joshua Culver 5, Henry Kiefer 5, John Strever 10, Cornelius Husted 4. The old church had substantial friends now ten years after the " Union Meeting House " at Pine Plains had been built. Ninety-three dollars was the total amount subscribed, but the repairs were never made. The next year-1827-the clapboards remaining on were torn off, the frame taken down and the timber sold at auction. Henry Hoysradt, then living about two and a half miles north-east from Pine Plains, purchased a portion of the timber which he subsequently used in building a barn, which is now standing.
Evidently Round Top was widely known in its day. It served its time for a good purpose, and its burial ground was the only public one then in the present town. The turf is now sunken where once was "many a mouldering heap," and the low rough stones are many and close together. Some are silent mourners of the unknown and forgotten, and on others are inscribed the legends pertaining to great-great-grandfathers. But who can tell how many country funerals without pomp or heraldry or "trappings of affected woe " were held in that old church, and the dead buried in the yard thereto with a short stick for a marker long since gone and the grave now as though it had never been. These were the "always with you." There too lie the church fathers, Hoffman, Rowe and Smith, and many brethren of other families and names. Let their little dust there sleeping Lethe be-no, say not that, it is not forgotten for good deeds never die. But alike to all, that great strainer " transition "-prevents earthy gold and all it brings, and all things earthly, from entering the land Elysium where naught exists but bodiless thought, spirit immortal, eternal.
CHURCHES-RED CHURCH AT PULVER'S.
The German Reformed and Lutheran elements came with the Pala- tines in their immigration to this country and settlement on the Hudson, where at first they worshiped in one church near Rhinebeck and later divided in 1729, the Lutherans selling their interest in the church property to the German Reformers. This has been hereinbefore referred to. Later, upon the breaking up of "The Camp," these denominational differ- ences came with these people to this town, when at first both used the Round Top church. The principal persons as Lutherans interested in
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HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS.
this church have been mentioned. The verbal promise of James Alex- ander-probably made to Johantice Smith and Michael Rowe-that the land donated should be for a Lutheran church, shut out all present and prospective interest from the German Reformers. Indeed, if there were yet a living hope for them, the deed in 1769 effectually and forever ex- tinguished it. So three years after this in 1772 the Reformers built a church on the "Pulver farm," about two miles cast of Pine Plains on the road to Salisbury on the present Herman Pulver farm. The church was painted red and was known as the "red church " and later as the "old red church." Prominent among the German Reformers in that neighbor- hood were the ancestral names Polver, Stickle, Richter, Melius, and Schneider. All these names appear occasionally-not often-on the Round Top Lutheran record. "Polver " is a staunch old name among the German Reformers. It is one of the earliest. "Wandel Polver" was one of four on behalf of the German Reformers to complete the sale and division of the first Palatine church in Rhinebeck in 1729. By these families and their influence the church was built. Alexander McIntosh- who married Clara Younkhans and lived on the Samuel S. Tanner farm- it is said went to Albany on foot in 1760 for the communion service used in this church. This tradition as to date is probably correct, but this communion service was bought for the Lutheran Round Top church. This purchase was made twelve years before the red church was built. Furthermore the record of Round Top commenced at this date-1760-and the service of the Lord s Supper immediately follows when there was need for these communion pieces, and they were repeatedly used. It is very probable that this communion service fell to the German Reformers when they left the Round Top church and went into their own church. This supposition is furthermore sustained by the fact that there has never been found any communion service among the descendants of the Round Top fathers. No other relics would have been so carefully preserved had they come to their keeping. No record of this German Reformed church is known to me, and it is doubtful if there ever was one. Its denominational preachers were from the parent church at Rhinebeck. Rev. Gerhard Daniel Koch was pastor of the German Reformed church at Rhinebeck from 1773 to 1791, and he was the first preacher of that denomination in the old Red Church. Hence it was called "Koch's meeting house." In 1784, when North East was yet a Precinct-before it became a town- John White, Philip Spencer and William Stewart were commissioners of highways and they "alter and lay out a certam part of the Salisbury road two rods wide beginning at the brook east of Mr. Koch's meeting house and running along the line between Andreas Stickle and John White until it falls into the old road again." Mr. Koch's pastorate closed in 1791, and he was succeeded by Mr. Schefer, and others until 1802, when Valentine Rudiger Fox became pastor and preached until about 1823. These were
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probably the regular denominational preachers in this church. Other ministers we are told preached there in the same periods. Meanwhile the German Reformed church at Greenbush, known later-about 1808-as the "Vedder church," was growing stronger-it having been organized several years earlier than this-and absorbed to a considerable extent the German Reformed element in this society. In addition to this the church interest in Pine Plains village was becoming more popular, the place being a commercial center, and lastened the end of the old Red church. It was taken down about 1826. Like Round Top it was never finished off inside, but never attained to the usefulness and notoriety of that church. The communion service went to the family of Nicholas Pulver, and was sub- sequently sold in settlement of his estate. Some of the pieces are yet in the possession of some of our town residents. The church site, including the cemetery, was one acre north of the road and only a few head stones are left to mark the site once enclosed by a stone wall, now nearly leveled to the ground. In 1880 I copied from the headstones there the following inscriptions : "In memory of Mr. Peter Pulver he died May 29, 1794, in the 86 year of his age. Susannah wife to Mr. Peter Pulver who died March 24, 1790 A. E. 75. Margaret daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Pulver she died June 1792 A. E. (obliterated ). Joseph son to Isaac and Elizabeth Hill, he died Feb. 22, 1791 aged 2.
Farewell our lovely son We bid a short adieu. You cannot come to us But we must come to you."
Abraham Bockee and wife Maria it is said were buried there, and were subsequently removed to the Smith burial ground at the Federal Square. He died Jan. 22, 1776, aged 59. She died Jan. 28, 1776, aged 61, four years after the church was built.
OLD CHURCH AT ATTLEBURY.
Contemporaneous with these early churches but not so early, was a church building in the northern part of Stanford, abont a quarter of a mile east from Attlebury corners. The building was painted red, and built in a plain rough way. There was no denominational organization or society, the building being for the accommodation of neighborhood settlers on funeral occasions and religious meetings. It was much in use, as the burials in the public or church cemetery nearby testify. Its nearby supporters were Thomas Braman, Israel Lewis, Daniel Lewis and Ebenezer Husted. These were men of wealth, and foremost of these in the church interest was Thomas Braman. In the earliest years of this century the Methodists used it more than any other denomination, commencing with 1800, when David Pitt Candel, a Methodist preacher, held a quarterly meet-
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HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS.
ing. Later and by turns, Thomas Ingraham and Peter Powers, and other Methodist brethren from Amenia, held meetings there. The building fell down or was taken down about 1832, near the time when the old churches in Pine Plains ceased to be.
CHURCHES-QUAKER MEETING HOUSE AT BETHEL.
Charles Hoag was the principal originator in the establishment of this society and church. He was a Quaker and was settled in 1799 on the farm now owned and occupied by Henry Keefer at Bethel, where the Quaker meeting house was built. Among his associate Quakers living in that vi- cinity and within go-to-meeting distance thereof at this time and a few years later, were Michael Wanzer and father, Daniel Weaver and family, John Ellison, son of Thomas Ellison, Ezra Bryan and family, Abner Case and family, Phebe Corbin, Richard Carman and family, John Tweedy, who lived in Aneram, and came to meeting twice a week, Jeptha Wilbur, and daughter after the "Little Nine Partner" society- now Milan-ceased to have meetings, Isaac Reynolds and wife, Mrs. John Reynolds, Edmund Reynolds and wife, Jacob Downing, Mrs. Daniel Lewis, Benjamin (or Ephraim) Mosher, who owned the Harris Grinding works, Thomas Griffin, Gerardus Winans, Friend Sheldon, George Sheldon and Anthony Briggs. There were probably other families, and in all enough to form a strong society, but without a leader until Charles Hoag came and was "allowed" to hold meetings at his honse. The parent society, or the one that had jurisdiction ecclesiastical, was at Stanfordville, which had lately been set off about 1803, either from "The Creek" society-now Clinton Corners-or from the "Nine Partners" at Mechanic in this county. A committee had been appointed to look after these meetings held at Charles Hoag's, either from the Creek or Nine Partuer society, and at the first monthly meeting held at Stanfordville, the "23d of 4th month, 1803," they say "most of the committee appointed to attend the meeting allowed at Charles Hoag's re- port in conjunction with the women that they have attended thereto so far to their satisfaction, that they feel freedom to propose the continuance thereof under the care of a suitable committee, which, claiming the atten- tion of the meeting, the proposition is united with, and having the concur- rence of the women herein, allows them to hold a meeting there for three months on the first and fourth days of the week, except preparation, monthly and quarterly meeting weeks. Charles Colman, John Guerney, Abraham Guerney, Maurice Carman, Henry Hoag, Daniel Lawrence, Oba- diah Quimby and Isaac Deuel are appointed to visit and report their satisfaction when the time for hokling has expired." At this meeting Ezra Bryan sent a request to become a member. This founded and established "The North East Society" of Friends. The three months passed, and on the '23d day of ith month, 1803," the committee reported and "allowed them to hold a meeting there (Charles Hoag's), as usual for six months. to commence next fourth day. Richard Carman, Ephraim Mosher, Joseph
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