USA > New York > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 52
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His son, Cornelius Warren, was born in 1790, and died at Cold Spring July 28th, 1849. He was member of Congress, 1847-9, and was judge of Common Pleas in 1841.
Sylvenus Warren was born November 13th, 1799, and died February 15th, 1859. He was member of Assembly in 1843, and supervisor of Philipstown for several years. His oldest son, Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren, was a distinguished officer during the Civil War.
CHAPTER XXV.
TOWN OF PHILIPSTOWN (Concluded).
Village of Cold Spring .- West Point Foundry .- Growth of Village .- Incorpora- tion .- Cold Spring Recorder .- Fires .- Philipstown Lodge .- Baptist Church. -St. Mary's Episcopal Church .- Methodist Church .- First Reformed Church. -Presbyterian Church .- Roman Catholic Church .- Cemeteries .- Nelsonville. -West Point Iron Company .- Union Chapel, Mekeel's Corners .- Constitu- tion Island .- North Part of Philipstown .- Col. Roger Morris .- Old Highland Methodist Church .- Northeast Part of Town .- Murders .- Supervisors .- Hon. Hamilton Fish, LL. D .- Hon. Edwards Pierrepont .- Edward Pierrepont .- Hon. Daniel P. and Arthur Ingraham .- Gouverneur Kemble .- William D. Garrison .- James H. Haldane .- Robert P. Parrott .- Col. Thomas B. Arden. -Henry W. Belcher .- Osmond M. Baxter .- Hon. George McCabe.
T 'HE village of Cold Spring, now the largest in the county, had no existence previous to the time when the works of the West Point Foundry were established here, in 1818. The whole extent of this village and of Nelsonville, is included within the limits of the tract known as Lot 4, in the first sur- vey of the Philipse Lot, and held by William Davenport as tenant in 1769. At that time and for long years after, the only valuable portion of the tract was the comparatively few acres that could be cultivated, and the shores of the river, which con- sisted of rugged rocks and useless marsh, were naturally con- sidered of no practical value whatever.
At the foot of what is now Main street, was in former times a small bay with marshy shores. This extended as far east as the Hudson River Railroad track. At the Point where the rail- road crosses the north line of the steeet, a spring of water, cool, clear and sparkling, flowed from the bank, and from its peculiar freshness it acquired the name of "the Cold Spring." The course of modern improvement has destroyed it and the fountain no longer flows, but its memory still survives in the name of the village.
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
The first house in this vicinity was built by Thomas Daven- port, and stood opposite the present Methodist church. Here he lived and died and his sons after him, and the name of this family must ever by identified with the early times of this sec -. tion of the county.
An old road ran winding down to what is called Sandy Land- ing. At the beginning of the present century there were three or four small houses in the vicinity, and boatmen on the river stopped here occasionally. In 1805, Elijah Davenport built a store on the south side of the road, and in 1815, Chauncey Weeks moved a frame building down from Nelsonville and stationed it just east of the store. The old house of Elijah Davenport was still farther east. Two men named Haldane and Howel afterward built a store at "Sandy Landing." Thomas Sutton, a son-in-law of William Davenport, had a log house where the elegant mansion of Frederick P. James now stands. He was the fortunate owner of some peach trees, and one year had an excellent crop of fruit, which he sold to men from New York for the large sum of five dollars: quite an event in the early times.
The first school house was built of logs and stood at a place called " Plum bush," a little south of the village, on the road to Garrison's, and to this humble edifice trudged the children of the Davenport, Sutton and Travis families, the last said to have been living on Constitution Island. About 1810, a frame school house was built, about half a mile east from the house of William Davenport. This building stood near the corner of a road, and to it the children came from a long distance round. Thaddeus Baxter came from Carmel and taught school in 1816. The house was afterward moved to Griffin's Corner, and a new one built on the spot where the first Methodist church after- ward stood.
In 1815, the Philipstown Turnpike Company was organized, and the enterprise was started of making a good road from Cold Spring, through the whole length of the county, to the Connecticut line. Dr. Joseph Parks took the contract for mak- ing 12 miles of this road for $1,000 a mile.
In 1817, Market street was laid out, and was described as "beginning at the westerly end and centre of Philipstown turn- pike, at Cold Spring landing, being a course of S. 54 degrees west to the verge of the flats on the easterly side of the channel
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TOWN OF PIIILIPSTOWN.
of Hudson river, at a distance of about six chains to the edge of the channel, and from the centre of said turnpike, to the ex- tremity of the road, completing in all a distance of 80 chains or thereabouts."
The stream which has from early times borne the name of Mar- garet's Brook, doubtless derives its title from Margaret Ogilvie, who with her children, was the owner of all the country round. Kemble avenue was opened a few years later, for the transportation of goods to the foundry by land. A large gate formerly stood at its junction with Main street.
Davenport's store was a great resort for local gossips in the "good old times," and was the scene of many a hot political dispute. The old residents used to tell of a townsman, who, when the tariff was proposed as a protection from the cheap merchandise with which England flooded the country, declaimed loud and long against the infringement upon the rights for which he in the Revolution fought, bled, and (might have) died, and being asked to define the tariff, he said, " it is the little black bug that eats up the potatoes."
THE WEST POINT FOUNDRY Association was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature April 15th, 1818. This Act states that " Whereas Gouverneur Kemble, Joseph G. Swift, James Renwick and others have by their petition set forth, that they have formed a company for the making and manufacturing of iron and brass, and are engaged in the erection of extensive works and machinery for the making of cannon, cannon balls, and other ordnance, but their private capital being found in- adequate: that corporate privileges and powers are deemed es- sential to the accomplishment of this undertaking: and this Legislature deeming the said undertaking to be connected with the public interest and being disposed to encourage the same," the following persons, Gouverneur Kemble, James Renwick, Henry Brevoort, jr., Joseph G. Swift, John R. Renwick, Wil- liam Kemble, Henry Cary, Charles G. Smedburg, Nicholas Gouverneur, Robert I. Fenwick and William Young were made a body corporate, under the name of the " West Point Foundry Association," with a capital of $100,000. On the 3d of Novem- ber, 1817, Frederick Philipse and Samuel Gouverneur and wife sold to Henry Brevoort, jr., and James Renwick a tract of land, " Beginning at a rock, in the vicinity of the Cold Spring land- ing, on which is graven the letter S. at or near the mark of
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
high water, of Hudson's river and thence North 32 East, 39 chains to a stone set on the Earth on the south side of which 'is engraved the letter S., and joining the Philipstown turnpike road, to a stone placed in the earth Marked K., then south 59, 45, East 24 chains 80 links to a stone set on the ground Marked K. Then South 14 West 11,59 links to a chestnut tree Marked with three notches. Then South 18 West 24 Ch. 80 links to a stone set in the ground near the margin of the marsh Marked S. thence across the creek to a ditch lately cnt along said brook to the road lately made by Joseph Parks, thence along said road to a dock lately built, thence along the margin of the river to the place of beginning, containing 178 Acres of land and 27 acres of marsh and also the privilege of the water of Margaret brook, up to the old Saw Mill with liberty to put up a second dam across the same, above the Falls, 20 feet high."
Henry Brevoort and James Renwick conveyed the same to the associatiou July 13th, 1818, and they proceeded to erect the works necessary for carrying on their intended business. From the time of its beginning the company was under the special patronage of the government, and in 1819, an agreement was made with the Ordnance Bureau to receive all the old and un- serviceable cannon, carronades, shot, &c., and to pay for them $25 a ton, and to return kentlidge at the rate of $55 a ton. July 11th, 1820, the first contract was signed by Gouverneur Kemble as president, for manufacturing thirty-two 42 pounders, heavy guns, at $125 a ton, to be delivered in New York within ten months. December 1st, of the same year, the Board of Ord- nance ordered twenty-four 42 pound carronades at $185 each; thirty-two 42 pound cannon; thirty-six 32 pounders; 4,500 42 pound round shot, 3,500 32 pound shot, 14,400 42 pound grape shot, and 7,680 32 pound grape shot. From the time of its establishment till the breaking out of the Rebellion the com- pany was engaged in manufacturing smooth bore cannon of the Dahlgren and Rodman patterns, which were as efficient as any then known. After the commencement of the Civil War, the whole force of the establishment was employed in making Par- rott rifled cannon. The peculiarity of this kind of ordnance consisted of a cylinder made by coiling a bar of wrought iron, welding the coils together, and thus forming a cylinder which was turned and shrunk on the breech of the gun, thus prevent- ing all danger of bursting. In 1860, 10 pounders of this pat-
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TOWN OF PHILIPSTOWN.
tern were made, the next year 20 and 30 pounders were manu- factured, and at a later date they were increased to 300 and 400 pounders. Throughout the war the Cold Spring Foundry was a scene of the most active labor, employing from 800 to 1,000 men and turning out an immense amount of war material. More than 3,000 cannon of various sizes were made and 1,600, - 000 projectiles. In testing the guns they were loaded to their full capacity and aimed at the rocky front of Storm King, op- posite. The shells in bursting threw up enormous masses of earth, and the impressions made on the side of the mountain are still plainly visible, and prove the mighty force exerted.
Since the war supplies of cannon have been made at these works for Spain, and for several South American countries, and large numbers of smooth bore cannon have been changed into rifled guns. Iron and steel castings of all kinds are made at these works, the force and skill employed being equally applic- able to the labors of peace as well as of war.
Like all manufacturing enterprises, this company has had its time of prosperity and its time of depression. In 1883, the company was reorganized, and the present officers are: Charles J. Nourse, president; Thomas Gaunt, superintendent and vice president; N. B. Sanborn, secretary.
Gouverneur Paulding, Esq., has been connected with this company for a longer time than any person now living, and was one of its former presidents.
The road from Cold Spring to Break Neck was laid out in April, 1823.
It was the growth of the village of Cold Spring that led to the division of Philipstown, and the setting off of Putnam Valley as a separate town. The following advertisement ap- peared in the local papers at that time:
" Notice is hereby given to the Freeholders and inhabitants of the town of Philips, that an application will be made to the Legislature of the State of New York, at the present session for a division of Philipstown.
" CORNELIUS WARREN,
" GABRIEL ODELL,
" MARTIN GARRISON,
" SAMUEL PARTRIDGE,
" B. DYKMAN.
" March 27th, 1829."
36
562
HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
Similar petitions were presented to the Legislature in 1832-3- 4-8, and the division was made in 1839.
The first public work of much magnitude was the filling in of the Cold Spring Basin. This was commenced in the fall of 1836, and quite a tract of dry ground was made at the foot of Main street. It was at this time that the spring which had given its name to the locality was covered up and obliterated. In 1838 Main street was straightened. This formerly bent round the hill on which the Roman Catholic church stands, and in its course went to the north of the old Methodist church, re- turning to a straight line near Kemble avenue. The large number of operatives employed in the foundry caused a rapid growth in the village, and about this time the Foundry Associa- tion contracted with a Mr. Whitmarsh to build fifty tenement houses. A great increase in the number of houses in the village was made in 1839, when the Gouverneurs began to sell small lots for building purposes, and a new and enlarged school house was built. This school was termed an Academy, but seems to have belonged to the district, and was conducted in a manner superior to most schools of that time.
" An Act to incorporate the village of Cold Spring. April 22d: All that district of country, in the town of Philips, and County of Putnam, bounded by line beginning on the east bank of Hudson River, at the northwest corner of Gen. George P. Morris's land, thence along the east bank of said river at low water mark, to the southwest corner of the West Point Foundry farm, thence northeasterly, along said boundary line, to the southeast corner of said foundry farm, thence north and west- erly, parallel with the said line, to Bull Hill: thence westerly parallel with said Morris's south line including the village ceme- tery, to the place of beginning shall hereafter be known and distinguished by the name of the Village of Cold Spring, and the freeholders and inhabitants residing within the limits afore- said, are hereby constituted a body corporate, by the name of the Trustees of the Village of Cold Spring."
By an Act passed March 25th, 1867, it was provided that a suitable piece of land should be bought and a Town Hall or public building erected for the purpose of holding public meet- ings, courts and annual elections, also that there should be ad- joining thereto a jail or lockup of sufficient size "to hold all persons who should be confined therein, for offences committed
563
TOWN OF PHILIPSTOWN.
in Philipstown." The land was to be taken in the name of the town. The cost of the building was not to exceed $13,500. The Act was amended at various times. The land on which the Town Hall stands was sold to the town by Frederick Philipse and S. W. Gouverneur, June 1st, 1866.
THE COLD SPRING RECORDER .- This newspaper, the only one published in the western part of the county, was founded in the spring of 1866, by Charles Blanchard. In November of the following year, it was sold to a company composed of prominent citizens of the village, and was put in charge of Mr. Sylvester B. Allis, a native of Fairfield, Conn. Mr. Allis bought out the various shares, and has since continued in control. The paper is independent in politics, fearless in expression of opinion, and has an extensive circulation.
Like most villages, Cold Spring has suffered from the devasta- tion caused by fire. The first occurred in 1862, when several stores and buildings on the south side of the main street were burned, causing a great loss of property. The place, however, was quickly rebuilt. On the 7th of July, 1875, another fire started on the south side of the street, above the railroad, and caused a loss of $47,000.
PHILIPSTOWN LODGE No. 236, F. & A. M., was granted a war- rant September 4th, 1851. The first officers were: P. B. Law- son, W. M .; James Truman, S. W .; Benjamin Dykeman, jr., J. W.
Hon. Gouverneur Kemble, who established the West Point Foundry, was a member of this lodge. Among its past masters are: Hon. Jackson O. Dykman, Dr. Barker, Andrew McIlray, and Hon. William Wood.
The present officers (1886) are: Ellis H. Timm, W. M .; Wil- liam L. Post, S. W .; Samuel Avery, J. W .; Thomas A. Coe, treasurer; Alexander Slater, jr., secretary; James E. Bailey, S. D .; Willard Jaycox, J. D .; Arthur Thompson, S. M. C .; William H. Ladue, J. M. C .; Clarence A. Mikmak, tiler; Stephen Mekeel, Wright E. Perry, Jacob G. Southard, trustees.
The regular communications are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month in Masonic Hall.
The first religious meetings in this neighborhood, were held in the house of Thomas Sutton, which stood near the site of the residence of the late Frederick P. James. In 1825, a subscrip-
564
HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
tion was circulated for the purpose of raising funds for building a church which should be free to all Protestant religious socie - ties. It was at first intended to erect a frame building, but it was finally concluded to use stone for that purpose. The edifice was completed in 1826, and for some time the religious services were confined to prayer meetings. The Presbyterian church was or- ganized in 1828, and laid claim to the church thus erected, and considerable dispute arose as to the rival claims of ownership. This building, which is still standing, is now the property of the Presbyterian Society, and is situated near the bank of the river, north of St. Mary's Catholic Church.
BAPTIST CHURCH .- The first preacher of the Baptist denomi- nation was Rev. Ebenezer Cole, who, like his brother Daniel, was an unwearied minister of the Gospel, travelling into all the villages and neighborhoods of the country round Carmel, organ- izing and establishing churches.
About 1797 he organized the First Baptist Church, and was its successful pastor for many years. The places of meeting were at private houses, that of Deacon Josiah Mekeel being the regular place of service for many years, and meetings were also held in Canopus Hollow. For some unknown reason this church was given up, and on March 15th, 1815, Elder Ebenezer Cole, assisted by Elder Simeon Barrett, organized the Second Baptist Church of Philipstown. This church was ministered to for several years by Elders Knapp, Cole and Marcus Griffin, the latter being one of its own licentiates. . In February, 1827, this church, for property considerations, became united with the Peekskill Baptist Church. When the growth of the village of Cold Spring increased the number of church members residing there. a branch was organized in March, 1829, which was sup- plied for three years or more by Elders John Warren and Knapp. Up to this time the meetings were held in private dwellings, school houses, and in the old Presbyterian church which had been built by subscriptions from people of different denominations. When the Baptists were organized, they were excluded from the latter place, and upon one occasion, Elder Warren, coming to fill an appointment, found the pulpit occu- pied by the Presbyterians. They then began to take steps to build a church, and through the liberality and efforts of Mr. Davenport, a house of worship was built upon a lot given by the Philipse estate, and was dedicated in 1831.
565
TOWN OF PHILIPSTOWN.
In August, 1832, Elder Isaac Bevan became pastor and re- mained two years and a half. The church of which this was a branch, being large and extending over a wide region, it was found difficult to enforce discipline. Accordingly a council was called, and the Baptist Church of Cold Spring was con- stituted December 25th, 1833, Elder John Warren preaching on the occasion. In 1835 Elder Bevan resigned and was suc- ceeded by Rev. William Biddle, a licentiate from the McDougal Street Baptist Church, New York. The church was supplied by several elders, among whom was Marcus Griffin, who became pastor in 1836 and continued for four years. His interest in the church never ceased, and in 1866 he donated $1,000, the in- terest to be used for maintaining the preached word among them. The pastors since that time have been : Elder Russell, 1840; J. W. Jones, 1842; Erastus Minor, 1853; Elder Bennett, 1855; F. N. Barlow, 1856; C. N. Skinner, 1857; W. Lincoln, 1861; William James, 1873; Chester J. Page, 1876; Jacob L. Wil- liams, 1883.
The church has at times been enlarged and improved, and the services are attended with great results for good.
Rev. Jacob L. Williams, the present pastor, was born in Sangerties, N. Y., and for seven years was pastor at Tivoli.
ST. MARY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH .- The finest architectural feature of Cold Spring is St. Mary's in the Highlands. It stands in a large open space of over three acres fronting chiefly on Main and Chestnut streets. The ground sinks considerably to the northwest and the west, giving, from the higher portions near the church, a fine view of the surrounding hills. The present church was built in 1868. Previously the congregation worshipped in a brick structure which stood upon a fine lot on Main street, in the center of what is now the chief business section of the village.
The old brick church, which was taken down a few years ago, was completed and used for the first time, Sunday, November 7th, 1841. The parish was incorporated in 1840. The Rev. Ebenezer Williams was rector of St. Philip's in the Highlands, Garrison's, and united to his cure at that time the rectorship of St. Mary's, Cold Spring. The consecration of the old church took place on Tuesday, November 16th, 1841, the Right Rev. Benjamin T. Onderdonk, D.D., bishop of New York, being the consecrator.
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
Mr. Gouverneur Kemble and Mr. Robert P. Parrott were the first wardens of the church. The first marriage solemnized in the parish was that of the late Mr. Robert P. Parrott and Miss Mary Kemble, who now survives him. Both Mr. and Mrs. Parrott took a keen and conscientious interest in the church as they did in all movements and undertakings for the good of the community. The parish rapidly developed in strength and numbers, In 1867, the village having largely increased in popu- lation, owing to the great expansion of its chief business in- terests, the congregation was too large for the old building.
At a meeting of the vestry held on the 17th of June, 1867, Mr. Parrott presented a communication in which he offered to the church the lot on which the new building stands. He also offered, in connection with some other members of the con- gregation, to erect upon this lot a church building, after plans that had been prepared by Mr. George E. Harney, architect. The offer was accepted by the vestry, and the beautiful edifice that is now such a notable feature of Cold Spring was at once begun. The lot was the gift of Mr. Parrott, and the building the united gift of Messrs. Robert P. Parrott, Gouverneur Kemble, Gouverneur Paulding and Frederick P. James. It was built by days' work under the supervision of the late Sylvanus Ferris, and the general oversight was carefully, willingly and faithfully given by Commodore R. B. Hitchcock, of the U. S. Navy, then residing in Cold Spring. The bills accruing were settled monthly, and the building was completed and paid for within a year of the laying of the corner stone.
It is a noble structure of grey granite, massive and perfect in its proportions. Everything about the building is evidently well and substantially done. The graceful stone spire rises to a height of 128 feet, and its foundation is composed of 14 feet of solid masonry, which rests upon the rock itself. The shape of the building is cruciform. The extreme length is 108 feet. The breadth at the transepts is 68 feet, and of the nave and choir 30 feet. The roof is a lofty one, and very beautifully pro- portioned and timbered, and is of the color of the natural wood. The choir and sanctuary are stately and richly furnished. The latter has panelled walnut wainscoting, a richly carved Reredos and Altar, and massive sanctuary seats. Equally substantial sedilia, lectern and pulpit are found in the choir. The style of the building is early English Gothic. It might be added that
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TOWN OF PHILIPSTOWN.
the chancel furniture, both of the choir and sanctuary, was the gift of one whose loving and generous devotion, throughout a long life, has had much to do with the advancement of St. Mary's in the Highlands.
This new church was consecrated by the bishop of New York, the Right Rev. Horatio Potter, D.D., on Thursday, July 23d, 1868. At ten o'clock on that morning the clear tones of the great bell in the tower first sounded forth over the village, sum-
ST. MARY'S CHURCH IN THE HIGHLANDS.
moning many worshippers to the noble structure that has been for nearly eighteen years the spiritual home of St. Mary's congregation.
In 1873 Mr. Frederick P. James, one of the contributors of the new church, made another gift by commencing to build the beautiful Sunday school chapel which stands a little to the northwest of the church. This chapel is an appropriate memo-
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
rial to Frederick J. and Julian James, the two sons and only children of the donors, both of whom served with gallantry in our army during the Civil War. This chapel, designed by Mr. Harney, is constructed of the same grey stone as the church, and of an equally massive character. It embraces a large beau- tiful room, used for a general Sunday school room, and also as a chapel. A transept on the south side, which can be shut off by sliding windows, serves as an infant class room, and a smaller transept on the north side is fitted up as a library.
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