USA > New York > Ulster County > History of Ulster County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers. Vol. I > Part 62
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having miss celebrated among them, being those of John O'Reilly and Thomas Penny, and a house, corner of Union Avenue and Mill Street, now succeeded by the O'Reilly building. The Rev. Myles Maxwell was the next and probably first resident pastor, he came before the grounds of the present church were purchased of Abraham Hasbrouck, which purchase was effected Oct. 19, 1842, Rt. Rev. John Hughes being the bishop of the diocese of New York. On this lot the corner-stone of the present church was laid, May 21, 184S. The dedication of the church took place the same year. Father Maxwell may be called the founder of the church ; his remains lay in old St. Mary's Cemetery from the time of his death until 1871, when they were exhumed to make room for the house now occupied by the Franciscan Brothers, and reinterred inside the church which he founded. Father Maxwell was sue- ceeded by Rev. Thomas Quinn, and he by Rev. William Quinn, the present viear-general of the archdiocese, whose stay was only a few months, in 1849. Rev. Thomas Martin was pastor front 1849 till 1852, when he was succeeded by Rev. John Madden, his assistant. Father Martin bought the organ in 1833 for $1500. It was repaired in 1871; by Father Coyle, at a cost of 81000. John Huber com- meuced to play a siuall organ in 1850, which was succeeded by the present one. Mr. Huber has continued to play ever since. Father Maitiu engaged him, except in 1572, when he was absent in Europe for a short time.
Rev. John Madden was pastor from 1852 to 1857.
The pastoral residence until this time was north of the church, in the building now owned by P. McCormick. Father Madden procured a lot on the west side of Division Street, and on it he erected the present house occupied by the clergy of St. Mary's.f Rev. Francis MeNeirney, now bishop of Albany, was pastor for a short time after Father Madden. Rev. D. G. Durning and Rev. S. Caro were pas- tors for short intervals in 1853 and 1859. Father Caro will long be remembered as a splendid singer, and for a grand temperance procession of the congregation.
Father Felix Farrelly came as pastor to Rondout on the 12th of November, 1859. Ile introduced the Sisters of Charity as teachers of St. Mary's school, and subsequently purchased St. Mary's Cemetery, now under the corporation of St. Mary's Church Association. He also bought the bell now in the steeple of the church.
Father Briody came in 1865. He made many improve- ments, among them the heating of the church by hot-air furnaces.
Rev. James Coyle assumed charge of the parish in June, 1867. Ile had been pastor of the church at Mattawan, io Dutchess County, for about seven years, and did much for religion in that place. His first care when he came to Ron- dout was for education, and, for the purpose of imparting a good religious and secular training to the children of the parish, he bought a lot almost opposite the church, on Union Avenue, then Division Street. The corner-stone of St. Mary's school was laid in 1867, by Rev. Felix Farrelly, and in a year after Father Coyle's arrival this school, the largest then in Rondout, contained about 500 pupils.
f Father Malden died in Rondout, at the residence of his brother, M. J. Madden.
The lot was bought in the name of the bishop, John O'Reilly, John Kinney, James Diamond, Thomas Rigney, and Michael Quinn, for $200.
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IHISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
The parish was yet very large, consisting of Rondout, Kingston, Stony Hollow, Jockey Hill, Port Ewen, and Flat- bush, each of which has now its own church, and (two ex- cepted, Jockey Hill and Flatbush ) its own pastor. Father Coyle bought the old armory as soon as he was satisfied that the religions education of the children was attended to, and, being impatient to wait for the completion of altera- tions necessary for carrying on religions services, had mass offered for the first time in Kingston in the school near the Bowery, on Sunday, Sept. 21, ISGS. Rev. Dr. MeGlynn, of New York, preached the sermon. Rev. James Dough- erty, assistant at St. Mary's, probably the first native of Ulster County raised to the priesthood, was appointed first pastor of Kingston, in December, 1868. He worked so well that the church was dedicated, under the patronage of St. Joseph, to the service of God, on Sunday, July 26, 1869, by Most Rev. John McCloskey, archbishop of New York. Soon after, Father Coyle commeneed the erection of churches in Stony Hollow and Jockey Hill, and before his death, in 1872, he had the satisfaction of seeing three churches and three schools, the result of his energy, in good working order. His death took place in New York, whither he had gone on business, July 1, 1872, and his remains were buried on the gospel side of the altar of the church he had served so faithfully, in Rondout, July 4th. During bis time, in February, 1872, the temperance and benevolent societies were foundled. The church was thoroughly re- paired outside from basement to steeple, and even the cross was gilded, for the first time since being placed on its high position. He was never at rest from improving church property or working for the welfare of the souls commithd to his care. Probably the greatest missions given outside New York took place under his direction. At one of these, in 1869, over 5000 persons approached the sacraments. The preacher of his funeral sermon stated that; from his ordination in 1852 10 1871, he built 13 churches or chapels, and had a hand in the education of six priests. Ile will be remembered long by the people whom he directed in the path of righteousness, and by the children of the schools he founded.
Rev. M. J. O'Farrell, assistant in St. Peter's, Barclay Street, New York, became the next pastor, and remained only ten months, when, on the death of Viear- General Starrs, he was appointed pastor of St. Peter's in place of Father Quinn, appointed vicar-general. A short time before he lofi, .March 9. 1873, 1070 children and adults were con- firmed by Bishop MeNierny, of Albany, the largest number confirmed at any one time in St. Mary's .* He was sue- ceeded by Rev. Michael C. O'Farrell, who had also been attached to St. Peter's, in May, 1573. Father O'Farrell's first care was to enlarge the pastoral residence to double its former size, which improvement was effected in a few months, so thoroughly as to be of lasting benefit. Before this was finished work was commenced on the foundation of the Brothers' House, and in July, 1873, the corner-stone was laid. Father Farrelly, of New York, formerly of St.
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Mary's, preached, and Right Rev. Bishop Quinlan, of Mobile, Ala., assisted at the ceremony. The building was erected through a bequest of Mr. Thomas Murray, -amount- ing to 810,000,-who died April 21, 1373.
While all this work was going on in Rondout, prepara- tions were on foot for the building of a church in Port Ewen. The foundation was laid, when a pastor, Rev. M. J. Phelan, was appointed in November, and to him collec- tions and donations for the new church, amounting to over $3000, were accounted for by the pastor of St. Mary's. The church was dedicated to God under the title " Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin," by Most Rev. John McCloskey, on June 14. 1874. By the separation of Port Eweb, the "once large parish, embracing a great fart of Ulster and Dutchess Counties, was narrowed down to Rondout and Flatbush, and even Flatbush, although at- tended from St. Mary's, has a handsome little church (St. Colman's) ere-ted on a lot given by Mr. John Hutton. This church was dedicated Oet. 4, 1874, by Very Rev. William Qainn, V. G. Father O'Farrell sang high mass.
The arrival of the Franciscan Brothers from Brooklyn, in January, 1875, was the event of the year for the Catholics of Rondout. Through the indefatigable exertions of Father O'Farrell in trying to obtain the best teachers for the children, the parish was blessed by their coming. Having done so much for religion, he was granted a respite, after a large confir- mation held in June by his Emineuce, Cardinal McCloskey. He went to Canada a short time for his health, accompanied by Vicar-General Quinn, Mgr. Roncetti, papal ablegate, who conferred the insignia of the cardinalate on Archbishop MeCloskey and Rev. Dr. McGlynn. In 1876, on the death of the pastor of St. Teresa's, in New York, he was appointed to fill the vacancy. He was succeeded by Rev. John J. Duffy, D.D, the present pastor, in September, 1876. Dr. Duffy came from St. Joseph's, New York, where he had been assistant. He graduated in the classical and law de- partments of the University of New York. He studied in the Propaganda, in Rome, and was ordained by Cardinal Patrizi in 1872. On his arrival he found the church en- cumbered by large bouded and floating debts, incurred in improvements effected by preceding pastors. le went to work vigorously for the payment of every dollar, and, not- withstanding the dullness of the times, he paid the running expenses and over $2000 in two years.
The grandest work of all was the clearing of the church from debt. From the founding by Father Maxwell to this year, ISSO, the church was never quite free from some debt. Dr. Duffy could not bear the thought of God's house being liable to fall under the sheriff's hammer. In order, then, to make an earthly habitation a little less unworthy for the dwelling-place of the Holy of Holies, he resolved, notwith- standing the duliness of business, to call individually on every family in the parish to give a little for the liquidation of the debt. Hle carried his resolution into effect, and collections of from $200 down to $1, amounting to $2000 in all, were received, and paid the debr, thus making St. Mary's what it should have been long ago,-a church capable of being consecrated.
Other pastors were noted for building in times when wages were good and work plenty for those composing their
* In November, 1-72, Father Bark, the great Dominican preacher, lectured in St. Mary's. Ile also studied from works in the immense library of Father O'farrell before each of his lectures against l'rou l in New York.
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CITY AND TOWN OF KINGSTON.
flocks, and when the parish was larger and richer than it is now. But Dr. Duffy, in a time of unprecedented dullness and poverty, succeeded in paying his way and debts as old as the church. In Leat of this year a mission was given by the Jesuits, when the number of those who approached the sacraments was nearly 4000.
Commencing in 1835 with services every fourth Sunday in one of the private houses named, or sometimes in a cabinet-shop in Ann Street, when the rooms in which mass would be celebrated would not be large enough, St. Mary's Church has grown to about eight parishes with about twelve pastors, including St. Peter's for Catholic Germans. Old St. Peter's was separated from St. Mary's in 1558, when a church edifice' was erected. The present church, founded in 1871, was dedicated on St. Peter's day, June 29, 1873, by Cardinal MeCloskey. Rev. John Rauffheisen, who for twenty years attended the spiritnal wants of the Germans, was pastor. He died in May of this year (1530) in Jersey City, in a hospital where he had for some time been chaplain.
The number of Catholies, e mating six to each family in 1835, would be sixty times six persons, or three hundred and sixty. In Rondout now there are nearly four thousand communicants, who, with children, would count over five thousand.
The parish has given eight or nine priests to the church in the diocese of New York, except one in Buffalo, one in a religious order, and two dead.
The first collection of about $30 has been alluded to. Mr. Andrew O'Richly cither collected it or contributed to it. The same gentleman signed as auditor, a few years sinee, to receipts for building and other purposes amounting to the sunt of $37,000 for twenty months.
At that time, 1835, it was a work of some diffienlty to seenre a lot for church purposes by the Catholics. Now there are churches and-chapels and residences for Catholic clergy in Rondout and vicinity, favorably obtained from parties fermierty unwilling to sell.to Catholics .*
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE VILLAGE OF RONDOUT.
This society was incorporated by a certificate bearing date July 12, 1841. Michael Cockefair and George Thompson presided at the meeting as inspectors of elec- tion. The trustees chosen were George Thompson, Michael Cockefair, Elgar Hadler, Andrew Dunu, John B. Smith. The instrument was verified before J. S. MeEntee, justice of the peace.
The following notice of this church, furnished by Iloratio Fowkes, embodies some evemis which occurred prior to the above date :
The first Methodist class was organized in Rondout in 1833 by Rev. Cyrus Foss, then pastor at Kingston. Christian L. Hauver was the first class-leader. Among the first members were Jabez Wakeman, Newell Dustin, George Thompson, Nathan C. Bell, James North, Edgar Hudler, John Hadler, Altanah Snyder, Hannah Phillips, Maria Keator, Sarah Warner, and Cornelia Warner. Of these George Thompson, John Hudler, Altanah Snyder,
Sarah Warner, and Cornelia Warner survive at the date of this history ( May, 1880).
The prayer- and class-meetings were held in private houses at various places from Kingston Point to Eddyville. Rondout at that time was an outpost of Kingston village. and was called "The Strand." The pastor in St. James' Methodist Episcopal Church at Kingston occasionally preached for the little society, and the more public services were held in the school-house ( District No. 7) which stood on a rocky bhiff at the corner of Abeel and Wurts Streets.
The Sunday-school was organized in the summer of 1835, the first session being held June 14th. Rev. Laban C. Cheny was then pastor, and Christian L. Hauver was the first superintendent, George Thompson secretary and li- brarian. The whole number of scholars was 45. In 1835 the school-house was closed against religious services. The school disbanded, and became a part of the Sunday-school of the Presbyterian Church, continuing thus for five years. The other Methodist serviees were held in the basement of the Presbyterian church.
The first Methodist Episcopal church edifice of Rondout was built in 1541, Rev. Harvey Husted pastor. It cost about 81300. It was dedicated by Rev. J. B. Wakeley. The Rondont Church continued as part of the Kingston charge until 1844, when in connection with Eddyville it was made a separate appointment, with M. D. C. Crawford as pastor. The church edifice was greatly enlarged, and a commodious lecture-room added in 1852; Matthew Van Deusen pastor.
In 1863 (Z. N. Lewis pastor) measures were taken to procure a site for a new and more suitable church edifice, and the large and beautiful lot corner of Wurts and Hunter Streets was purchased of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, for $4100. In the summer of 1867 the building of the new church was commenced (Rev. W. M. Chipp pastor), and the dedication of the savie took place Aug. 12, 1868, Bishop Janes officiating. The total cost of the new church, including lot, parsonage, grading, etc., was about 837,000. In 1871, under the pastorate of Rev. J. Y. Bates, the treasurer, Iloratio Fowks, secured subscrip- tions for the debt then remaining of $14,600.
The church has been repeatedly blessed with powerful revivals. Those of extraordinary interest and value were under the labors of Revs. M. Van Deusen, W. H. Evans, and J. J. Dean. The pastors since its organization were : 1832-33, Cyrus Foss, Kingston and Rondout; 1834, John G. Smith, subordinate to Benjamin Griffin, of Kingston ; 1835, Laban C. Cheney, Kingston and Rondout; 1836-37, Lorin Clark; 1838, James HI. Romer, Roudout and Esopus; 1839-40, James Z. Nichols, Kingston and Rondout ; 1841- 12, Harvey Husted, Kingston and Rondout ; 1843, Par- melie Chamberlin, Kingston and Roudout; 1844-45, M. D. C. Crawford, Rondont and Eddyville; 1846-47, Henry Lounsbery, Rondout and Eddyville; 1848, John K. Still, Rondout and Eddyville; 1849-50, Charles F. Pelton, Rondout and Eddyville; 1851-52, Matthew Van Dousen .; 1853-54, Silas Fitch ; 1835-56, John A. Elmonds; 1857-58, Andrew C. Field; 1859-60, Jolm W. B. Wood ; 1861-62, David B. Turner; 1868-64, Zephaniah N. Lewis; 1865, Abiatha M. Osbon ; 1866, John W. Jones ;'
" This sketch of St. Mary's was furnished by J. Hayden Rondout. EE
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IHISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
1867 -- 68, William M. Chipp; 1869-70, William II. Evans; 1871-72, J. Y. Bates; 1873-75, John J. Dean; 1876-78, Milton S. Terry ; 1879-50. C. W. Millard.
The superintendents of the Sunday-school have been Ebenezer Flint, George Thompson, Alfred Higbee, Daniel B. Stow, 1858-70; Charles L. Edmonds, 1871; Horatio Fowke, 1871-80.
FIRST BAPTIST SOCIETY OF THE VILLAGE OF RONDOUT.
This body executed a certificate of incorporation Sept. 2, 1841. The trustees chosen were William B. Dodge, Asa Eaton, HI. S. Stringham. The instrument was signed by them, verified before James McEntee, justice of the peace, and recorded.
We are indebted to George B. Hibbard for the following items :
This church was organized Feb. 7, 1842, and consisted of 7 male and 4 female members, viz. : W. B. Dodge, Asa Eaton, Jas. Cheesboro, John H. Pettit, Charles A. Ray- moud, W. 11. Lansing, II. S. Stringham, Mrs. Rhoda A. Dodge, Mrs. Perline A. Eaton, Mrs. Eliza Tichnor, and Mrs. Lansing. In the preceding fall, through the active exertions of two of its members ( and the liberality of John Wurts, Esq., president of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, who donated a lot for the purpose on Post Street between Abeel and Union), a small and weat chapel had been built, at a cost of $1350, and duly dedicated on the 25th of November, 1811. Here they remained for seventeen years, gradually increasing in nun.bers, when they were presented by the Hon. Thomas Cornell with a building lot on the corner of Wurts and Spring Streets, and on which the present church was built in the summer and fall of 1859, and duly dedicated in February, 1860. Two years there- after, Mr. Cornell presented to the church a lot on the eor- ner of Wurts and Pierpont Streets, and the present parson- age was built. Ten years later, in July, 1872, realizing the need of more room, they resolved (mainly through the active efforts of the late Hiram Schoonmaker) to build a Sunday- school hall, when Mr. Cornell, with his accustomed liber- ality, lonated for the purpose an adjoining lot on Pierpont Street, and the hall was built.
The society now owns its church, parsonage, and Sunday- school hall, situated on Spring, Wurts, and Pierpont Streets, free from inemmabrance, and has a membership of 350.
The following is a list of the clerks of the church : James Cheesboro, from February, 1842, to October, 1843: R. II. Strone, from October, 1843, to April, 1844; A. B. Hath- away, from April, 1841, to October, 1845 ; Isaac Charlock, from October, 1845, to May, 1845; L. J. Bridgman, from May, 1848, to August, 1848; H. Schoonmaker, from July, 1850, to June, 1860 ; George B. Hibbard, from July. 1860, to September, 1867 ; P. B. Warner, from September, 1867, to June, 1809; George B. Hibbard, from July. 1869, to July, 1872; W. N. Reading, from September, 1872, to September, 1873; Charles Hardenbergh, from September, 1873, to September, 1974; O. L. Eastman, from. Decem- ber, 1874, to May, 1850; R. K. Blaxley, from May, losD.
The deacons were Thomas Cornell, from September, 1844, to present time ; A. B. Hathaway, from September, 1844, to 1866; E. K. Perkins, from June, 1800, to present time;
A. Tichnor, from June, 1860, to November, 1865; Peter Philips, from June, 1860, to December, 1867; Daniel Allen, from November, 1865, to November, 1867 ; William Connelley, from December, 1867, to present date ; D. W. Davis, from December, 1567, to December, 1874; John II. Allen, from December, 1874, to present date.
The trustees were A. B. Hathaway, from July, 1848, to May, 1853 ; Thomas J. Burgess, A. Winter. John Dodge,. from May, 1853, to May, 1858 ; Samuel Williams, from May, 1853, to May, 1868; Hiram Schoonmaker, from May. 1853, to May, 1874; George B. Hibbard, from April, 1858, to present date ; John P. Hageman, from May, 1865. to May, 1875; C. Honghtaling, from May, 1868, to pres- ent date; E. K. Perkins, from May, 1861, to May, 1871 ; A. Dodge, from May, 1871, to May, 1876; A. N. Barnes, from May, 1874, to present date; A. P. Van Buren, from May, 1875, to present date ; E. J. Allen, from May, 1876, to present date; S. D. Coykendall, from May, 1877, to present date.
The present organization (May, 1880) is as follows : Rev. W. M. Kineaid, Pastor ; Robert K. Blaxley, Clerk. Board of Deacons .- Hon. Thomas Cornell, E. K. Per- kins, William Connelley, JJohn N. Allen.
Board of Trustees .- George B. Hibbard, President ; A. N. Barnes, Secretary ; S. J. Allen, Treasurer ; A. T. Van Buren, Collector ; C. Houghtaling, S. D. Coykendall.
Sunday-school .- A. N. Barnes, Superintendent ; P. B. Warner, Assistant; R. K. Blasley, Secretary; M. N. Allen, Treasurer.
SECOND REFORMED CHURCH."
On the 9th day of January, 1879, " the inaudible and noiseless foot of time, with its unwavering, continuous tread," had measured just thirty years since the organiza- tion of this " the Second Reformed Dutch Church of Kingston." In the month of June last, in view of the near approach of that anniversary. a resolution was adopted at a congregational meeting of this church, requiring the Consistory to appoint a committee to prepare a memorial and make other preparations for the proper celebration of the occasion. By reason of extensive repairs in the audi- ence-room of the church, deemed necessary by the Con- sistors, the proposed celebration has been postponed until to-day ; and we are now here to honor, by appropriate cere- monies, the entrance upon the fourth decade of our exist- ence as a church.
Before entering upon the history of this particular or- ganization, a few words in relation to the previous history and establishment of the Reformed Dutch Church in this locality may not be amiss. The history of the mother- church up to the time of our ereation is our history as well. As is well known, this place, one of the earliest settlements in the State, was originally settled by the Dutch and the Huguenots. They, driven from the Old World by religious persecution, brought with them here not only their language, but their religion ; they came to enjoy that
a Condensed from an address delivered by Hon. Marius Schoon- maker, on the 14th day of May, IST9, at a meeting hell in the Second Reformed church to celebrate the completion of tl o thirtieth year of its existence.
Photo, by Lewis, Kingston,
Andrew Near
The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears above, was born in the town of Red Ilook, Dntehiess Co., N. Y., Det. 25, 1808; was the eldest but one, and the eldest son, of a family of thirteen children, -seven boys and six girls. His father's name was Jacob G. Near, a son of a Revolutionary patriot, who in the carly part of the war was with others taken prisoner and carried to England, where he suffered much from harsh and ernel treatment before being released. The maiden name of the mother of Andrew Near was Eve Rector. The families on both sides were of German descent, had for several gene- rations livel in Puteless aud Columbia Counties, and were disciples of Martin Luther. His father, once in good ciremustauees, met with severe financial reverses, and, therefore, Andrew was at a very early age compelled to work at farming to aid in supporting a large and belpless family ; hence he was deprived of most of the advantages of even a country school education, at best very limited in those days.
In the year 1-21, at the age of sixteen, he was apprenticed to George Shook, Esq., for a terin of five years, to learn the art art work at the trale of tanning and currying. The stipulatel compensation for his services was twenty-five dollars per year and boots and shoes tur- nished, his good mother furnishing bis other clothing. and all, except hats, wrought out with her own hands fran wool in rolls and hatch- eled fax. His apprenticeship cadiug in Is20, he continued with Require Shook as a journeyman nearly five year. longer, first at twelve dollars and after at thirteen dollars per month. Out of these small earnings, the first after his majority, he saved some money and helped to first secure andl then pay for a small but corufortal le homestead for his parents, who hal through physical infirmities become well- nigh helpless. In February. 1835, he married Eliza M. Adams, a well-to- do tarmier's daughter, in the town of Red Hook. He had the previous fall bought out the stock and business of Esquire Shook, and a few months after, at the request of the latter, took his son Henry in the business as partner.
Bark having become scarce and dear. the new firmn tanned out their stock there, and in December the same year remove-l to Napanoch, U'lster Co., where they built a tannery, which they ran till 1538, when, the business not promising well, Near soll ont to his partner, And received in payment notes which, owing to the financial panie of that period and consequent failure of Henry Shook, were uever paid.
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