History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 92

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

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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

road. He was also largely interested in securing for the village a steamboat connection with New York.

In politics Mr. Ludlam is a Republican, and although frequently solicited by that party to be its candidate he has persistently refused to accept any such honors, pre- ferring to devote his time to building up his business and advancing the interests of his native town. Here, in his comfortable home in the village where the active years of his life have been spent, this gentleman is enjoy- ing the fruits of a successful career, and is surrounded by a family consisting of his estimable wife, two promising daughters, and two sons who have already taken and maintained a prominent place as young men of business. Mrs. Ludlam was formerly Sarah H. Carliart, of Pough- keepsie; they were married in June 1844.

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, OYSTER BAY.

The origin and early growth of this society are not recorded. John Taylor, a traveling minister, says a meeting was settled here in 1659. In 1661 Richard Harker, Samuel Andrews, Richard Chasmore, Nathaniel Coles and Henry and John Townsend, in order to escape persecution, removed from Jamaica to Oyster Bay. The earliest written document is the certificate of the marriage of Samuel Andrews and Mary Wright (August 8th 1663), which took place at the usual place of meeting, at Anthony Wright's. George Fox was here in 1672, and preached from a massive rock in the woods to a multitude too large for any house to hold. The " Ranters " had made themselves quite prominent, but Fox and others did much to put down their doctrine.

In 1672 Anthony Wright gave the Friends a lot six poles square on the northeast corner of his home lot, for a burial place, and also forty feet square at the south - east corner to build a meeting-house on. Samuel Andrews and John Feake built the house, thirty-six by twenty-four feet, and twelve feet in the studs, for £20, to be paid for in wheat at 4s. 4d. per bushel, peas at 3s. 6d., corn at 3s. 6d., and pork at 4d. per pound. The building had eight windows fitted for glass, two on each side and end, with shutters. It also had two windows in the gable end, fitted with shut- ters. There were two double doors, one on each of the two sides. The carpenters were to have the building up for further finishing by the 30th of January 1673.

In 1680 John Vokins came here and preached. He speaks of the Friends as the Lord's "tender people;" but grieves that the " Ranters " oppress them. In 1691 the Oyster Bay meeting, which included all the Friends on Long Island and in New York, was represented in the general meeting at Newport, R. I. The first meet- ing-house was taken down and sold in 1693. From this time until 1721 dissensions seen to have reigned and weakened the sect.

It seems that up to this tinie meetings had been held in connection with the Friends at Matinecock.

The coming of John Fothergill in 1722 and Thomas Chalkley in 1725, each of whom held large meetings, seemed to revive the society; but no movement to build however, was never purchased.

again was made until 1749. William Reckitt in 1758 visited Oyster Bay, where there had been a large meeting " but now much declined."

During the Revolution the British soldiers destroyed the seats and galleries and otherwise damaged the meet- ing-house and encroached on the burying ground. Re- pairs to the building, fencing and the setting of monu ments on the bounds cost £58 4s. Richard Jordan held a meeting here in 1797, but did not find many Friends. 'The meeting-house is still standing and is occasionally visited by traveling preachers.

CHRIST CHURCH (EPISCOPAL), OYSTER BAY.

.As early as 1693 a law was passed, during the adniinis- tration of Governor Fletcher, by which Hempstead and Oyster Bay were made one precinct or parish for settling and maintaining a minister. By an act of the same As- sembly each parish was required to raise £60 by a gen- eral tax on all the freeholders for the support of the min- istry of this establishment. At the first nieeting of the society, in the library of Arch 'Tennison, in 1701, a com- munication was received from the Rev. George Keith, in which he says: "The places where the Quakers have the greatest meetings on Long Island are Cushing [Flushing] and Oyster Bay, in both which places I have been several times at their meetings." In a report to the society em- bracing an account of his labors from June 1702 to June 1704 Mr. Keith speaks of having traveled "on Long Island as far as Oyster Bay," and again he says: "We [meaning the Rev. John Talbot and himself] had very good success, most specially in Pennsylvania, the two Jerseys and Oyster Bay on Long Island, and New York, where we most labored and continued the longest time with them." A minister, under the auspices of the So- ciety for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, was sent out from England to the parish of Hempstead and Oyster Bay. This first missionary was the Rev. John Thomas, who settled at Hempstead in the spring of 1705, also having the care of Oyster Bay, thirteen miles distant. During the year 1707, or shortly before, the first church edifice must have been built, although it is probable that it remained for many years in an unfinished state.

From a genealogical record in Thompson's History of Long Island it appears that a great-grandson of the Rev. John Youngs "was a leading man in the Episcopal church and did much toward the erection of a place of worship for that denomination on or near the site of the present Oyster Bay academy, which land is still known as the church lot." This Mr. Youngs was born in 1716, and his exertions must have been directed toward the comple- tion of the church.

In 1754 an act passed the colonial Assembly of New York "empowering the inhabitants of Oyster Bay, of the congregation of the Church of England by law estab- lished, to raise by way of lottery a sum not exceeding £500 for furnishing the church and purchasing a bell for the same." Whether the lottery was ever drawn and the money so applied we cannot now determine. The bell,

501

CHRIST CHURCH, OYSTER BAY.

The question of the actual date of the erection of the first church is now definitively settled by a letter from the Rev. Mr. Thomas to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, in which he speaks of a church having been erected in Oyster Bay. The date of the letter is April 22nd 1707. This first church was a plain building with shingled sides, standing high out of the ground, and its actual site could be traced as late as [843. The present church covers most of it. It stood east and west, with a turret and tall spire at its western end. The spire was blown down some time previous to 1780, and the turret was roofed over. It had two arched windows on the northern and two on the southern side, and a large single arched window on the east, The entrances were two-one on the west, through the tower, and the principal entrance, on the south. The pulpit, standing high in the air, was on the north and the chan- cel on the east end. The following clergymen, who re- sided at Hempstead, furnished the church at Oyster Bay with stated services, but we are unable to give any par- ticulars:

I. Rev. John Thomas, missionary from 1705 to 1724; died at Hempstead.

Rev. Thomas Young, the first rector, 1725-42; had 2. been missionary at Rye and chaplain to the fort and forces of New York; removed to Philadelphia and died in 1758.

3. Rev. Samuel Seabury (the father of the bishop), 1743-64; died at Hempstead.

4. Rev. Leonard Cutting, 1766-84.

The war of the Revolution broke up this arrangement. The Rev. Mr. Cutting, who was a violent tory partisan, was compelled to leave his parish. The church became neglected and was injured by the various troops stationed here, and it is difficult now to ascertain which did the more harm, the king's American regiment or a detachment from it known as Fanning's corps, under Major Grant, which is still remembered here as exceed. ingly riotous and injurious. There is a strong prob- ability, however, that the church received little injury during their stay, because the chaplain of the regiment was the son of the Rev. Samuel Seabury, who had for-

Among the numerous hired legions of England was the free battalion of Hesse Hanau, commanded by Colo- nel Von Janecke. It was stationed one winter at Oyster Bay, leaving May 28th 1783. These were an ill-favored race of little men, the gleanings of the German recruits. They ripped boards out of the Episcopal church to make barracks and berths. Others, following their example, took away piece after piece for firewood. The church finally blew down, and the materials were sold at auction in 1804. The proceeds of the sale, amounting to $67, were reluctantly paid over to the vestry of the church in 1845.

The stones of the foundation were sold to William Townsend and are under the house now occupied by W. T. McCoun. Isaac Smith of Buckram bought part of the timber, which he employed for building his out- houses, and Divine Hewlett, of Cold Spring, bought the remainder. In the New York convention of 1786 it was "resolved that Mr. Fowler have the consent and appro- bation of this convention to officiate as a reader in the Episcopal congregations at Islip, Brookhaven and Oyster Bay, and that the secretary give him a copy of the same." In the convention of 1787 among the lay delegates was, "from Christ Church, Oyster Bay, Mr. Philip Youngs." In the convention of November 1788 among the lay dele- gates were David Jones and Philip Youngs, Oyster Bay. In the same journal is the following minute: "A request was made by the representatives of the congregations at Brookhaven, Huntington and Oyster Bay that this con- vention would recommend Mr. Fowler to the bishop for holy orders; and the same being taken into considera- tion it was resolved that Mr. Fowler be accordingly recommended to the bishop," etc. In 1789 Christ Church was represented in convention by John Hewlett. In 1790 among the clergymen composing the convention was the "Rev. Mr. Fowler, rector of Christ Church, Oyster Bay," and the lay delegates from the same parish were John Hewlett and John Jones. In the register of the clergy appended to the journal for 1791 is the follow- ing record: "Rev. Andrew Fowler, of Christ Church at Oyster Bay, ordained deacon by Bishop Provoost in the month of June 1789, and priest on the 11th day of the same month 1790." About this time Mr. Fowler re- moved to Peekskill.

The last vestige of the church having disappeared, and there being in all probability no Episcopalian in the parish, the church ground was taken for the location of an academy. One or more of the persons having charge of this new institution set out trees in the yard, took up tonibstones and leveled graves, which at one time were numerous in all parts of the yard.

merly officiated as rector. This Seabury had commended |Fowler officiated occasionally as lay reader in the acad- himself to the higher powers by a sermon entitled "St. Peter's Exhortation to Fear God and Honor the King," preached before his Majesty's provincial troops Septem- ber 28th 1777, and published by order of Governor Tryon.

Of the condition of the church at Oyster Bay between the years 1805 and 1835 but little is known save that for nearly a year previous to the summer of 1823 Edward K. emy. Having been ordained in 1823 Mr. Fowler re- mained at Huntington until June 1826, officiating in the academy at Oyster Bay every other Sunday afternoon with but few intermissions. "On every occasion of pub- lic worship," he writes, " in which I was engaged in the academy the congregation was respectable, and often- tinies as large as the building would comfortably con- tain." Between November 1826 and May 1827 the Rev. Samuel Seabury, of Huntington, officiated in Oyster Bay. He was not immediately succeeded by any clergyman. From 1832 to 1835 Rev. Mr. Phillips used to officiate oc- casionally at Oyster Bay. He was rector of Christ's Church in North Hempstead, and was not stationed at Oyster Bay. In 1835 this place was once more made a missionary station, and the Rev. Isaac Sherwood offici- ated in one of the rooms of the academy. This arrange-

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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

ment lasted till 1836, when Mr. Sherwood was appointed committee for the erection of a new edifice upon the site of the old one consisted of David J. Youngs, senior warden, and Edward M. Townsend and William Trotter jr., vestrymen. The architects were Potter & Robertson, of New York, and the contractors Lyons & Bunn, of the same city. Work on the new church was begun March 25th 1878. In excavating for the cellar skulls and other bones were found, supposed to be those of Hessian soldiers placed there during the war of the Revolution. The corner stone was laid May Ist 1878, by Mr. Van De Water, the rector. The first service was held in the new church September 8th 1878. The consecration took place on St. Barnabas day, June 11th, 1879. The accompanying cut represents this handsome structure. missionary to the united parishes of Cold Spring and Huntington, and the parish of Oyster Bay ceased to be a missionary station. Efforts were made to establish a church independent of missionary aid, but the various parties interested could not agree upon the site for the proposed edifice. Some wished it to be placed upon Cove Hill, where Daniel Youngs offered gratuitously one or more acres of land, while others wanted it on the site of the old church, where it now stands. In 1843, the church at Huntington having become independent of the mis- sionary fund, the parishes of Cold Spring and Oyster Bay were again united as missionary stations under Mr. Sherwood. In 1844, both parties having agreed upon the proper site, the parish declared itself independent of Rev. William Montague Geer, the present rector, entered missionary aid. A church edifice, 36 by 50, was there- | on his duties on Palm Sunday, March 2Ist, 1880. The ves-

CHRIST CHURCH, OYSTER BAY, ERECTED IN 1878.

upon built, at a cost of $2,800, and the Rev. Edwin Harwood, of Philadelphia, was invited as the first rector. Mr. Harwood resigned this charge May Ist 1846. Rev. John Stearns was rector from the 2nd of August 1846 to July 4th 1849; Rev. Edmund Richards from December Ist 1849 to October 21st 1851; Rev. Joseph Ransom from 1851 to the spring of 1861; Rev. Richard Graham Hutton from October 9th 1861 to April 29th 1874; Rev. Charles W. Ward from October 18th 1874 to May 2nd 1875; Rev. James Byron Murray, D. D., six months in 1875-76; Rev. George R. Van De Water from October Ist 1876 to February Ist 1880.

The last service in the old church building erected in the year 1844 was held March 17th 1878. The building

try was constituted as follows in 1881, the senior warden, David Jones Youngs, having died during that year: Thomas F. Youngs, warden; John H. Weekes, Charles J. Chipp, Edward M. Townsend, William Trotter jr., Daniel K. Youngs, William R. Webster, James A. Roosevelt, Frederick Ludlam, vestrymen.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF OYSTER BAY.

As early as 1700 William Rhodes, originally from Chi- chester, England, who had emigrated to Rhode Island to escape persecution, and who at the above date was a li- centiate of the Second Baptist Church at Newport, came to Oyster Bay and preached with a view to the formation of a Baptist church. He collected a small number of

503

CHURCHES OF OYSTER BAY VILLAGE.

hearers, and probably a church was constituted before 1724, for at that time the first Baptist meeting-house in the place was completed. In the same year Mr. Rhodes died, and Robert Feakes, one of his converts, who had acted as his assistant for several years, was ordained to the ministry by elders from Rhode Island, and entered upon the pastorate. Under his preaching many joined the church; but Mr. Feakes, like his predecessor, was a Free-will Baptist, so that when Rev. Thomas Davis, a Calvinistic Baptist front New Jersey, was sum- moned as his colleague in 1745 a schism was soon de- veloped in the church, which did not disappear until the close of. the century. Mr. Davis remained on the field only about three years, and then retired to Pennsylvania. Contentions followed. These might have been allayed by the appointment to the pastorate of Caleb Wright, a grandson of Elder Rhodes, a member of this church and a young man of great promise. But the day appointed for his ordination (in November 1752) proved to be the day of his burial. After this sad occurrence the church was visited again by Elder Davis and other ministers, but all endeavors to restore peace were vain. At one time party spirit ran so high that the two factions, one headed by Elder Feeks, the other by Elder Davis, contended for possession of the house. In 1759 David Sutton, a young licentiate from New Jersey, was called to the pas- torate, and for a time the breach seemed to be healed. For a time only, however, for some who had been ex- cluded from the church, joined by other disaffected mem- bers, soon formed a new and distinct society, which as- sumed the name of the New Light Church. The ruling spirit of this new organization was a woman of unusual ability, Mrs. John Townsend, who, having been a school- teacher, went by the name of Madam Townsend. Her son-in-law, Peter Underhill (grandson of Captain John Underhill, of New England fame), acted as pastor. At first the new church seemed to be prosperous and great numbers joined it. But eventually the members became tired of their own irregularities, and in 1789 they united with the old organization in the formation of a regular Baptist church.

Meanwhile the old church had become well nigh ex- tinct. For thirty years it maintained worship, favored only occasionally with preaching. William Roe, Elijah Wheeler and Benjamin Coles occasionally ministered. In 1788 the membership had been reduced to nine. When the reunion was formed in the following year Peter Underhill and Benjamin Coles (of Glen Cove) acted as co-pastors. Harmony was restored, and from 1790 to 1795 thirty-six joined the church by baptism.

In 1801 the trustees of the Oyster Bay Academy, which was then being built, invited Rev. Marmaduke Earle, of Stamford, Conn., to assume charge of that institution. The invitation was accepted, as was also an invitation to supply the pulpit of the Baptist church. He commenced his ministrations April 5th 1802, and the new union was so highly blessed that from December 1804 to September 1809 there were 96 acquisitions to the church by conversion-the largest ingathering of which the church

has any record. Mr. Earle's pastorate thus auspiciously begun continued through a period of 54 years, dur- ing which there were occasional additions, especially in the years 1822, 1833 and 1853. He acted as principal of the academy during most of this period. He died July 13th 1856, in his 88th year, beloved and universally esteemed. During the last thirteen years of his life he was assisted from time to time in his pulpit ministrations by Rev. Samuel H. Earle (his son), Rev. William G. Baker, Rev. William B. Harris, Rev. John Cook and Rev. Aaron Jackson, the last of whom supplied the pulpit for a time after Mr. Earle's death. The present pastor of the church, Rev. Charles S. Wightman, was or- dained in the church, November 23d 1868.

M. E. CHURCH, OYSTER BAY.

This society was started in 1833. Revs. A. Hulin and R. Wymond, of the Huntington circuit, preached here in the academy during the summer. For a list of the preachers who afterward ministered here the reader is referred to the history of the Roslyn M. E. church, page 422. In the autumn of 1833 the presiding elder held a quarterly conference here, and continued evening meetings in the old parish house, the result of which was the formation of a class of nineteen, with Joseph Latting as leader. Services were held in the academy for several years, but the members were notified to desist. After this they held their meetings in various places.

In August 1856 a meeting was called at the house of Joseph Latting, at which it was decided to buy a lot and build a house of worship, and a committee was appointed to solicit subscriptions. A sufficient amount having been subscribed, G. E. Dickinson, Richard B. Smith, George Gildersleeve, William Ludlam and Joseph Latting were in September 1858 chosen trustees for the proposed building. The corner stone was laid the same year by Rev. J. P. Kennedy, D.D. The building was completed and dedicated in the following summer, by the Rev. Mr. Millburn. A collection was taken up at the time suffi- cient to leave the church free of debt. The pulpit was supplied by preaching in connection with East Norwich, having only afternoon services until 1870, when the charge was divided and Rev. Abraham S. Emmons be- came the pastor. The congregation was small, with but slight increase in membership. Mr. Emmons's pastorate was successful and satisfactory; but failing health caused him to resign in January 1871. Arthur M. Burns, M. D., was here a few months as pastor, but removed to Port Jefferson. Rev. John E. Perine, who had preached here in 1854, became the pastor in January 1872. He was succeeded in 1873 by Rev. John T. Langlois, under whose charge the society became better organized and the Sunday-school received especial attention. Rev. Calvin S. Brower became pastor in 1875. A revival at- tended his labors and extended to the other churches of the village. Owing to financial depression and with- drawals the church became pastorless; but, learning that the Rev. S. F. Johnson was about to settle at East Nor- wich for a period of rest, the stewards applied to him,

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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

and he was appointed pastor and served during 1877 and 1878. In May 1879 Rev. William W. Gillis was sent here, and he has labored to the date of this writ- ing with evident success and to the satisfaction of the congregation.

The Sunday-school was organized the next Sunday after the dedication of the church. William Ludlam was elected superintendent, and he has acted in that capacity or as assistant every year since. The school at present numbers 60.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, OYSTER BAY.

The First Presbyterian Church of Oyster Bay was or- ganized December 18th 1845, by the Presbytery of Long Island, with the following persons as members: Amanda Gerard, George W. Gerard, Alfred Sammis, Mary Sam- mis, Pamelia Snedecor, Lydia Stratton, Mary Ann Thurs- ton, William Thurston, Louise Townsend and Samuel H. Townsend. Of these George W. Gerard and Samuel H. Townsend were chosen elders, and held their first meet- ing as a church session January 31st 1846, when a cove- nant and rules for the government of the church were adopted.

In the absence of a regular pastor the church was for some time supplied by such clergymen as could conven- iently be obtained; prominent among whom was Rev. Sylvester Woodbridge jr., of Hempstead.

The following list gives the names of those who have been pastors of the church, with the dates of their re- spective installations, so far as can be ascertained: John T. Clark, 1846; Winthrop Bailey, 1847; Horace G. Hins- dale, 1855; Edward J. Hamilton, 1858; E. S. Fairchild, 1863; Benjamin L. Swan, 1866; Alexander G. Russell, 1876.

The first member received after the organization of the church was Mrs. Lucy Hildreth, August 9th 1846; the first dismissals were those of George Hudson and wife, December 22nd 1846.

The growth of the church has been gradual and slow, but there have been a few instances of considerable ac- cessions to its membership. The earliest of these oc- curred in February 1848, when 13 persons were received, and the latest in April 1876, when 34 names were added to the roll. Deaths and removals-the latter chiefly due to the comparatively stagnant condition of the village in- dustries-have contributed to reduce the present mem- bership to about 100.

A Sunday-school was established in connection with f the church at a very early date, and it has continued in successful operation to the present time. It has over 100 teachers and scholars and a library of 450 volumes.

near the center of the village, and presents a fine appear- ance, its gables, porches, transept, apse, tower and spire grouping effectively from every point of view. The in- terior is finished in the "natural woods," chestnut and oak prevailing: the walls are delicately tinted, and the ceiling is of the open-timbered style, showing the con- struction. The windows are filled with stained glass of elaborate designs specially prepared for them. At vari- ous points suitable texts of Scripture appear in the stained glass and on the walls. In the rear of the pulpit, beneath a large arch appropriately in- scribed, is a fine Roosevelt organ, with the choir-screen and seats. The building is completely and tastefully furnished in harmony with the general architectural effect. The cost of building and fittings was about $16,000 and the entire property, including the land, is free from debt. The well known architect, J. C. Cady, of New York, furnished the plans.

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History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 92

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