History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 38

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703

USA > New York > Queens County > History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals. > Part 38

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The growth of Hempstead during the last quarter of a century has been rapid, and it is safe to surmise that the next twenty years will see it double its present size, and virtually make Hempstead village and Garden City one.

The following were the officers of the village elected on Tuesday March Ist 1881: Trustees-E. Kellum, B. F. Rushmore, Samuel H. Minshull, William M. Akley, Richard Brower; clerk, Scott Van De Water jr .; treas- urer, B. Valentine Clowes; collector, John B. Mersereau; street commissioner, Charles Noon; fire wardens-Moses R. Smith, William E. Carman, Horace F. Denton. E. Kellum was chosen chairman of the board of trustees.

THE HEMPSTEAD CHURCHES.

" CHRIST'S FIRST CHURCH (PRESBYTERIAN)."

The history of the above named church dates back to the first settlement on Long Island and, as the name implies, probably to the establishment of the first Pres- byterian church in America.

The writer of this sketch, after careful research, -not accepting the written reports for the sixteenth century without carefully studying the records and comparing the same, believes the following to be as nearly correct as possible, although there are periods of which no trace can be discovered. Many facts have been gleaned from a carefully prepared discourse by the Rev. Sylvester Woodbridge, pastor of the church from 1838 to 1848, who in writing his evidently carefully prepared manu- script had recourse to everything pertaining to the early history of the church, as well as many historical remin-

iscences chronicled only in the memory of those ad- vanced in life, who have since passed away.

"Among those who emigrated to America was the Rev. Richard Denton, a Presbyterian minister of Coly Chapel, parish of Halifax, in the northern part of England. 'He was,' says the Rev. O. Hayward, 'a good minister of Jesus Christ, and affluent in his worldly circumstances. *

* In his time came out the book for sports on the Sabbath days. He saw he could not do what was required, feared further persecution and therefore took the opportunity of going into New England.' Mr. Den- ton came to Watertown, Mass., A. D. 1634; removed to Wethersfield, Conn., in 1635, to Stamford in 1641, and in 1644 came to Hempstead."

From Mr. Denton's known views the friends of Pres- byterianism reach the conclusion that the church was Presbyterian, and from the fact that the first church was called " Christ's First Church " it is supposed by many that this was the earliest Presbyterian church in America.

" The first meeting-house was erected in 1648. It stood near the pond, in the northwest part of the village, and was surrounded by or at least connected with a fort or stockade."

" It may be proper to observe that at this time the most intimate connection existed between church and State in all Christian countries. In towns which, like Hempstead, were Presbyterian (that is, which chose their own officers) this was particularly the case. The same persons con- stituted 'the church ' and 'the town,' and elected the two boards of magistrates and elders, who were often the same individuals."

In the year 1658-9 the Rev. Mr. Denton returned to England, and immediately thereafter the congregation sent Joseph Meade to procure a pastor. In this he was unsuccessful, but during the year 1662 the services of Rev. Mr. Fordham were obtained." From 1658 to 1682 the congregation was destitute of a settled minister, although it is probable the people assembled for wor- ship. The old meeting-house being out of repair, at a general town meeting held January 7th 1677 it was agreed to erect a new building, and in 1678 a house was built a few yards west of the present Episcopal church. It was to be "30 feet long and 24 wide and 12 feet stud, with a lentwo on Ech side." In 1734 it was taken down and another erected on the same site. The first parson- age was erected in 1682, when the Rev. Jeremy Hub- ard was called to be minister, a position which he filled until 1696. It is thought that the controversy which took place between the Presbyterians and Episcopalians about this time, and the course taken by the governor, were the cause of the removal of Mr. Hubard from Hempstead.

From this time for about twenty years, Rev. John Thomas, a clergyman who had received Episcopal ordi- nation, but who dispensed with some of the usages of the Church of England, preached acceptably to the people. He died in 1724, after which came the formation of the Episcopal society, and a general receding by many of the older Presbyterians.

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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

Of this Mr. Woodbridge says: " Many members of the congregation entirely deserted all religious meetings, and the church, reduced to a mere handful, for a time was threatened with extinction. When at length it became certain that they could not obtain their property without resorting to a suit at law, they rallied around the elders and for a time held religious meetings at each other's houses."

In 1762, thirty-eight years after the seizure of the church property, a small edifice was erected near the site of the present church. Soon afterward the Rev. Abra- ham Keteltas supplied the congregation, which rapidly increased until the Revolutionary war, when it received a check. The church was used by the British as a stable, but was repaired after the war. It was destroyed by fire in 1803. For a time it again appeared as if the society would become extinct. "The number of mem- bers of the church did not exceed fifteen or twenty, and even to the elders it seemed impossible that the congre- gation could continue to exist." They received aid from many unexpected quarters, and the same year were enabled to erect a house of worship, and March 16th 1818 Rev. Charles Webster was installed as pastor, after the church had been without a pastor one hundred and twenty-two years.

Since that time the church has steadily advanced, and its history can easily be traced. The following is a list of ministers since the organization in 1644, with the date of beginning and the length of their service:

1644, Richard Denton, 15 years; 1659, Jonas Ford- ham, 22; 1682, Jeremiah Hubard, 14; 1717, Joseph Lamb, 7; 1736, Benjamin Woolsey, 20; 1760, Abraham Keteltas, 5 or 6: 1770, Mr. Hotchkiss, 1; 1772, Joshua Hart, 4; 1787, Joshua Hart, 3; 1791, Mr. Sturgiss, 2; 1794, Mr. Davenport, 2; 1797, Joshua Hart, 6; 1805. William P. Kuypers, 5; 1812, Josiah Andrews, 1; 1816, Samuel Robertson, 1; 1818, Charles Webster, 19; 1838, Sylvester Woodbridge, 10; 1849, Charles W. Shields, I; 1850, N. C. Locke, 10; 1860, J. J. A. Morgan, 7; 1867, James B. Finch, 7; 1875, Franklin Noble, 572.

The Sunday-school has about 175 scholars, 25 officers and teachers, and 400 books in the library.

The following probably constituted the earliest board of elders: Rev. Richard Denton, Robert Ashman, Wil- liam Washburne, Richard Gildersleeve, John Hicks, Mr. Kirkeline.

The following is a partial list of elders who have served at different times during the last half century: David Hendrickson, William R. Finney, Eldred Platt, John Sealey, James Pine, Robert White, Lefferts Bergen, Charles M. Pine, David Sealey, Reuben Pine, A. S. Gardner, Adrian V. Cortileyou, Dr. John Davidson, Cor- nelius Hendrickson, Albert W. Hendrickson, Henry Higbe, Edwin A. Weeks, Ebenezer Kellum, Richard E. Losea, George W. Rapelye, Elias C. Everitt and Luke Fleet.

At a meeting held October 3d 1844 it was resolved to erect a new church, and during the same year a branch church was organized at Oyster Bay. The cost of the new church at Hempstead, which was completed in 1846, was

$6,017.25. The old parsonage on the cast side of Main street was sold for $1, 150, and the site of the parsonage on Fulton street was purchased for $317.10; the old church was removed to the lot and rebui't for a parson- age at an expense of $2,441.86. The present lecture and Sunday-school room was built in 1855 and was ded- icated February 7th 1856.

Christian Hook was so named because the glebe or parsonage lands of this church were situated there.

Branches of this church have been established at Freeport and Glen Cove, and the Presbyterian church at Jamaica is said to be an offshoot from the Hempstead church.

A. M. E. ZION CHURCH.

This church is situated on Cross street, near Front. The society was organized in 1848; the site of the edifice was bought of E. Willets, December 6th 1848, and about the same time an old school-house was purchased and removed to the land, where it was made into the present church. At present there are about thirty members, and there is preaching every Sunday and Sunday-school in the afternoon. The society is free of debt. Benjamin Evans, a son of John Evans, who is one of the oldest residents, is president of the board of trustees, treasurer and class leader. The following have been some of the preachers: Revs. George Treadwell, Peter Corster, Mr. Davis, James Lowery, Mr. Williams, John Seaman, Mr. Cliff, James Landon, John J. Stewart, Thomas C. John- son, Adam Jackson, Charles W. Robinson and S. C. Burchmore. The first trustees were Elijah Horton, William B. Corse and Benjamin Evans.

CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF LORETTA.

This society was formed about ten years ago, when the land on Greenwich street, the site of the church property, was purchased, together with a building which has since been moved back to make room for the new church, which was built a short time afterward. The parson- age was already built, having been occupied as a private residence. The lot is about 100 feet by 600. The church is of the gothic style of architecture, about 45 by 85 feet, with sacristy of 16 feet in the rear. The church is nicely seated, lighted and heated, and has a small organ in the gallery. The entire cost has been about $13,000. Rev. Eugene McSherrey was the first pastor, and died at his post in the summer of 1879. He was succeeded by Rev. P. Kearney, under whose pastorate the church is growing in numbers and prosperity. Some of the prom- inent members are Michael Mulganron, Nicholas Gibney, John Brein, John Hogan, John Mulgannon, Senator Fox, Michael Fox, Owen Riley, James and Barney Powers, Patrick Burns and Michael Nolan.

ST. GEORGE'S P. E. CHURCH.

In 1702 representations were made by the Rev. George Keith, Colonel Heathcote and others, to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts-founded in London in 1701-that a Church of England minister was

ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH, HEMPSTEAD.

175

ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH, HEMPSTEAD, L. I.

BUILT, 1733. OPENED, APRIL 22, 1735, BY GOV. COSBY, TAKEN DOWN, 1821. NEW EDIFICE ERECTED, 1822.

2,3&4

Ground Plan of Old Church.

1. Communion Table.

2.3 &4. Pulpit, Reading and Clerks Desk.

5. South Door.

6. Tower & West Door.

much desired by many of the inhabitants of Hempstead. On these representations the Rev. John Thomas was sent as a missionary here, who had approved himself while assist- ing the Rev. Evan Evans of Christ Church, Philadelphia. Mr. Thomas was inducted into the parish by a mandate from Lord Cornbury, governor of the province. There were a few influential persons ready to greet Mr. Thomas and unite themselves into a parish. The number of English-speaking people, however, was not large. The Dutch predominated. Mr. Thomas found here a church building of moderate dimensions and a house for the minister-both of them built by the town and owned by it. The church was but poorly adapted for religious purposes, and was ar- ranged to be used by the town for civil purposes on week days. Neither of the build- ings was used by any religious society at Mr. Thomas's coming, the person who had officiated here-the Rev. Jeremy Hobart- having removed from Hempstead some time previous. The Rev. Mr. Thomas by his judi- cious and kindly manner did much to as- suage the strong prejudice which was felt by the inhabitants (who had been reared as Quakers and Presbyterians) and which some- times manifested itself in acts of violence. Mr. Thomas continued his ministry here until his death, in 1724-a period of 20 years. Major- General Thomas Thomas, of the Continental army, was a grandson of the Rev. John Thomas.

After an interval of two years the vacancy caused by the death of the Rev. Mr. Thomas was filled by the ap- pointment to the parish of the Rev. Robert Jenney, a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, who had for some years been officiating as the missionary at Rye, Westchester county. Under his exertions the parish continued to prosper. He saw the time had come to have the parish placed upon an independent and stable foundation, and being a man of much personal influence and enterprise he achieved his purpose. By a vote of the freeholders of the town he obtained a transfer of the church and parsonage and glebe to the parish, and the release was followed and confirmed to the parish by a charter from George II., granted in 1735. This charter

CORPORATE SEAL OF ST. GEORGE'S CHURCHI, 1735.

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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

is still in full force as the organic law of the parish, and in this respect is, it is be- lieved, a single exception to the many charters granted by the royal government. Its authority was confirmed by the consti- tution of the State of New York adopted in 1777. It has never been submitted to the Legislature for alteration or amend- ment; even the title-" The Inhabitants of Hempstead in Communion with the Church of England "-remains unaltered. While other chartered parishes have petitioned to have changes made St. George's has found the provisions of its charter adapted to all the exigencies which have arisen. The old church which had been given by the town was found inconvenient and too small, and it was removed and another built-not by tax, as the former one, but by the gifts of members of the parish. It was opened, with a display of the military of the county and much ceremony, by Governor Cosby, attended by many of the distinguished citizens of the province, on St. George's day, April 22nd 1735. A cut of it is given on the preceding page.

Mr. Jenney remained in Hempstead 17 years, removed to Philadelphia in 1742 and became rector of Christ Church. From the University of Pennsylvania-then the " College of Philadelphia "-he received the degree of LL. D.

To him succeeded the Rev. Samuel Seabury-a descendant of John Alden, one of the original settlers at Plymouth, Mass. Mr. Seabury was educated at Yale College, but left it for Harvard in consequence of the excitement attendant on its president and others becoming Episcopalians. Mr. Seabury himself changed his views, and after ordination in 1730 by the Bishop of London and his return to this country he became minister of St. James's Church, New London, Conn., and from thence removed to Hempstead. At the time of his removal his son Samuel was a lad 13 years old. He subsequently became renowned as the first bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in North America, and one who ex- erted a great influence in determining its career.

The parish of Hempstead by an act of Legislature in 1693 embraced all the territory of Queens county east of Jamaica township. This territory of nearly 20 miles square the Rev. Mr. Seabury did his best to care for. He held services regularly in Oyster Bay and other villages besides Hempstead, and could not refuse appli- cations from Huntington and even many destitute places in Dutchess county. A remarkably vigorous frame aided him in fulfilling his duties, which involved almost con- tinuous riding on horseback, as roads were few and car- riages were hardly used. The people of this parish- though many of them were thriving farmers and well-to-

DÉLI

REV. THOMAS LAMBERT MOORE; DIED 1799.

do in the world-were not liberal ; and Mr. Seabury, in order to obtain a support, was obliged to add to his care of all the churches the keeping of a classical school. In it were educated some of the most distinguished citizens of New York State. A classical school was ac- quiesced in by the people of the parish as a means for their rector's support for the succeeding sixty years. Mr. Seabury died in 1764.

To him succeeded, after a space of two years, the Rev. Leonard Cutting, the progenitor of the family of that name in this State. He was educated at Cambridge, England. Seeking to benefit his fortune he emigrated to America and accepted the position of overseer of a plantation in Virginia. While so engaged he was recog- nized by a clergyman of the Church of England, for- merly a fellow student at Cambridge. By the kindly ex- ertions of this clergyman he obtained a position more suitable for his attainments and abilities; that of tutor in the classics in Kings (now Columbia) College, New York city, which had been established in 1754. In this position he remained until 1763, when he returned to England an applicant for holy orders; and, his papers being found eminently satisfactory, he was ordained by the bishop of London in December 1763 a deacon, and some time afterward a priest. He returned to this

177

ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH AND RECTORY.

PADION ELEGTAGITPE CO. NIY.

ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH RECTORY; BUILT 1793.

country in 1764 and was for nearly two years missionary at New Brunswick, N. J. From thence he was trans- ferred to Hempstead. His career was peaceful until the breaking out of the Revolutionary war, when he was sub- jected to some of the trials of that stormy period. Yet he escaped better than many others, because the people of his parish were almost all tories and a British force

was on the ground nearly all the time. But he found, like many other loyalists, that the British soldier did not carefully discriminate between friend and foe. More than once the rector and his vestry had to complain of out- rages commited. When, at length, the arms of the Con- tinental army prevailed, and the independence of the States was acknowledged, Mr. Cutting found himself in so

... ...

ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, HEMPSTEAD; CONSECRATED SEPTEMBER 19TH 1823.

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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

embarrassing a position that he left the parish without formally resigning the rectorship. He retired to Mary- land, and subsequently officiated at Newbern, N. C. In 1792 he returned to New York city, where he died in 1794. The sundering of the civil and ecclesiastical re- lations of St. George's parish with the English govern- ment and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel presented some new questions for solution. The provis- ions of the charter were, however, found sufficient in this crisis, and the vestry of that period wisely followed their direction, with some slight deviations attributable to the novelty of their position and their lack of exper- ience.

They called the Rev. Thomas Lambert Moore to fill the vacancy which Mr. Cutting's retirement had created. Mr. Moore was a native of New York city. He had been ordained in England in 1781 by Bishop Lowth, and had remained in England until, by the kindly influence of the Hon. Edmund Burke, he obtained appointment as chap- lain to a British frigate, in which he sailed first for Hal- ifax, and arrived in New York in 1782. He was officiat- ing as missionary at Islip, Suffolk county, when he was called to Hempstead. During his rectorship the first steps were taken to organize the Episcopal church in the several United States into one body, and Mr. Moore was one of the thirteen persons who took part in the initiative measures. Under his ministrations the parish greatly prospered. The prayer book which had been used in the church since 1711 and was a gift from Queen Anne, as was the communion set still in use, required some changes after the close of the Revolutionary war; such as the substitution of prayers for the President and Con- gress for those for the King and royal family and for Parliament. These changes Mr. Moore made by writing out the new prayers and pasting them over the discon- tinued ones. The book has thus been made a significant relic. The first ordination in the State of New York took place in this parish, in November 1785, in the person of Mr. John Lowe, from Virginia. In 1793 the house which the town had built in 1683 for a minister's resi- dence, being dilapidated, was taken down and the present parsonage built. Mr. Moore died in 1799.

He was succeeded by the Rev. John Henry Hobart, who remained but a few months, having accepted a call to be an assistant minister in Trinity Church, New York, from which position he was elevated to the office of bishop of New York.

On the resignation of Mr. Hobart a call to the rector- ship was accepted by the Rev. Seth Hart, a native of Connecticut. His rectorship continued till 1829, a period of more than twenty-eight years, when he became dis- abled by paralysis from performing his duties and resigned his office. He lingered in infirmity until March 1832. During his rectorship the church built in 1734, which had become decayed, was taken down and the present church was built, which was consecrated in September 1823.

The Rev. Richard Drason Hall, a native of Philadel- phia, succeeded Mr. Hart. He was called in February

1829, and resigned in April 1834, and removed to the neighborhood of his native city, where he officiated in several places and died in 1873.

The successor to Mr. Hall was the Rev. William M. Carmichael, D. D., who entered upon his duties in July 1834 and resigned the parish in September 1843. He subsequently ministered in Meadville, Pa., Richmond, Va., Newtown, Conn., and other places. At his resi- dence in Jamaica, Long Island-where he lived in the closing years of his life-he was stricken with paralysis and died in June 1881.

The Rev. Orlando Harriman jr. became rector of the parish in January 1844, continued until June 1849, and then resigned. He removed to New Jersey, officiating as his strength and opportunities allowed until May 1881, when he died in Florida, whither he had gone for his health.

REV. WILLIAM H. MOORE, D. D., RECTOR OF ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH.

In August 1849 a call to the rectorship was given to, and accepted by, the present rector, the Rev. William H. Moore, D. D.

In the course of years the following named parishes have been organized and churches built within the limits which, by the act of 1693, were designated as the bounds of the original parish : Christ Church, Manhasset; Christ Church, Oyster Bay; St. Paul's Church, Glen Cove; Trinity Church, Rockaway; Grace Church, South Oyster Bay, and Trinity Church, Roslyn. Besides these, at Garden City the Cathedral of the Incarnation and educational institutions are in process of erection as memorials of Mr. Alexander Turney Stewart.

I79

THE M. E. CHURCH OF HEMPSTEAD VILLAGE.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

From a historical sermon preached by the pastor, Rev. C. E. Glover, in 1877, we gather the following facts re- lating to the Methodist Episcopal church of Hempstead village:

The first wave of Methodism reached Hempstead about the year 1800, when Rev. John Wilson, a preacher on the Jamaica circuit and traveling eastward, arrived in Hempstead on a Sabbath morning, near the close of the Episcopal public service. He mounted a wagon under a willow tree in front of the site of Hewlett's Hotel, where he commenced singing. A crowd soon collected, to whom he preached. From that time for a period of twelve years no record appears, although the Jamaica circuit was worked by such men as Thomas Ware, " Billy" Hibbard and David Buck, and it is probable that services were held during that time.

In 1812 William Thatcher was appointed to the cir- cuit, and arranged to preach in Hempstead every four weeks. The first sermon was preached in an upper room in the house of Stephen C. Bedell, on Main and Jackson streets, by Mr. Thatcher, who was an excellent scholar. He died at the age of 89 years, after having been in the ministry about 60 years. The work was somewhat inter- rupted during the war with England. The first prayer meeting recorded was held at the house of Mr. Bedell in 1815, and the first class was formed in the same year by Benjamin Griffin, who was then twenty-three years old. Mr. Griffin spent fifty years in the ministry. He was succeeded as leader by Richard Carman, whose name first appears officially in the conference proceedings as report- ing $8.78 from Hempstead for the support of the gospel. The original members of the first class were Richard Carman, Ann Carman, Stephen C. Bedell, Hannah Bedell, James Cooper and Mary Cooper.

During the year 1816 the congregation rented a house standing on Front street at the corner of Franklin; the partitions were removed, and seats, made of slabs fur- nished from a neighboring saw-mill, arranged. The preachers were Thomas Ware and Marvin Richardson. In 1817, more room being needed, a school-house was purchased and moved to the common near the brook, south of the Episcopal property, and fitted up with pul- pit and seats. Dr. Phebus, John M. Smith, Phineas Rice, Nicholas Morris, Noble W. Thomas and Samuel Cochrane were the preachers there.

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History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 38

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co. Number of Pages: 703

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703