USA > New York > Staten Island > History of Richmond County (Staten Island), New York : from its discovery to the present time > Part 39
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Up to this time meetings had been held in the open air, pri- vate dwellings and school houses. In the early part of 1809 it was resolved to build a meeting house. This resolution was carried into effect, and the house being sufficiently completed, was opened for divine worship on the 24th of the following Oc- tober. The first sermon in it was delivered by Rev. W. Parkin- son, of the First Baptist church in New York. This building was about twenty by thirty feet in size, and it stood on the side of the hill at the junction of the old Clove road and the Rich- mond road, in the town of Southfield. Though the building has long since disappeared, its site is still marked by the graves which were made near it, of some of the oldest members of the denomination. This was the only edifice owned by this denomi- nation in the county np to the year 1830. It was known as the " Old Clove Church," and for many years, even after the date mentioned, was the favored center to which members of the sect came to worship from many of the surrounding villages.
Rev. James Bruce commenced his pastorate here, May 1, 1810, and was ordained at the First church in New York, on the 21st of June following. He was then a young man, and soon en- deared himself to the church by his efforts as a faithful and earnest pastor. His career was cnt short by death in February, 1811. Rev. Samuel Carpenter was called in September follow- ing, and was pastor of the church until his resignation in March, 1813. Different ministers supplied the pulpit now until the pastorate of Elder Robert F. Randolph, of Samptown, N. J., which began August 6, 1817. Heresigned in the spring of 1819, and in May of that year was succeeded by Thomas B. Steven- son, then a licentiate. Baptisms were at that time frequently performed on the shore near John Lockerman's farm at Mari- ner's Harbor, as well as on the shore on the south side of the island. Mr. Stevenson was ordained on the 25th of Angust, 1819, and continued to labor successfully with this congrega- tion until August, 1822, when he resigned to become a mission- ary. After another period of unsettled supply the pulpit was filled by Arma R. Martin, a licentiate of Bethel Baptist church
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of New York for several months front October 5, 1823. He was finally settled, on a salary of three hundred dollars a year and some perquisites in the line of provisions for family use. He was ordained June 9, 1824. At this time the membership of the church numbered fifty persons, consisting of fifteen males and thirty-five females.
The work of the church now moved steadily forward. Meet- ings were held in the neighborhood of Rossville, then known as the "West Quarter." A parsonage, standing opposite the church, was purchased during the first year of Mr. Martin's pastorate, and the final payment on it was made in December, 1827. The history of the church was uneventful during a period of several years, except that the Mariners' Harbor mem- bers grew stronger in their desire for a church building nearer their homes, and in 1830 succeeded in erecting one at Granite- ville. In May, 1834, the membership of the church was seventy-six. Mr. Martin's pastorate closed with his death, October 26, 1835.
Rev. Samuel White was called and became the pastor of this church June 1, 1836. Under his ministrations the membership increased until in 1840 it reached one hundred and thirty-four. In 1841 however, it was reduced to ninety-three, by the with- drawal of the church at Graniteville. The old church now fell into a decline, and for several years was barely able for a part of the time to maintain regular Sabbath services. Elder White was assisted in the few last years of his life by supplies who preached in the branch church and part of the time in the Old Clove church. He died May 3, 1863, after a pastorate of twenty- five years, during which time he had baptized two hundred and fifty-two persons, of whom several became licentiates or or- dained ministers. In much of his revival work he was assisted by the Rev. Mr. Arthur, father of Ex-President Chester A. Arthur. Mr. White's remains were deposited in the family vault in the grounds of the church at Graniteville, on the Gun Factory road.
During the summer of 1863, Mr. Patterson, a son-in-law of Mr. White, became pastor of the church and continued in that capacity until May, 1865. Following that date the church had supplies for several years, and during that time its life seemed to dissolve into that of the branch church at Graniteville. In 1868, the title to the Old Clove church became vested in the
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heirs of Mr. White in liquidation of a claim which he had long held against the church. The building was afterward used as a school honse for several years, but in 1877 it was taken down, and a local writer of its history very appropriately says : "Only the crumbling, moss-covered stones which mark the resting places of the long-buried baptist dead remain, as fitting symbols to mark the spot where died the fairest, brightest, fondest hopes of the early converts and the mother church. Should not the denomination at least secure and preserve this site, this resting place of the baptist dead ?"
A new house of worship was built by the old church on a site at Graniteville about half a mile east of the "North " church. This is the building which stands on the "Gun Factory road." It was opened for worship in April, 1842, the Rev. Spencer H. Cone preaching the first sermon. This branch of the old "Clove" seemed to prosper for a time, but after the death of Mr. White it fell into decline. From 1867 to 1870 it was seldom opened for worship. Mr. Waters was employed a few months in the latter year. John A. Wilson preached during the latter part of 1871, to May, 1872, and Henry Willets followed a short time. In September, 1872, Duncan Young became pastor and continned three years. Rev. Jackson Ga Nun labored eight months, beginning in January, 1876. John B. Palvert, in December, 1877, began serving as a supply, after the house had been closed over a year. He remained till July, 1879. James B. Drysden and George Nock held services in the church for short periods, but no services have been held in it since 1880. About 1882 the society disbanded. The later history of this church seems to have been a race between it and its child the "North " church which afterward became the "Park" church, in which the old church, thongh for a time running well, was by the logic of circumstances obliged at last to give up the prize of existence.
About the year 1810 meetings were held by the Baptist de- nomination in the vicinity of Howland's hook. These early meet- ings were often held in the orchard on John Lockerman's farm, just west of Summerfield avenne, and in other available locali- ties near there. A number of members of the Old Clove church lived in this vicinity, and they began several years later to con- sider the question of having a church more conveniently located. Regular services were begun in June, 1825, on Sabbath after-
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
noons, in the school house at Mariners' Harbor. A piece of ground for a building site, on the Richmond road at Granite- ville, was given by Jedediah Winant in 1829, and a building thirty-one by forty-one feet, and twenty feet high, was erected on it. This was completed and duly opened on the 22d of July. 1830. It stood upon what is now the burial ground known as "Hillside Cemetery " on the Richmond road directly oppo- site from the school house at Graniteville. The pulpit was sup- plied on Sabbath afternoons and alternate Sabbath evenings by the pastor of the Old Clove church. The first Baptist Sunday school on the island was organized in this church on the third sabbath of August, 1832.
This branch soon began to break away from the mother church. In 1836 it had a communion service and officers by it- self. The question of separation from the old church was fre- quently under discussion, and such a step was finally resolved upon at a meeting February 3, 1841. The "North Baptist Church " was accordingly organized with fifty-three members, March 1, 1841. The Rev. J. T. Seely became its pastor on the 4th of May. During his pastorate a remarkable revival oc- curred, known as the "revival in the old Rubber Factory " at what is now West New Brighton. Fifty-one baptisms were the result of this. The members of this church now resolved to build a house of worship at Port Richmond. This, a modest frame building, was erected, and it was dedicated February 27, 1843. Services were then held in both houses; at Granite- ville in the morning and Port Richmond in the evening. This arrangement continued until February 15, 1857, when the Gran- iteville edifice became the property of the Mariners' Harbor church, organized at that time.
The labors of Mr. Seely closed August 1, 1845, and he was succeeded by Rev. David Morris, whose service continued till May 1, 1849. He was followed by Rev. B. C. Townsend. who served the church from May, 1850, to May, 1852. Aaron JJack- son, the fourth pastor, gaye nine months' service. John Seage became pastor in May, 1853, and resigned in May, 1856. He was followed by Z. P. Wild, May 1, 1856, to May 15, 1858, dur- ing which time, February 15, 1857, forty-eight members were dismissed to constitute the Mariners' Harbor Baptist church. The energies of the Port Richmond church were now concen-
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trated upon its own locality, though it was weakened by the withdrawal of so large a number.
George W. Dodge became pastor in August, 1858, and re- signed in June, 1859. In December, 1860, W. A. Barnes became pastor, but was dismissed about two months later. The out- look of the church at this time seemed dark, and for several years its existence seemed a struggle between life and death, in which the chances trembled in the balance. Not until the summer of 1864 did the church enjoy the ministrations of a settled pastor, though for a while the Rev. W. B. Schrope served them as a supply. Extreme depression followed, in which the church was on the point of deeding its property to the Mariners' Harbor church and disbanding its membership. But the members aroused themselves to make one more effort for existence, and the Rev. D. B. Patterson was invited to the vacant pulpit, July 24, 1864. He resigned early in 1866. At this time the membership of the church had become reduced to thirty-one, and the house was closed for several months. Rev. D. W. Sherwood was called to the pastorate in December, 1866, and resigned in 1870, having been instrumental in holding the church to its status and perhaps giving it a new impulse for- ward. S. G. Smith was pastor from October 1870 to 1877. Dur- ing this time the church had grown stronger; fifty-seven persons had been baptized, and the church edifice remodelled, at an ex- pense of $13,000. The name was changed to the Park Baptist Church, of Port Richmond, and the present brick church was erected.
Rev. A. S. Gumbart became pastor April 1, 1878, was ordained May 16thi following, and resigned in June, 1880, having received forty-nine members into the church. Rev. J. J. Mair entered upon his duties as pastor in March, 1880. He was succeeded in 1883 by Rev. J. B. L'Hommedieu, the present pastor, who be- gan his service in that capacity October 1, 1883. Since that date sixty-eight persons have been added to the church, and the outlook is encouraging. Thomas Davis, jr., has for several years been superintendent of the Sunday school.
February 15, 1857, forty-eight members were dismissed, at their own request, from the North Baptist church to organize the church at Mariners' Harbor. This church was constituted by a council held March 12, 1857, and a full organization effected by a meeting at the house of George F. Thompson on the first
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IIISTORY OF RICHIMOND COUNTY.
of April following. The first trustees were David Van Name, George F. Thompson, William Lissenden, John Thompson and David Van Name, Jr. The first deacons were George F. Thomp- son, William Lissenden and Jacob Van Pelt. The corner stone of a new edifice was laid September 9, 1857, and the building having been completed was dedicated May 5, 1858. Meetings were held in the old Graniteville church until the completion of the new one. The cost of this building and grounds was about $10,000. The Graniteville church had been granted to this society by a resolution of the North church made January 17, 1857. In 1868 the church was cleared of debt. The church has enjoyed a wholesome degree of prosperity, and the present membership numbers about two hundred. The successive ministers who have served it have been : Z. P. Childs, 1857 to 1858 ; J. N. Tolman, 1858 to 1861 ; G. P. Folwell, 1861 to 1862; J. L. Benedict, 1862 to 1864 ; J. J. Brouner, 1864 to 1869 ; W. B. Harris, 1869 to 1872; J. W. Taylor, 1872 to 1875 ; C. W. Hull, 1875 to 1877 ; W. R. Moore, November, 1877, to the present time.
As early as 1826 meetings began to be held by the Baptists in private houses in different parts of the town of Westfield. At different times within a few years such meetings were held at the houses of Edward Weir in Pleasant Plains, Mrs. Gillatta Murray in Rossville, Israel Journeay and Mrs. Cath- erine Ely, and in school houses. These meetings were conducted under the auspices of the old First Baptist, or "Clove" church.
The corner stone of a branch church at Kreischerville was laid March 31, 1847, and the building dedicated on the 16th of Sep- tember following. It was a frame building, thirty by forty-two feet. This remained as a branch or chapel, until the year 1848, when the " West Baptist Church of Staten Island " was organ- ized on the 24th of May. The constituent members were Israel Journeay, Aaron Van Name, Edward Weir, Catherine Journeay, Gillatta Murray, Catherine Ely, Alice A. Ellis, Phoebe Andro- vette, Malvina Ellis, Mahala Arnett, Saralı Ann Storer, Ann Androvette, Hannah Martin and Mary Benedict. A Sunday school was opened the first Sunday in May, 1849, with Mrs. Catherine Ely, superintendent.
The first pastor of this church was William Pike, of Haver- straw, who, after preaching for a while on probation, entered
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IHISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
the pastorate June 1, 1848. John Burnett became pastor No- vember 1, 1854. His salary was $350 and house rent. He also preached at Tottenville on stated evenings, in a chapel which had been built by Harmon Kingsbury. Mr. Burnett died March 1, 1858. His successor was Thomas W. Conway, who was called July 1, and ordained October 20th of the same year. He remained till October 30, 1860. December 30, 1859, ten members withdrew to form the " South Church" at Tottenville. This left the church with a membership of thirty.
Rev. Arthur Day became pastor of both churches January 1, 1861 ; and resigned in January, 1863. Supplies followed until William James was settled over both churches in January, 1865, continuing to February, 1866. William B. Harris was pastor from February 26, 1867, to March 1, 1869. David Taylor was pastor one year from June 1, 1869. The connection be- tween this and the South church in ministerial supply, was dissolved in 1870. Since then this church has had no separate pastor, but has been occasionally supplied by renewal for short periods of the association with the South church.
From 1852 to 1858 Reverends Pike and Burnett of the West church, assisted by the Rev. Geo. F. Hendrickson of Perth Amboy, held occasional services at different private houses in the village of Tottenville, and also in a free chapel which had been erected by Harmon Kingsbury, near his grove. The Tem- perance hall was secured in the spring of 1859, and services were thereafter held in it on Sabbath mornings. After lengthy discussion the organization of a church here was effected De- cember 11, 1859, by the name of the "South Church of Staten Island." The members of this new organization, who had with- drawn from the West church, were T. W Conway, John Tucker, S. B. Hazelton, George D. Fisher, William Cooley, Isabella Fisher. Mary Wrifle, Sarah A. Ellis, Maria T. Hazelton, Isa- bella Ayer, Melvina Cole, Ann Storer and S. D. Reed.
The corner stone of a new edifice was laid, and recognition services held, Monday, February 8, 1860. The church was sup- plied with ministerial service in connection with the West church until 1870. The church was cleared of debt in August, 1871, which happy condition was brought about largely by the generous assistance of Mr. John Turner, who himself assumed one half the burden, and in addition erected at his own expense a lecture room in rear of the church.
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
The pulpit was filled by temporary supplies from October 1871, to September, 1875, when the South and West churches were again united in pastoral support under the ministration of Isaac W. Brinckerhoff, who continued to serve them till July 1, 1881. Calvin A. Hare became pastor of the South church April 10, 1882, and remained until 1884, when T. Burdette Bott was called. The membership now numbers about one hundred.
The First Baptist church of New Brighton has been recently organized. The favorable location and the earnest work put forth bid fair to establish a large Baptist interest here. Rev. J. B. McQuillan was the first pastor. The church was or- ganized in June, 1884, with thirteen members. In November of the same year the church, having secured a lease of the Uni- tarian house of worship on Clinton avenue, extended a call to the Rev. J. B. McQuillan, then of Patterson, N. J., to become their pastor. ITis pastoral term began on the first Sabbath in January, 1885. A baptistery has been placed in the church, and several candidates have been immersed, the first in New Brighton for upwards of forty years. The church now num- bers thirty-one members. It was duly recognized, according to the custom of the denomination, by a council of the Southern New York Baptist Association, on the 2d of February, 1886. Mr. McQuillan resigned July 1, 1887, and the church is at present without a regular pastor.
The introduction of Methodism on Staten Island is due to the persevering efforts of a few zealous individuals connected with the denomination in New Jersey and elsewhere. The first Methodist sermon preached on the island was in November, 1771, by Francis Asbury, in the house of one Peter Van Pelt, only twelve days after his arrival in America.
It is to the unwearied labors of Thomas Morrell and Robert Cloud, two preachers attached to the Elizabethtown circuit, that this church is chiefly indebted for its organization. Of Morrell it is said that he had been a soldier, and bore upon his person scars of wounds received in fighting for his country. He was also a man of more than ordinary abilities and acquire- ments. Of the local preachers, William Cole was most prom- inent, and during the intervals between the visits of the itin- erants, frequently officiated in private houses, school houses, barns or any other place that offered.
On the fifth day of May, 1787, the first Methodist society on
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
Staten Island was organized, and the following persons were elected trustees to take care of the temporalities of the church, viz .: Abraham Cole (at whose house the meeting was held), Benjamin Drake and John Hillyer, first class, to serve one year; Gilbert Totten, John Slaight and Joseph Wood, second class, to serve two years; Joseph Totten, Elias Price and Israel Dis- osway, third class, to serve three years.
Measures were then adopted to erect a house of worship, and the following appeal to the Christian community was promul- gated:
" To all Charitable, well-disposed Christians of every denom- ination of Staten Island. Whereas the Inhabitants on the West end of said Island are destitute of any Place of Public Worship, so that numbers, more especially of the poorer and middling ranks of People who have not Carriages, &c., are necessarily precluded from attending the Worship of God in a Public manner, their Children also lose the benefit of Pub- lic Instruction, and it is to be feared the Consequence will be to the rising Generation a settled Contempt for the worship of God and the ordinances of the House.
"To remedy as far as human prudence can Extend the afore- said, and many other Inconveniences that might be named, the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church on said Island have chosen trustees agreeable to Law in order to Erect a Church for the Performance of Divine Service, and tis Supposed by the Blessing of God this may be the means of not only benefitting the present Generation, but that Numbers Yet nn- born may have reason to Praise God for the pious Care of their forefathers. But as this will be Attended with a heavy Expence, to which the members of said Church are Inadequate, they hereby Respectful solicit the Donation of all such who are will- ing to promote so Laudable an Undertaking, we therefore the subscribers do hereby promise to pay or cause to be paid to the said Trustees or any Person Impowered by them to receive it, the sums affixed to our Several names, as Witness our Hands this Seventh day of June, In the Year of our Lord one Thou- sand Seven Hundred and Eighty-seven."
Then follow the names of eighty-seven contributors, whose united subscriptions amount to nearly three hundred and fifty dollars. The largest contributors are Gilbert Totten, £8; Israel Disosway, £15; Benjamin Drake, £8; Mark Disosway, £5; Peter
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Woglom, £6; Joshua Wright, £5; Jacob Reckhow, £5; John Androvat, £5; Peter Winant, sr .. £4.15; John Slaght, £4.15. Among the subscribers we find the names of individuals at- tached to other churches, such as Bedells, Swains, Taylors, Lar- zeleres, Micheaus, La Tourettes, Mersereaus, Pralls, Con- ner, etc.
It is said of Israel Disosway, that in addition to his subscrip- tion, which is the largest on the list, he gave the timber for erecting the new church, out of his own woods.
Stavo of Raw. Hanny Bochum
Henry Martins Bochum
WOODROW M. E. CHURCH.
With the small sum realized by the subscriptions just men- tioned, the first Methodist church on Staten Island was built on the site now occupied by the Woodrow church in Westfield. This building is described as a low, roughly built house, with gable to the road, and having small windows and a plain batten door, the fastening of which was operated by the old fashioned latch-string. The interior showed a unique altar, high backed, uncushioned seats, and bare rafters overhead. Its site was
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY,
amid the natural grandeur of the luxuriant forest, broken by scattered clearings and the primitive habitations of a few hardy settlers.
That the trustees took excellent care of the temporalities of the church will be perceived from the following extract from the original "Day Book :"
" At a meeting held in the Methodist Church for chosing a Saxon to serve for one year in said church to keep said honse swept and sanded and scraped when the Trustees shall direct, and all other necessary dutys of a saxon for the sum of five dollars ; Richard Mier was chosen and accepted." Subse- quently, the "saxon " was allowed one shilling "for every fire he makes in the stove," additional.
In 1842 the present church edifice was erected on the site of the former. This edifice is considerably larger than the first, and encroaches upon some of the graves in the surrounding church-yard that were made near the old house.
This old burial ground contains many old graves of the early inhabitants. The first white marble stone erected here, we are told, is that to the memory of Rev. Joseph Totten, one of the first members of the Methodist church on the island. He was for twenty-six years an itinerant preacher of the gospel, and died May 20, 1818, while in charge of the society of St. John's church at Philadelphia. Immediately in front of the church stands a plain marble monument, which marks the grave of one of the most deeply revered preachers of the church, well known as "old Father Boehm." The monument bears the following inscription :
"Sacred to the memory of Rev. Henry Boehm, born in Lan- caster, Pa., June 8, 1775, died on Staten Island, December 28, 1875. A centenarian, who was for seventy-six years an hon- ored and beloved Methodist minister, as eminent for social, Christian and ministerial virtues as for longevity : the associate of Bishop Asbury and his compeers in labors on earth, he now rests with them in heaven."
On the twelfth day of February, 1822, at a meeting held at the house of James Totten, it was unanimously resolved to build another house of worship, in the town of Westfield, to be called " The Tabernacle." A church appears to have been or- ganized, and trustees duly elected. In Angust, 1823, a public meeting was held "in the Tabernacle :" the edifice must there-
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