USA > New York > Schenectady County > History of the County of Schenectady, N. Y., from 1662 to 1886... > Part 20
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Dominie Pieter Thesschenmaecker, little known except by his tragical end, came to this coun- try from Guiana, whither he had gone from Utrecht a young theological student, and is first mentioned in a petition for his services, dated 1676.
It appears that at this time he had not been or- dained, for in 1679, on application from New- castle on the Delaware, the Governor directed Dominie Newenhuysen to examine and induct him into the ministry of the Protestant Reformed Church.
After his ordination, Dominie Thesschenmaecker departed immediately for his new field of labors, Here he remained three years until 1682, when he left and accepted a call from Schenectady, where he labored six years with reasonable success.
Until 1700 the church was without a pastor, and indeed it does not appear that the people had any religious privileges, except such as might be had by a visit to Albany, until 1694, when Dominie Dellius began to minister to them occasionally. His first recorded visits that year were on the 11th of April and 9th of October, on which occasions new members were added to the church and chil- dren baptized. In 1695 he came four times, viz. : on the 2d January, 27th March, 26th June and 9th October. In 1696 five times: January 8th, April 15th, July Ist, September 19th and December 30th. In 1697 three times: April 6th, June 30th and No- vember 10th. And in 1698 four times: 27th April, 20th July, 19th October and 28th December. In all eighteen visits in five years.
In 1699 Dominie Dellius returned to the Father- land, and Dominie Johannes Petrus Nucella, suc- ceeding to his place as minister of Albany, visited Schenectady once-on the 31st of August. The following year he came twice, viz .: on the 9th Jan- uary and 25th May.
The number of members added to the church by these two ministers was twenty-five ; the number of children baptized seventy-six, seven of whom were Indians.
But no sooner was peace proclaimed in 1697 than both village and church began a new career of prosperity. Within five years a second minister was called, and a new house of worship was erected.
Dominie B. Freeman (or Freerman) succeeded Dominie Dellius in 1700. He was a man of ma- ture age. In 1698 he was a member of the church of Amsterdam, and on the 9th of March of that year was licensed to preach by the Classis of Wor- den and Overryaland, and ordained by the Classis of Lingen, March 16, 1760. He immediately de- parted for his distant charge, accompanied by Dominie Johannes Lydius. On the 20th of July they arrived in Albany, where the latter remained, while the former passed on to Schenectady, and on the 28th commenced his labors as pastor of the
church and missionary to the Mohawks. The latter office had been filled by Dominie Dellius for many years, and both for political as well as religious reasons, it was considered important to continue so powerful an agency among the native tribes.
Barmantus Freeman
In regard to this matter the Earl of Bellmont, Governor of the Provinces, said to the assembled Sachems of the Five Nations, on the 26th of Au- gust, 1700 : * * * "I have sent to England for ministers to instruct you in the true Christian religion. I expect some very soon ; for the present I shall settle Mr. Vreeman, an able, good minister, at Schenectada, who I intend shall be one of those that shall be appointed to instruct you in the true faith. He will be near the Mohacks, and in your way as you come from [the] several castles to this town (Albany), and will take pains to teach you. He has promised me to apply himself with all dil- ligence to learn your language, and doubts not to be able to preach to you therein in a year's time." In a communication to the Board of Trade the Gov- ernor says : "I send your Lordships a copy of Mr. Freeman's letter. He is a Dutch minister at Sche- nectady, and a very good sort of a man."
As Albany was the headquarters of Indian trade as well as of the yearly Council held with the Five Nations, Dominie Lydius was also appointed to instruct the natives in the Christian faith, and "ye bettar to enable him to serve them in ye work of the Gospell, ye Interpretesse [Hillitie] was ap- pointed to be his assistant in that affair as former- ly."> * * *
In the five years spent at Schenectady, Dominie Freeman became well versed in the Indian tongue, so as not only to preach, but to write in it, and so attached were the natives to him, that five years after he left Schenectady they petitioned Gov. Hunter for his reappointment, "and that he live [with us] at our Castle and not at Schinnectady nor Albany."
Probably his was the first attempt made to trans- late the church service or portions of the Holy Scriptures into the language of the Mohawks.
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CITY OF SCHENECTADY .- ECCLESIASTICAL SOCIETIES.
The salary of the early ministers of this church was one hundred pounds of New York currency ($250), house and garden rent free, pasturage for two cows and a horse, and sixty cords of wood de- livered at the parsonage. The salary commenced from the day the Dominie sailed from Holland, and the expenses of the voyage, until he arrived in Schenectady, were paid by the church. The fol- lowing is Do. Freeman's first bill, rendered August 25, 1700 :
"16 mar. 1700 to 25 aug. the Consistory is in- debted to Domine Freeman :
"For current salary from the 16 march to the 25th · of august, - is five months and nine days and amounts to a sum of fifty pounds and something more, -is in sewant, gl. 2.000
"Also expenses incurred on the voyage, in fresh provisions, wine, brandy, vegetables and hens, be- sides about three weeks expenses on the Isle of Wight, -is the sum of gl. 374 (or $46.75)
gl. 2. 374 (or $296.75)
"Schenectady. BARNHARDUS FREERMAN."
Trifling as this amount may seem, the little community were unable to raise it, and on the 3d of September, 1700, applied to the Common Council of Albany for permission to solicit contri- butions in Albany. In reply, the Commonalty ad- vise "that they first goe and Visite there own Con- gregation, and if they do not obtaine said Sallary by them, then to make their application to the Commonality at ye next Court day."
When Do. Freeman was appointed missionary to the Indians by Gov. Bellomont, he was prom- ised a salary of {60; for expenses, {15; and for the interpreter, Laurens Claese Van der Volgen, who was his assistant, £25.
The Governor expected to obtain this salary from the corporation for the propagation of the gospel at Boston, but in case he failed there, prom- ised to secure it for him out of the revenue of the Province.
It is presumed that said corporation declined to assume this burden, and, as a consequence, the General Assembly passed an act in his favor.
On the death of Do. Lupardus, of Kings Coun- ty, in 1702, the consistory of the churches there applied to Gov. Cornbury for permission to call Do. Freeman, who at the same time gave encour- agement of his acceptance.
Fearing their minister might be enticed away from them, the Consistory of the church in Sche- nectady, the next year, presented to Lord Cornbury a remonstrance against his leaving; notwithstand- ing which, and also that the Governor objected to his leaving, he accepted the call. It was not, however, until the summer of 1705 that he left for Flatbush, the license to change his pastoral rela- tions being finally granted by Gov. Cornbury on the 26th of December of the same year.
Soon after Do. Freeman came to Schenectady, the house of worship then used was found to be unfit for the accommodation of the inhabitants and Indian proselytes; but as the little community had not yet fully recovered from the effects of the
late incursion of the French and their savage allies, the funds necessary for a new house could not be raised without aid from abroad. A petition, there- fore, was presented to Gov. Nanfan in 1701, asking permission to circulate a subscription throughout the Province for this purpose.
This petition being favorably received by the Governor and Council, on the 27th October, 1701, he issued his license to the inhabitants of Schenec- tady to receive contributions from the people of the Province for the space of six months from that date, and directed all justices of the peace, schouts and other officers of his Majesty, as well as ministers of the gospel, to use their utmost en- deavors to aid this laudable object. This appeal to the liberality of their neighbors was successful, and the church was probably finished in 1703. The site was that of the first house of worship, at the junction of Church, Water and State streets, and the dimensions, fifty-six north and south by forty-six feet east and west, Amsterdam measure. The burying ground adjoined the church upon the west side, and was fifteen feet wide by fifty-six feet long. Speaking of Schenectady in 1710, the Rev. Thomas Barclay says: "There is a convenient and well-built church, which they freely give me the use of."
Probably it was substantially built of stone, for after its abandonment in 1734 as a place of wor- ship, it was used for some years as a fort. By the year 1754 it had been either removed or used as a barracks, watch-house and market ; by 1768 the site was clear and designated the Market Place.
The removal of Do. Freeman was a disheartening event to the church. He had gained the confi- dence of the people and considerable influence over the neighboring Indians. To obtain another minister from Holland, in their present circum- stances, was impossible. They were not only a small, but a poor people and, without aid, not in a condition to support a minister.
For the following ten years they were destitute of the stated ministry, being only occasionally visited by the ministers of Albany and other more distant settlements.
Between the years 1705 and 1715, Dominies Johannes Lydius and Petrus Van Driessen, of Al- bany, Petrus Vas, of Kingston, and Gualterus Du Bois, of New York, made 24 visits to Schenectady, baptizing 152 children, of whom 19 were Indians. In all this time the records show but one member added to the church.
Rev. Thomas Barclay, chaplain to the fort in Albany, preached occasionally in Schenectady.
As early as 1713, the church applied to Governor Hunter for permission to call a new minister, and received his license, dated July 27th that year. On the 17th day of May the following year, the con- sistory addressed a letter to Willem Bancker, mer- chant, of Amsterdam, and Rev. Matthias Winter- wyck, of Alphen (Dalphin ?), Holland, authorizing them to procure a minister for the church, and promising him a salary of {90, to commence on his arrival, a dwelling free of rent, firewood at the door, a large garden, and free pasture for two
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HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF SCHENECTADY.
cows and a horse. The result of this negotiation was the arrival of Dominie Thomas Brouwer, in July, 1714. He died on the 15th of January, 1728. In his will he left {25-one-half to the church and the other for the poor ; his gun, pistols, horse, table linen, etc., to various members of the families of Gerrit Symonse Veeder and Johannes Banker, and his books, best clothing, linen, etc., to his two brothers. He speaks of neither wife nor children.
The fourth minister of the church was Do. Reinhardus Erichzon. His call or Beroep brief was dated 30th March, 1728, two and a half
months after the death of his predecessor. He was probably a native, or at least a resident, of Groningen, North Holland, and before his call to Schenectady had ministered three years to the churches of Hackensack, Paramus and Schraalen- berg, New Jersey. The consistory agreed to give him a salary of £100 ($250), a parsonage house in good repair, a garden kept in a fence, pasture for a horse and two cows and firewood at the door. Dominie Erichzon left Schenectady in Oc- tober, 1736, having received a call to the church of Freehold and Middletown, N. J.
Dutch
Church of Schenectady (1734- 1814 ) 2
Drown. for.
JWM"Murrayi V. S.A.
R.Wild - Photo Eng.
The matter of erecting a larger church began to be agitated soon after Do. Erichzon became pastor, and the congregation was able not only to build a house which for the time was both substantial and spacious, but also to furnish it with a bell and clock,
As a preliminary step in this new enterprise, a subscription paper was circulated through the town in 1730, by which {322 was obtained, and extending the appeal up the valley a still further sum of [33-15 was subscribed in money and wheat. The entire sum did not amount to quite one-third the cost of the church, which was {1,167 -17-10 ($2,919.73) ; the remainder was probably
derived from the accumulations of former years and from sales of lands and leases-the gift of the trustees of the common lands.
The following is the heading of the subscription, and is interesting as showing the forfeiture for non- payment of the pledges made for the building of this edifice :
"We, or I, the underwritten, promise to pay to Arent Bratt, Jacobus Van Dyck, Dirck Groot and Cornelis Van der Volgen, and Robert Yates, Jacob Swits, Wouter Vrooman and Jan Barentse Wemp, Elders and Deacons, or to their successors, the sum which we, or I, subscribe with our hands, so soon as the foundation of said church is laid ; and
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CITY OF SCHENECTADY .- ECCLESIASTICAL SOCIETIES.
failing of the same, we, or I, promise to pay ten pounds current money if we, or I, are negligent in the payment of the sum of money which I with my hand subscribe. As witness our hands or my hand."
After thorough preparation, the work was begun in the spring of 1732. Hendrick Vrooman was
Baas (Boss) of the men, of whom seventeen were carpenters, besides masons, glaziers, etc. His wages was seven shillings a day ; the others were paid from five to six shillings. The Preeck-stoel [pulpit] was built by Pieter Cornu for {20, and Gysbert W. Vandenbergh, of Albany, contracted to do the mason work for [80.
Dutch Church of 1734 at
Intersection of Niskayuna and (coff (Ugion and haveh Sts.)
Pearson's Contributions~
J.W.M.M. 1885,
A.WILD photo. Chig.
This house was dedicated January 13, 1734, on which occasion Do. Erichzon preached in the morning, and Do. Van Driessen, of Albany, in the afternoon. The following Sabbaths, January 20 and 27, the pastor continued the subject of his first sermon.
This third house was situated in Church street, at its junction with Union street, and was eighty feet in length north and south, and fifty-six feet wide, The trustees of the town conveyed to the church not only this site, but also the land around the same ten feet in width, except on the west side, where, by reason of the narrowness of the street, it was limited to five feet. The building material was blue sandstone or graywacke from the quarries east of the village. It had two entrances, one on the south end, the other on the east side, over which was built a porch with a staircase leading to galleries. The roof was in the gambrel style, a few specimens of which still remain in the city. The belfry and clock tower stood on the north end. As seen from the east end of Union street, it pre- sented a pleasing and imposing appearance. The tub-shaped pulpit, fixed upon a narrow pedestal, and surmounted by a conical sounding board, was built against the west wall, in front of which an open space was railed in called the Doophuisje.
Here the Dominie stood while administering the rite of baptism.
There was a gallery upon all sides save the west, whether built with the church or at a later day is not known, as no mention is made of it before the year 1788, when it began to be occupied by adult males who could not obtain seats below. In this, as in other Dutch congregations, the males and fe- males sat apart, the former upon raised seats, called gestoelte, placed against the walls of the church, and the latter in slips or bancken upon the floor of the house.
In the first allotments of seats little regard was had to family relations, nor was there any ex- change of sittings, and so long as the yearly rent was paid they were the property of the occupants, but in case of removal or death passed to the near- est relative of the same sex. Only in case of non- payment of the customary rent was a seat forfeited. It was then allotted anew at the discretion of the consistory. Every transfer of a sitting cost the new occupant twelve shillings, besides the yearly rent of five shillings for males and four shillings for fe- males. The same sitting was in some cases re- tained in the same family for three or four genera- tions. The slips were numbered from one upward. The deacons and elders sat in the four benches on
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HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF SCHENECTADY.
each side of the pulpit, and the magistrates and other men of note upon the long benches on the west side of the church, extending from the pulpit around to the south door.
During the eighty years that this church stood, but few and trifling changes were made in the slips or bancken first erected, and these chiefly by addi- tions to accommodate the increasing congregation. The number of places (plaatsen) occupied by adults at different periods were as follows:
In 1734, men's seats, 86; men in gallery, o; women's seats, 218; total, 304.
In 1754, men's seats, 104; men in gallery, o; women's seats, 328; total, 432.
In 1788, men's seats, 125; men in gallery, 35; women's seats, 346; total, 506.
From 1788 to 1814, when the old church was removed, newcomers could not rent seats without great difficulty, except in the gallery, which being chiefly occupied by boys and negroes, was not considered quite respectable.
The people worshiped on the Sabbath almost to the beginning of this century even in the coldest winter, without any other artificial heat than that
Prophuisje
Womenir reali (Banken) 1-62
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39
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33
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31
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Men's real (Gestoallen ) I-XIII
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derived from foot-stoves. The first stoves used in this church were bought in December, 1792, and set up that winter. They were placed upon two platforms elevated to the height of the gallery, and reached by climbing over the balustrade. Itis said that the Klokluyer was accustomed to replenish them at the beginning of the dominie's sermon; and, to notify the congregation of the importance of his vocation, was particularly noisy in opening and in shutting the stove-doors. By this arrange- ment " the top of the church was comfortable, but the people below had to carry foot-stoves to keep themselves warm." So unsatisfactory was this ex- periment in warming the church that the matter was discussed by the consistory, and the result was that the elevated platforms were removed and the stoves placed upon the floor of the church.
The bell for the church was procured in Amster- dam and did faithful service for more than a cen- tury, until it was cracked in 1848. It bore the following inscription :
" De Klok van de Neder-duidsch gemeente van Sconechiade door Haar self bezorght anno 1732. Me fecerunt De Grave et muller Amsterdam."
It was the custom to ring it three times before commencing religious service down to January, 1810, when the consistory
" Resolved, that in future the bell shall be rung twice, as usual, previous to the commencement of public worship, and that tolling shall be substi- tuted for the third ringing." It is said the bell was also rung at the close of service, that the servants at home might have the dinner ready on their masters' return.
In 1740 the church had a public or town clock, purchased probably at the same time with the bell.
Although the church had owned considerable real estate more than fifty years, it had no corpo- rate existence in law and could neither hold nor alienate property, save through individuals acting as its trustees, Feeling the precarious nature of such a tenure, when the church edifice was finished, the consistory petitioned the Governor and Council for a charter. This application was favorably considered, and on the third day of August, 1734, a charter was granted under the great seal of the province,
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CITY OF SCHENECTADY .- ECCLESIASTICAL SOCIETIES.
PARSONAGE. - The old parsonage on the site of the present church had now stood fifty years or more and was falling to decay. It was doubtless the house mentioned in the deed of 1715 to Do. Brouwer and the consistory, and was probably of wood, as were all other houses of this date. It was therefore removed in 1753, and a new build- ing of brick erected on the same lot. It was one story and a half high, with the usual pointed Dutch gable ends. There were two rooms in front on the Union street side. The door was in the middle, over which was a gable. This house stood about sixty years, when it gave place to the church of 1814.
As early as 1805 the subject of repairing the old church was agitated. The church which had stood for so long in mid-street in Albany had gone before the march of improvement, and there was a feeling that Schenectady should follow in its wake. In 1810 the consistory appointed a committee to draw a plan and to report as to the possibility of a new church building, and still another committee to meet the wishes of those who desired to see the old church put in repair. The result of this was a decision to build anew on the parsonage lot. There was much opposition to this on the part of those whose affections clung to the old church, and many thought that the church should be built further east, as the population was extending in that direction. The two sites of the former churches were finally sold to the city to be thrown open to the streets, and the contracts for the new house of worship signed in 1812. In the autumn of 1814 it was so near completion that it could be used for public worship, and on the 20th November the last services were held in the old building. In the treasurer's book is the following entry under date 5th July, 1814 : "To paid for liquor when the old spire was taken down, 37₺ cents." Nov. 30, 1814, Charles Kane and Henry Yates bought the old church for $442.50. The new church was built but little larger than the old one, and it is a singular fact that for a period of 128 years, from 1734 to 1862, the church accommodations of this congregation remained substantially the same. In the meantime the little hamlet grew into a village, and the village into a city of respectable dimen- sions. The church had but few competitors in the field, and though it became the mother church of this region, with one exception all her colonies were sent out some years subsequent to 1814. It is proper to make special mention of Nicolas Van der Volgen and his wife, who were large benefactors to this church. By them were given the high brass chandeliers in 1792, and the pleasant organ in 1797, which some now living remember to have heard. The great chandelier (groote kroon) had eighteen lights, besides which there were seven lesser ones (kleyndere kroonan) of six lights each, costing altogether £67-10 New York currency. The gift for the organ was allowed to accumulate until probably 1826, when it was obtained from Henry Erben, of New York, at the probable cost of $1,000. It was consumed by fire with the church in 1861.
VOORLEZER AND VOORSANGER. - The duties of these officers were usually united in the same person and defined by resolution of the Consistory:
January 8, 1810, " Resolved, that in future the Clerk of the Church shall commence public service in the morning with the reading of the ten com- mandments, a chapter of the Bible, and Psalm or Hymn at discretion; and in the afternoon with the reading of the articles of the Creed, together with a Chapter, and Psalm or Hymn." In addition to the above he had " the right and emoluments of bury- ing the dead of the congregation." Next to the minister he was the most important officer of the church.
To improve the psalmody of the congregation, on the 13th of February, 1794, the consistory took the following action: "The consistory take into consideration the defective condition of the Dutch Pslamody in the public worship of this church. Resolved, that Cornelis De Graff, the chorister, shall use his endeavors, in each family of this vil- lage and elsewere, to obtain pupils in singing, on condition that each shall pay one shilling and six- pence a month, the consistory also adding thereto for each scholar for the term of six months one shilling and six-pence a month; provided a certifi- cate be shown to the consistory signed by Mr. De Graff that each scholar has diligently spent his time as he ought.
" Also, Mr. De Graff, in singing, shall try to ob- serve the measure of the half notes and soften his voice as much as possible." Mr. De Graff was voorzenger for twenty-nine years, and tradition says that the advice given him by the consistory was by no means inappropriate. It is said that while sit- ting on the "back stoop " of his house, which stood where the late Mrs. Abel Smith's house now stands, on State street, he beguiled the evening hours in summer by psalm singing, and that his voice could be clearly heard two miles up the river in a straight line.
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