USA > New York > Orange County > History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 33
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135
CHURCHES.
Classes.
Leaders.
George Pitts.
Pochuck (Widow Allison)
Mathew Lownsberry.
Newfoundland.
Charles Oldham.
Deerpark.
Benjamin Brown.
New Shawangunk (Bethel). Thomas Collard.
Hamburgh
Nathan Benjamin.
Bellvale. James Conningham.
Vernon ..
Cornwall
The New Windsor class was supplied with a room over the store of John Ellison, at Vail's Gate, in 1791, which was a regular preaching station until 1807, when the old New Windsor church was erected, and the society organized as the Union Methodist Episcopal Church of New Windsor. This was the first regular Methodist Episcopal Church edifice in the county, if not the first on the west side of the Hudson.
In 1819 the Sullivan circuit was formed from the Newburgh and New Windsor circuits, Revs. Horace Weston and James Quinlan, preachers in charge.
In 1820, Newburgh village was taken from the New- burgh circuit, and Rev. Samuel Fowler appointed minister. Arnold Schofield and Josiah Bowen, preachers on the circuit.
In 1823 the Newburgh circuit was divided, and Bloomingburgh circuit formed, embracing the preach- ing stations on the east side of the mountain, viz. : Bethel, Bloomingburgh, Middletown, Mount Johnson (now Crawford), Montgomery, Walden, Burlingham, Sam's Point, and Walker Valley.
In 1825, New Paltz circuit was taken from the Newburgh circuit. The class at Bellvale, on the New Windsor circuit, was broken up, and the appoint- ment discontinued until 1833.
In 1837, New Windsor circuit was divided, and Sugar Loaf circuit formed, embracing Sugar Loaf, Florida, Edenville, Bellvale, Chester, Monroe, Ox- ford, Satterlytown, Washingtonville, Blagg's Clove, , had its beginning in the Newburgh circuit. Highland Mills, Little Long Pond, and Dutch Hol- low (Greenwood Lake), Revs. Seymour Landon and William Miller, circuit preachers, and Rev. Phineas Rice, presiding elder.
Although Methodism had its introduction in War- wiek, it was not until 1839 that a regular appointment was made for Methodist preaching in the village of Warwick. From a Methodist stand-point the people of that village were thoroughly " joined to their idols," -i.e., Baptists and Presbyterian-Reformed-Dutch. Its firmest foothold was gained in Newburgh and New Windsor, where many came to its ranks who had been connected with the Church of England. and who were then practically without church connection. This was especially true of John Ellison, who liber- ally encouraged the circuit preachers. In Newburgh, on the contrary, the most socially prominent defender of the new faith was Elnathan Foster. a former Pres- byterian. Perhaps, however, the itinerant ministers would have been equally successful without these ad- ventitious aids. They were earnest, strong men, and sustained their faith under the most annoying perse- cutions and the most trying ostracisms.
It is due to the denomination to say that the census of 1875 awards to it forty-four churches in the county. The number, however, evidently embraces circuit stations, which do not appear in the minutes of Con- ference, and also perhaps colored churches and all others claiming the name of Methodists, but which are not attached to the regular church organization. The following list is from Conference minutes :
Crawford. Bullville.
St. Paul's
Midilletown.
Ridgebury.
Wawayanda.
Trinity ..
Newburgh City.
St. John's.
40
Gardnertown
Newburgh town.
Rossville
"
Fostertown
=
North Newburgh ( Asbury Chapel). Walden ..
Walden
Montgomery
Montgomery.
Goshen
Goshen.
Chester.
Chester.
Sugar Loaf
Sugar Loaf (Chester).
Florida
Fhnida (Warwick).
Warwick
Warwick Village.
Edenville
Edenville (Warwick).
New Milford
New Milford (Warwick).
Bellvale ..
Bellvale (Warwick).
Monroe
Monroe.
Washingtonville.
Waslungtonville.
Salisbury Mills.
Salisbury Mills.
Ilighland Mills
Ilighland Mills (Monroe).
New Windsor.
Vail's Gate.
Cornwall
Canterbury (Cornwall).
Ilighlandville
Cornwall.
Fort Montgomery
Ifiglilands.
West Point.
Little Britain.
New Windsor.
Drew
Port Jervis.
Otisville
Mount Hope.
Colored Methodists.
African Methodist Episcopal (Zion). Newl urgh.
Middletown.
=
Goshen.
Separate Methodists
Goshen.
In connection with this denomination, the following facts have been furnished by Rev. J. P. Hermance, P. E., in reference to the Newburgh District, which
In 1789, Newburgh first appears in the minutes of the Conference. By a division of Flanders circuit, Newburgh circuit was formed, extending from Platte- kill and Marlborough on the north to Warwick on the south. (See list of " Classes," already given.) In 1791, Newburgh stands first on the list of circuits, and is followed by Wyoming, New York, New Rochelle, and Long Island, which compose the district. In 1792, Wyoming, Tioga, Newburgh, Flanders, Eliza- bethtown, and Staten Island circuits composed the district. 1794, Herkimer, Otsego, Delaware, Saratoga, and Albany circuits were added to the district. 1795, the district included Cambridge, Herkimer, Otsego, Delaware, Saratoga, Albany, Newburgh, and Flan- ders circuits. 1796, Salem, Bethel, Burlington, Tren- ton, Freehold, Elizabethtown, Flanders, Newburgh, Delaware, Herkimer, and Albany circuits constituted the district. 1798, Albany, Herkimer, and Delaware circuits were taken out of the district. In 1801 the distriet, which had previously been known as the East Jersey District, received the name of the " New Jer- sey District." In 1802 the work was put into "Con- ferences," the Newburgh and Ulster circuits forming
(Bellel)
Port Jervis.
4
Grace ...
( Jonah Wright.
136
HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.
part of the New Jersey District of the Philadelphia Conference. A rearrangement was made in 1803, by which the Albany District was formed, embracing the Newburgh, Ulster, Delaware, Albany, Albany City, and Saratoga circuits. In 1804 the district was taken from the Philadelphia and placed in the New York Conference. It then embraced the Black River, Western, Herkimer, Saratoga, Montgomery, Albany, Delaware, Ulster, Newburgh, and Albany City cir- cuits. In 1805, Haverstraw was added. In 1808 the district was cut down to the Albany City, Albany, Schenectady, Montgomery, Delaware, Ulster, New- burgh, and Haverstraw circuits. In 1810 the name was changed to the Hudson River District, and re- mained under that title until 1832, when it was di- vided, the southern portion receiving the name of the Newburgh District, embracing the following charges and circuits : Catskill, Saugerties, Kingston, Marble- town, Sullivan, Montgomery, Rossville, Gardnertown, New Windsor, New Paltz, and West Point. The varions stations, which had previously been preach- ing-places in connection with contiguous charges, ap- pear in the published minutes at dates as follows: New Windsor, 1809; Kingston, 1822; Bloomingburgh, and name changed to Montgomery, 1824; New Paltz, 1831; Catskill and Saugerties, 1835; Rossville and Gardnertown, 1832; Rondout, 1836; Sugar Loaf, 1837; North Newburgh, 1838; Milton and Marlbor- ough, 1840; Monroe, 1845; Goshen and Southfield Mission, 1847 ; Esopus, 1848; New Paltz Landing and New Paltz, 1850; Newburgh Second Church, 1852; West Newburgh and Eddyville, 1853 ; Chester, 1854; Kingston Second Church, 1856; Milton, 1858; Glasco, 1859; Cornwall and Little Britain, 1863; Warwick, Bellvale, Highland Mills, and Walden, 1866; Washingtonville, 1867; Florida, 1868; Salis- bury Mills, 1869; West Newburgh, 1870; Port Ewen, 1873; Galeville, 1874. The district extends north- ward as far as Saugerties, southward to New Milford, westward to Goshen and along the Wallkill Valley, northerly and easterly to Hudson's River. While cov- ering a considerable portion of Ulster, it fails to em- brace the entire county of Orange, and the following statistics must of course be received in connection with this fact, viz. : It has 36 charges; 52 churches, valued at $364,400; 30 parsonages, valued at $68,100; 7845 members; 57 Sabbath-schools, with a roll of 6268 scholars and 925 teachers. The following is a list of the presiding ellers of the district from 1787 :
1787, Thomas Foster; 1788-89, James O. Cromwell; 1790, Thomas Morrell; 1791-92, Robert Cloud ; 1793, Jacob Brush ; 1794-95, Thos. Ware; 1796-98, John Mc- Claskey; 1799, Freeborn Garrettson; 1800-2, Solomon Sharp; 1803-6, Elijah Woolsey ; 1807-9-11, Henry Stead; 1811-14, Daniel Ostrander; 1815-18, P. R. Sanford ; 1819-22, Eben Smith ; 1823-26, Daniel Os- trander; 1827-30, Phineas Rice; 1831, M. Richardson; 1832, William Jewett; 1833-34, M. Richardson ; 1835 -38, Phineas Rice; 1839, William Jewett; 1840-42,
Daniel Ostrander; 1843-46, M. Richardson ; 1847-50, William Jewett ; 1851, Stephen Martindale ; 1852-54, A. M. Osbon; 1855-58, L. M. Vincent; 1859-61, Phineas Rice; 1862-65, William H. Ferris; 1866-68, A. M. Osbon; 1869-72, Joseph B. Wakeley ; 1873-76, J. Y. Bates ; 1877-80, John P. Hermance.
ROMAN CATHOLICS.
The history of the efforts for the introduction of Catholicism in this State during the colonial era pos- sesses a deep interest, embracing as it does the inci- dents of the French and Indian wars, which were waged from 1687 until the termination of French rule in Canada. The work was commenced in 1608, and was attended with considerable success among the more northern Indian tribes. The effort for the conversion of the Six Nations, however, met with very little encouragement until after the accession of James 11. to the throne of England, who instructed the governors of the province to extend to the French missionaries every facility for the prosecution of the enterprise. The privileges thus granted were soon employed by the French to secure the ascendancy of their own national interest among the Iroquois, and compelled even James himself to materially modify the zeal which he had manifested for the propagation of the faith which he professed. The accession of William and Mary was followed by an entire change in the policy of the English government. So great had been the inroads upon the trade of the English with the Indians, and so palpable the influence of the French priests in that direction,-so materially had the alliance between the English and the Iroquois been weakened, and so essential was the continuance of that alliance to England,-that even the toleration of Catholicism was forbidden, not through any feel- ing of hostility to that form of religion in itself con- sidered, but from political reasons. The most severe repressive measures were adopted ; every Catholic priest coming voluntarily into the province was pun- ishable with death. This law remained in force until after the commencement of the war of the Revolu- tion, when it was so far relaxed, by the terms of the first constitution of the State, as to permit freedom of opinion to all who should subscribe the oath of alle- giance. The appeal which was made to Ireland for aid in the war, and the subsequent assistance of Cath- olic France, materially affected the prejudices of the people, and made it possible to engraft upon the Federal Constitution of 1787 the full and complete equality of all religious faiths. Although the door was thus thrown open, Catholic authorities made little effort to propagate their faith until after the Irish rebellion of 1798, which sent many Catholic emigrants to America. In 1808, Pope Pius VII. erected Baltimore into an archiepiscopal sec, with four suffragan sees, of which New York was one .*
* The first priest stationed in New York City was Rev. Charles Whalen, an Irish Franc.scan, who had been chaplain in the French fleet under
137
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
The first bishop of New York, Rev. Luke Concanen, died soon after his consecration, and before he entered upon his duties. His successor, Rev. John Conelly, was consecrated in 1814, and among his first work was that of establishing missions along Hudson's River, ostensibly "to prevent the children of Catho- lies conforming to the persuasions of their neigh- bors." In his diary occurs the following: "Jan. 29th, 1818 .- 1 answered the Rev. Arthur Langdill's three letters and sent him said Indult, and addressed the letter to the care of Mr. MeIntyre, New Burg." Rev. Langdill and Rev. Dr. Ffrench (the latter in 1817 and the former in 1818) were the first Catholic missionaries in Orange County, and at Newburgh, in 1826, St. Patrick's Church, the first Catholic church in the county, was organized. There are now fifteen churches and missions in the county, viz. :
St. Paul's, Bullville, attended from Montgomery.
St. Thomas', Cornwall, Rev. Stephen Mackin, Rev James Kelly.
-, Goshen, Rev. John Keagan, Rev. S. J. Byrnes.
St. Mary's, Greenwood, attended from Sufferns. Sacred Heart, llighland Falls, Rev. Terrance J. Early.
St. Joseph's, Middletown, Rev. Peter Prendergast, Rev. Jolin Clancy. -, Middlehope, attended from Milton.
Holy Natne of Mary, Montgomery, Rev. Patrick Brady.
-, Monroe, attended front Goshen,
St. Patrick's, Newburgh, Rev. Joseph F. Mooney, Rev. IIngh McCabe.
St. Mary's, Newburgh, Kev. Michael Phelan, Rev. M. Lane.
Holy Name of Jesus, Otisville, attended from Middletown.
Immaculate Conception, Port Jervis, Rev. E. J. Flynn, Rev. Michael Sally.
St. Stephen's, Warwick, attended from Goshen.
-, Washingtonville, attended from Cornwall,
-, West Point, attended from Highland Falls.
-, New Windsor, attended from Newburgh,
The academy of Our Lady of Mercy is located at Balmville, in Newburgh, and St. Patrick's parochial school is connected with St. Patrick's Church in the city of Newburgh.
FRIENDS.
Though not among the earliest of the sects in the county, members of the Society of Friends, "or the people called Quakers," have an early and honorable record in its annals. A considerable colony,located in the old precinct of Cornwall prior to the Revolu- tion, and soon after its close we find them in the northwestern part of the town of Newburgh, and in the adjoining towns of Plattekill and Marlborongh, in Ulster, both of which towns were originally cov- ered by the precinct of Newburgh. From the pre- cinct of Cornwall we have the towns of Cornwall and Monroe, and in the former are two meeting-houses, and in the latter one. The Friends of Newburgh 1 unite with their brethren of Pleasant Valley in a meeting-house át the latter place. The original meeting-house in Cornwall was erected about 1790. The grounds on which it stands were deeded in 1789, by Langford Thorn, to Joseph Thorn, Nicholas Town-
-
send, and William Titus, in trust for the " Cornwall Monthly Meeting." David Sands, a noted preacher of the sect, may be said to have been the founder of the society here. A division of the sect in 1827 resulted in the "Hicksite" and the "Orthodox" branches, the former retaining the old building, and the latter erecting a meeting-house of their own in 1828 or 1829.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
The religious and benevolent societies of the sev- eral towns of the county have not been few in num- ber, nor without influence. It is believed that the county is older in the introduction of Sabbath-schools and Bible societies than its contemporaries. The first in the field was the Orange County Bible Society. which was organized in Goodwill Church on the 11th of June, 1811, over four years prior to the organiza- tion of the American Bible Society. At its first pub- lic meeting a constitution was adopted, and the following officers appointed, viz. : Rev. Andrew King, president ; Rev. Moses Fræligh, first vice-president ; Rev. Mathusaleh Baklwin, second vice-president ; Rev. John Johnston, secretary ; Rev. Arthur I. Stans- bury, clerk ; Dr. Charles Fowler, treasurer, and nine- teen other managers. As first constituted it was a Bible and Tract Society, but in 1816, when the Amer- ican Bible Society was formed, it became auxiliary to it, ceased its tract operations, and assumed the name of the Orange County Bible Society.
Previous to the year 1835 the amount of money collected and expended by the society in its opera- tions cannot be stated with any degree of accuracy. In the report of 1832 it is stated that the amount col- lected up to .Inne of that year, from 1816, was $3902, making an average for each year of $240, which had been paid over to parent society in remittances for Bibles, or in donations. The amount collected up to June, 1847, including the amount already given, was $16,690.73.
A complete list of the officers of the society is not contained in its record book, and hence we cannot give the names of the successors of Dr. King and his associate founders. Traditionally stated, the presi- deney was held by Rev. Dr. King, Rev. Mathusaleh Baldwin, Johannes Miller, Hezekiah Howell, Moses Crawford, and William Phillips, prior to 1834, since which time the officers have been as follows :
1834 .- Gen. James W. Wilkin, president ; Hon. Nathan H. White, first vice-president ; Capt. Andrew Wilson, second vice-president ; Robert Denniston, corresponding secretary ; John Wilson, recording sec- retary ; Gen. Charles Borland, Jr., treasurer.
1835-36 .- Andrew Wilson, president ; Samuel Millspaugh, first vice-president ; Jonathan Bailey, second vice-president; Daniel T. Wood, recording secretary ; Peter A. Millspaugh, treasurer ; Robert Denniston, corresponding secretary.
1837 .- Jonathan Bailey, president; John B. Hor-
Admiral De Grasse. After the war he settled in this country. His brother, Dr. Joseph Whalen, purchased lot No, 11 of the Schuyler Patent in Montgomery, April 1, 1788, lle was the father of the late Joseph V. Whalen, of Montgomery.
10
138
HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.
ton, first vice-president ; Nathaniel Brewster, second vice-president ; Robert Denniston, corresponding sec- retary ; Rev. M. N. McLaren, recording secretary ; Dr. P. A. Millspaugh, treasurer.
1838-39,-David llanford, M.D., president ; Charles Fowler, M.D., first vice-president ; James Little, sec- ond vice-president ; Robert Denniston, corresponding secretary ; Rev. M. N. McLaren, recording secretary ; P. A. Millspaugh, M.D., treasurer.
1841 .- Charles Fowler, president; James Little, first vice-president; George Phillips, second vice- president ; James D. Bull, corresponding secretary ; Rev. Isaac C. Beach, recording secretary ; P. A. Mills- paugh, treasurer.
1
1842 .- Theo. L. Jackson, recording secretary ; no other change.
1843 .- Joseph B. Howell, second vice-president ; no other change.
1844 .- Andrew Wilson, president ; Joseph B. How- ell, first vice-president ; Jesse Bull, second vice-presi- dent; Theo. L. Jackson, recording secretary ; James D. Bull, corresponding secretary ; P. A. Millspaugh, treasurer.
-=
1845 .- Samuel Wait, first vice-president ; no other change.
1846-47 .- James Wood, president ; Jesse Bull, first vice-president ; William Houston, second vice-presi- dent ; James D. Bull, corresponding secretary ; Theo. L. Jackson, recording secretary ; P. A. Millspaugh, treasurer.
1848-49 .- Robert Denniston, president ; William Houston, first vice-president; Moses Sawyer, second vice-president ; James D. Bull, corresponding secre- tary ; Theo. L. Jackson, recording secretary ; P. A. Millspaugh, treasurer.
1850 .- Rev. W. D. Snodgrass, corresponding secre- tary ; no other change.
1851 .- John S. Crane, M.D., treasurer; no other change.
1852 .- H. M. Hopkins, second vice-president ; no other change.
1853-54 .- Alexander Thompson, president; Na- thaniel Webb, first vice-president ; Jesse C. Stewart, second vice-president; Theo. L. Jackson, recording secretary ; Rev. W. D. Snodgrass, corresponding sec- retary ; John S. Crane, treasurer.
1855-56 .- Robert Denniston, president; Andrew Wilson, first vice-president ; Jesse C. Stewart, second vice-president ; Rev. W. D. Snodgrass, corresponding secretary ; Theo. L. Jackson, recording secretary ; John S. Crane, treasurer.
1858-65 .- William S. Webb, president; Samuel J. Wilkin, first vice-president ; Charles W. Reevs, second vice-president ; Rev. S. W. Mills, corresponding sec- retary ; Theo. L. Jackson, recording secretary ; John S. Crane, treasurer.
1866-67 .- William S. Webb, president; Robert Denniston, first vice-president ; Hugh B. Bull, second vice-president ; Rev. S. W. Mills, corresponding see-
retary ; Theo. L. Jackson, recording secretary ; John S. Crane, treasurer.
1868-69 .- Hugh B. Bull, president; A. H. Sinsa- baugh, first vice-president ; William Evans, second vice-president ; Rev. S. W. Mills, corresponding ser- retary ; Theo. L. Jackson, recording secretary ; John S. Crane, treasurer.
1870 .- Augustus F. Schofield, president; William J. Groo, first vice-president ; Selah R. Corwin, second vice-president ; Rev. S. W. Mills, corresponding sec- retary ; Rev. R. Howard Wallace, recording secre- tary ; David Redfield, treasurer.
1871-72 .- Rev. W. D. Snodgrass, president ; A. H. Sinsabaugh, first vice-president ; William Evans, second vice-president ; Rev. S. W. Mills, correspond- ing secretary ; Rev. R. Howard Wallace, recording secretary ; David Redfield, treasurer.
1873-76 .- Rev. W. D. Snodgrass, president ; Wil- liam J. Groo, first vice-president ; Selah R. Corwin, second vice-president ; Rev. R. H. Wallace, recording secretary ; Rev. S. W. Mills, corresponding secretary ; David Redfield, treasurer.
1879 .- Rev. W. D. Snodgrass, president; John I. | Servin, first vice-president : Selah R. Corwin, second vice-president ; Rev. S. W. Mills, corresponding see- retary ; Rev. R. Howard Wallace, recording secre- tary ; David Redfield, treasurer.
The Newburgh Bible Society was organized Sept. 9, 1818, when a constitution was adopted and the fol- lowing officers elected, viz. : Jonas Storey, president ; Isaac Belknap and Joseph Clark, vice-presidents ; Rev. John Johnston, corresponding secretary ; Charles Miller, recording secretary ; Benjamin F. Lewis, treasurer. The society still has an active existence.
The Young Men's Christian Association of New- burgh was the first society of this class. It was or- ganized Sept. 15, 1858,-Arthur Potts, president. The present association is its successor. The Young Men's Christian Association at Goshen was organized in 1866. Present officers : C. E. Millspaugh, president ; J. II. Staats, corresponding secretary. The Young Men's Christian Association at Warwick was organ- ized in 1869. Present officer>: Edwin S. Colwell. president ; George A. Sanford, corresponding secre- tary.
Religious societies more directly connected with some one of the several churches will be noticed in the town where located.
BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS.
The Newburgh Home for the Friendless was organ- ized in the autumn of 1861, under the title of the Newburgh Union Female Guardian Society. In 1862 it was incorporated by a special act of the Legisla- ture.
St. Luke's Home and Hospital, of Newburgh and New Windsor, is also an incorporated institution. It was organized Nov. 4, 1874, by ladies connected with the several churches. While the Home for the
139
BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS.
Friendless cares for " friendless or destitute girls under fourteen and over three years of age, and boys under ten and over three, until permanent homes can be secured for them," St. Luke's provides " a home for the aged and the infirm, and a hospital for thesick." Both are creditably managed, and both, with similar institutions elsewhere, are silently but effectually ed- ucating the public to more humanitarian views in making provision for the support of those who may be objects of public charity.
Without entering into details of the many benevo- lent societies in the county at the present time, we notice briefly the Masonic and Odd-Fellows' lodges.
Authoritative Masonry in the State of New York dates back to the appointment of Daniel Cox, of New Jersey, Provincial Grand Master of the Provinces of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, June 5, 1730. Lodges were constituted in New York City and in other parts of the province under this author- ity, and worked under the English ritual until 1776, when, by the outbreak of the Revolution, a new order of things eame into existence. One of the results of the period was the organization of what were known as military lodges on the part of officers and others connected with the American army. The first of these, American Union Lodge, was warranted by Richard Gridley, Esq., Grand Master of Masons of Massachusetts, Feb. 13, 1776, with authority to hold a lodge in the American army, then located at Rox- bury, Mass. Soon after receiving their warrant the portion of the army with which the members of the lodge were connected removed to New York, where, by permission of the Deputy Grand Master of the province, they assembled and petitioned the said Dep- uty Grand Master to confirm the warrant given them by the Grand Master of Massachusetts. Their peti- tion was not complied with, but a new warrant was granted them under the name of Military Union Lodge, No. 1. " This lodge was located," says John G. Barker, in his "Early History of Masonry," "on the Hudson River, near West Point, during the summer of 1779, and at Newburgh from 1781 to 1783. The roll of the lodge is headed 'Members of Military Union and American Union Lodge.' "
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