USA > New York > Genesee County > History of the Genesee country (western New York) comprising the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates, Volume II > Part 8
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HISTORY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY
1859; Israel Foote, 1859-1882; W. H. Platt, 1882-1887; Louis C. Washburn, 1888-1895; Murray Bartlett, 1897-1909; William A. R. Goodwin, 1909; The present incumbent is George E. Norton.
Trinity Episcopal Church dates from October 27, 1845, al- though the society really goes back to 1836, when a Sunday school was organized. Henry E. Rochester and Seth C. Jones were the first wardens of Trinity Church and the vestrymen were George Arnold, George R. Clark, P. G. Buchan, S. F. Witherspoon, Lewis P. Beers, David Hoyt, W. E. Lathrop and Seth C. Maltby. Serv- ices were first held in school houses, awaiting the erection of a church edifice in 1846, at the corner of Center and Jones streets. Rev. Vandevoort Bruce was the first pastor and he was succeeded in 1847 by Rev. Charles D. Cooper. Then, in order, came Robert J. Parvin, 1849-51; Addison V. Atkins, 1851-52; George N. Cheney, 1854-63; John W. Clark, 1863; John V. Van Ingen, 1863- 68; Charles H. W. Stocking, 1868-71; M. R. St. J. Dillon-Lee, C. J. Machin, W. W. Walsh, 1875-1885; F. S. Hyde, 1885-1889; A. B. Carter, 1889-90; Warren C. Hubbard, 1890-1900; E. M. Par- rott, 1900-1906; Charles R. Allison, 1906-1919; William R. Mc- Kim, since 1919. Nearby railroad construction in 1880 com- pelled the sale of the church property and the corner facing Jones Park was bought for the present church building, which was erected in 1881.
Christ Episcopal Church was organized May 7, 1855, and the first services were held in Palmer's Hall. The first wardens were Silas O. Smith and David Hoyt; the first vestrymen were D. M. Dewey, A. J. Brackett, E. M. Smith, D. B. Beach, J. M. Winslow, John Fairbanks, Delos Wentworth and C. R. Babbitt. A lot on East Avenue, opposite Scio Street, was purchased the first year and a house of worship erected. The rectors of Christ Church have been Henry A. Neely, 1855-1862; Anthony Schuyler, 1862- 1868; Walton W. Battershall, 1869-1874 ; Joseph L. Tucker, 1875- 1877; William D'Orville Doty, 1877-1900; Andrew J. Graham, 1901-1912; David L. Ferris, 1912-1921; Lewis G. Morris, since 1921. The present church building was completed in the spring of 1894.
The Episcopal Church of St. James the Greater (Free) was incorporated in August, 1876. It was the outgrowth of a mission held in Oregon Street several years previously. This mission had
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secured a lot on the corner of Grant Park and Almira Street, and a church building was finished in 1876. The first wardens of the organized church society were Joseph T. Cox and William H. Wilkins, and the vestrymen were John Morris, George S. Burley, C. S. Cook, E. J. Shackleton, J. H. Hathaway, A. J. Masters, Al- bert Rogers and George J. Barnett. The rectors of this parish have been James H. Dennis, 1876-1901; Francis C. Woodward, 1901-1911; James C. Gairdner, 1911, and the present pastor, Francis A. Ransom.
The Church of the Epiphany Parish was formally organized September 13, 1876. Missionary work leading up to the forma- tion of this parish had been started ten years earlier and a church building had been provided on Jefferson Avenue by St. Luke's Church. Revs. Henry Anstice, W. W. Raymond, George S. Baker and C. M. Nickerson labored zealously in this field, and it was dur- ing the rectorship of the latter that the organization took place; he served until 1881, and Rev. Amos Skeele followed him.
Another Episcopal parish of Rochester which was formed July 6, 1871, as a result of the missionary work of 1866, in St. Andrew's; its church was known as St. Clement's, with Rev. Dan- iel Flack as the rector. In 1874 a lot on the corner of Averill Avenue and Ashland Street was secured and the first of a group of buildings erected. Trouble arose, financial difficulties were en- countered, and St. Clement's was replaced by St. Andrew's Febru- ary 7, 1879. Rev. David A. Bonnar had been the rector from 1874 until this time. The first officers of the new St. Andrews were: William B. Douglas and William Ratt, wardens; John J. Luckett, William Dove, Thomas A. Evans, Frederick Suter, George Yeares, Abner Burbank and Christopher Roberts, vestry- men. Rev. A. S. Crapsey became rector in charge in 1879. The church building was completed the next year. Reverend Crapsey served the congregation until 1906 and was succeeded by Revs. James B. Thomas, 1907, and Frederick C. Lee, 1915.
St. Mark's and St. John's Church, a combination of the former St. Mark's Church and St. John's Chapel, was given the dual name in 1921. St. Mark's Parish was organized in 1890, work in the northeast quarter of the city having been first undertaken in the summer of 1878. The first church building was erected in 1884-
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1885 at the corner of Channing and Hollister streets. Rev. H. Curtis Whedon took charge of the parish in 1917.
The Church of the Ascension was organized in 1888, when a new church building on Augustine Street, the gift of Charles J. Burke, was occupied. Mission work had been conducted two years before by Reverend Hyde of Trinity Church and was continued by him until 1891, when Rev. George T. Le Boutillier took charge. Succeeding him have been Francis S. Lippitt, 1904-1914; William C. Compton, since 1914.
Mission services were started in East Rochester in 1886, by Rev. Arthur Sloan and, in June, 1889, property was bought on the corner of Webster and Garson avenues, where a chapel was constructed the next year. Reverends Le Boutillier, Henry Rol- lings and Thomas A. Parnell were assigned to the work here until 1902, and were succeeded by Arthur S. Mann from 1903 to 1904; Wallace Watts, 1903-1906; George C. Richmond, 1906-1914, and William S. McCoy, since 1914. In 1906 the mission was reorgan- ized and reincorporated as St. George's Church.
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church developed in 1897 from a Sun- day school, was conducted in the Chili Road school house since 1894, and in 1897 a chapel was erected on Fillmore Street. In 1899 Rev. Evan H. Martin assumed charge of the mission and served until 1903, when Rev. W. O. Taylor came. Following him have been Thomas J. Shannon, 1908; Oliver M. Fisher, 1918, and Jerome Kates, 1921.
St. Thomas's Church began as a Sunday school on Monroe Avenue in 1890. Services were held in various places until 1896, when a mission was duly formed. In May, 1901, Rev. Evan H. Martin became rector and a church was built on Field Street. St. Thomas's was organized in 1909. Rev. Arthur (). Sykes became pastor in 1917.
The third church to be organized in Rochester was that of the Friends, or Quakers, in 1817. This denomination, strong in its day and productive of much good, has disappeared as a church organization. The church building was located on the east side of North Fitzhugh Street, near Allen, and here the Friends held their meetings until 1829, when the society split into two factions -the orthodox and the Hicksites, the former building a new church on Jay Street. The Hicksites remained in the old church
THE SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH, ROCHESTER
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until 1870, when they occupied a building on the north side of Hubbell Park; they ceased to exist here about 1895, and before many months the orthodox section followed them into obscurity.
The fourth church to be organized in the city of Rochester was the First Baptist of Brighton. This occurred in 1818, twelve members joining. Although the society was formed on the east side of the river, the first meeting was held in a school house on Fitzhugh Street. Meetings were held in a number of places until 1829, when the former First Presbyterian Church building on State Street was purchased. Here the Baptists worshipped until 1839, when a church building was erected on their present loca- tion on Fitzhugh Street. The successive pastors of the First Bap- tist Church have been as follows: E. M. Spencer, 1819; Eleazar Savage, 1824-1826; O. C. Comstock, 1827-1834; Pharcellus Church, 1835-1848; J. A. Smith, 1849-1854; Jacob R. Scott, 1855- 1858; Richard M. Nott, 1859-1865; G. W. Northrop, 1866; Henry E. Robbins, 1867-1872; A. H. Strong, 1873; Charles J. Baldwin, 1874-1884; J. W. A. Stewart, 1884-1903; James Taylor Dickin- son, 1903-1914; William B. Wallace, 1914-1917; Elijah A. Han- ley, 1917-1922; Donald B. MacQueen, since 1922.
The Andrews Street Baptist Church was organized June 29, 1851, as the First German Baptist Church. German Baptists had held meetings in the city for two or three years, but new interest followed the coming of Rev. A. Heinrich and resulted in the form- ation of a church. Among the prominent constituent members were John Doppler, Jacob Bosper, Conrad Steppler and Joseph Richard. Services were first held in an Allen Street hall, but later an abandoned school house on Andrews Street, near Clinton, was bought and here, in 1870, a church building was constructed. The pastors of this church have been A. Heinrich, 1850-1859; Gerhard Koopman, 1859-1863; Henry Schneider, 1863-1865; Er- nest Tschirch, 1865-1874; H. M. Schaffer (supply), 1875; Peter Ritter, 1875. David Haemel was the next pastor.
The Lake Avenue Baptist Church began as a mission. In 1865 a building was constructed on Lake Avenue, at the intersec- tion of Jones Avenue and Ambrose Street, and in 1871 the church was organized under its present name. The first pastor was Rev. Ebenezer Nisbet, who came in 1871 and stayed four years. His successors have been A. J. Barrett, 1871-1884; Clarence A. Bar-
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bour, 1891-1909; Albert W. Beaven, since 1909. A new church building was erected in 1886.
The North Baptist Church, Clinton Avenue North and Ave- nue A was organized in 1889. The Fernwood Baptist Church came into existence a year later, and has a house of worship on Fernwood Avenue opposite Renwood Street. The South Avenue Baptist Church dates from 1890, also, and is located on South Avenue and Linden Street. Lyell Avenue Church was formed in 1894 and is located at 48 Cameron Street. The Genesee Baptist Church, Brooks Avenue opposite Paige Street, was also founded in 1894. The Parsells Avenue Church had its origin a year later. The Atlantic Avenue Church was started in 1897. The Calvary Church, Genesee Street and Kirkland Road, was organized in 1907. Three years later the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church was estab- lished; and in 1914 there came the Christ Polish Baptist Church, with its church building at Hudson Avenue and Weddale Way. The Baptist Temple of Rochester has under way the construction of a downtown skyscraper, one of the notable building achieve- ments of the city.
The first Methodist meeting in Rochesterville was held about 1816, near the lower mill race, it is said, and in 1817 the first sermon was preached by a Methodist minister, Rev. Elisha House, in the home of Fabricius Reynolds, near what is now the corner of Fitzhugh and Main streets. A class was organized the same year by Cyrus Story.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest of the de- nomination in Rochester ; it was incorporated September 20, 1820, as the First Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church. This title was changed to the present form in 1900, at which time also the Frank Street Church was merged with it. The officers of the First Church elected at the earliest meeting were: Rev. Orren Miller, pastor and president; Frederick Clark, vice president; Nathaniel Draper, secretary ; Frederick Clark, Elam Smith, Abe- lard Reynolds, Nathaniel Draper and Dan Rowe, trustees. In the month of June, 1821, a small house of worship was begun on South St. Paul Street and completed in the summer of 1826. Just about this time the society experienced a period of remarkable growth, so that within a short time the quarters were very inade- quate. This led to the erection of a stone church, seating 2,000
FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN ROCHESTER
9-Vol. 2
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people, on the northwest corner of Main and Fitzhugh streets, which was dedicated in 1831. There were over 400 members in the church at this time. The building burned January 5, 1835, and immediately the society began rebuilding, meanwhile utiliz- ing the old St. Paul Street Church. The new structure was dedi- cated in January, 1839. With the passing of years, financial pressure compelled the sale of this property and a new site, North Fitzhugh and Church streets, was purchased in 1854. A new structure was begun here, and the basement occupied for services from March, 1856, until February 7, 1861, when the entire build- ing was completed. A new chapel was built about 1895. In 1900 it was decided to raze the old structure and construct an entirely new building, which was done, and the new house of worship was dedicated June 30, 1901. The pastors of the First Methodist Episcopal Church have been: Orren Miller, 1820; Reuben Ayles- worth, 1821; Elisha House, 1822; Orren Miller, Micah Seager, 1823; Dana Fox, 1824; John Dempster, 1825; Zachariah Paddock, 1827; Gideon Lanning, 1829; Glezen Fillmore, 1830; Robert Burch, 1832; Glezen Fillmore, 1833; Elijah Hebard, 1834; John Copeland, 1835; Wilbur Hoag, 1837; Jonas Dodge, 1838; Glezen Fillmore, 1839; Thomas Carlton, 1840; Moses Crow, 1842; Sam- uel Luckey, 1843; Schuyler Seager, 1844; John Dennis, 1846; John G. Gulick, 1848; John Copeland, 1850; Augustus C. George, 1851; Henry Hickok, 1853; Jonathan Watts, 1854; Daniel D. Buck, 1856; Israel H. Kellogg, 1858; Jabez R. Jacques, 1860; San- ford Van Benschoten, 1862; James E. Latimer, 1865; George G. Lynn, 1868; William Lloyd, 1870; Darius H. Muller, 1872; Rob- ert M. Stratton, 1875; Carmi A. Van Anda, 1877; George Chap- man Jones, 1879; Charles Wesley Cushing, 1882; John E. Adams, 1885; Ira T. Walker, 1889; Melvin R: Webster, 1891; Charles E. Hamilton, 1896; Don S. Colt, 1905; Gardner S. Eldridge, 1909; Horace G. Ogden, 1914; Herbert J. Burgstahler, 1921.
The Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church had its origin Sep- tember 26, 1836, under the corporate title of the East Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Rochester. The meeting for organization took place in the South St. Paul Street building, and the following were elected first trustees : Elihu H. Grover, Jonah Brown, William G. Russell, William Allgood, Philander Davis, John Stroop and John McGonegal. In the fall of 1841 the society
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purchased the site of the present East Side Savings Bank Build- ing, upon which a church was erected in February, 1844; meet- ings were held in the basement during the two years period of construction. The name of the church was changed in 1842 to the St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church, shortly after a period of financial stress resulted in the mortgaging of the church prop- erty. This caused the withdrawal of most of the members, who met February 1, 1860, and reincorporated under the title of the Asbury Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Rochester, and elected the following trustees: Daniel Stocking, Austin Mandeville, Daniel Wood, Richard Trenaman, Joseph L. Chappell, Henry S. Brown, Charles A. Bloomer, William Tuttle and Luther D. Berry. The new organization acquired and improved the St. John's property, but retained it only until 1883, when it was sold, a new site having become desirable. Ground on East Avenue, near Union Street, was purchased and a church building erected there June 25, 1885. Various additions have since been made. The pastors of Asbury Church follow: Daniel P. Kidder, 1836; John Parker, 1837; William H. Goodwin, 1838; Manley Tooker, 1840; Samuel Luckey, 1841; Freeborn G. Hibbard, 1843; James M. Fuller, 1844; Schuyler Seager, 1846; Daniel D. Buck, 1848; William H. Goodwin, 1850; John Mandeville, 1852; John Raines, 1854; Jonathan Watts, 1856; Thomas Towsey, 1858; Thomas Stacy, 1860; DeWitt Clinton Huntington, 1861; James E. Lati- mer, 1863; George Van Alstyne, 1865; DeWitt C. Huntington, 1866; Freeborn G. Hibbard, 1869; Lorenzo D. Watson, 1872; Charles Eddy, 1874; DeWitt C. Huntington, 1876; Robert M. Stratton, 1879; Charles W. Winchester, 1881; Robert C. Brown- lee, 1882; William R. Benham, 1885; George C. Jones, 1889; Philip S. Merrill, 1893; Addison W. Hayes, 1894; Edwin B. Olm- stead, 1899; Frank S. Rowland, 1904; Herbert D. Dietz, 1909; Robert E. Brown, 1912; Ralph S. Cushman, 1920.
The Monroe Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church had its real beginning Christmas day, 1842, when Rev. Nathan N. Beers formed a Sunday school class in the Mt. Hor schoolhouse. On July 7, 1845, this group was incorporated as the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Brighton and S. C. Blinn, Edward Vinton, Eleazer Hall, A. D. Deming and John Bliss were elected trustees. The Society was reincorporated October 12, 1852. The corporate
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name then adopted was the Alexander Street Methodist Episcopal Church of Rochester. In 1852 a lot on the corner of Alexander and Cobb streets was purchased and the next year a small church building was erected. In 1893 the stone edifice on Monroe Ave- nue, near Averill, was completed and dedicated. The society is now known as the Monroe Avenue Church. Since the year 1854, the pastors have been : Alpha Wright, 1854; Thomas Stacy, 1855; Elijah Wood, 1856; John G. Gulick, 1858; Israel H. Kellogg, 1860; John Raines, 1862; Edwin J. Hermans, 1865; Henry Van Benschoten, 1867; Andrew Sutherland, 1868; DeWitt C. Hunt- ington, 1869; James D. Requa, 1871; John A. Copeland, 1872; Thomas J. Leake, 1875; Albert N. Damon, 1877; John E. Wil- liams, 1878; Lemuel T. Foote, 1881; John T. Gracey, 1884; Albert N. Fisher, 1886; Sion A. Morse, 1889; Thomas Cardus, 1891; Ward D. Platt, 1893; Frederick D. Leete, 1898; Joseph L. Sooy, 1903; Conrad Hooker, 1908; John E. Martin, 1912; Albert R. Lambert, 1915; Samuel W. Robinson, 1919; Samuel J. Clarkson, 1920.
German Methodism had its start in Rochester in 1848. In August of that year Dr. William Nast, the founder of German Methodism, came to the city with Rev. John Sauter and preached. Sauter was left to work among the German people in the com- munity. On December 20th a society was organized as the First. German Methodist Episcopal Church. A lot located at the corner of Arthur Place and Hartford Street was given to the church by Doctor Lukey, and here a chapel was built and used until 1869. In 1870 another church building was started on North Street, near Hudson, and completed five years later. The pastors of the First German Church have been John Sauter, 1848; J. G. Graw, 1850; Jacob Kindler, 1851; C. H. Afflerbach, 1853; A. C. Hertel, 1855; F. G. Gratz, 1857; Chr. Blinn, 1859; J. G. Lutz, 1861; F. G. Gratz, 1863; Jacob Kolb, 1866; P. Quattlaender, 1869; J. W. Freund, 1872; J. F. Seidel, 1874; G. H. Mayer, 1877; F. H. Rey, 1880; J. J. Messmer, 1883; F. W. Dinger, 1886; John Lange, 1891; G. Bobilin, 1896; H. H. Heck, 1900; G. F. Hausser, Jr., 1905; Herman Giesen, 1910; Philip Haendiger, 1914; John W. Steinkrans, 1915. Alfred Lenzner is the present pastor.
The Emanuel German Methodist Episcopal Church started in 1890 as a mission of the First German Church. The old North
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Baptist Church building on Clifford Street was bought in that year and a Sunday school opened. In 1896 lots were purchased on Joseph Avenue and a church building dedicated in 1897. The society was then organized with its present title. The pastors of Emanuel Church have been Theodore Rodemeyer, 1890; E. Huber, 1892; John Schuler, 1893; J. Pieringer, 1896; H. Schukai, 1900; H. A. Maser, 1903; Henry Vollberg, 1910; Christian J. Thaiss, 1918. Fred C. Hausser is the present pastor.
The Corn Hill Methodist Episcopal Church was organized June 8, 1852. The first trustees were Henry Wray, William P. Stanton, Caleb H. Bicknell, Coles C. See, Heman Lyon, Silas A. Yerkes and George Harrison. The members of the Third Church joined the new society soon after its organization. A church build- ing, financed through subscriptions and a gift from Aristarchus Champion, was dedicated in 1854 on Edinburgh Street, west of Plymouth Avenue. In 1900 this structure was replaced with a modern new house of worship. The pastors have been as follows: Augustus C. George, 1853; J. W. Willson, 1855; Joseph A. Swal- low (supply), 1856; Schuyler Seager, 1857; Joseph Ashworth, 1858; Samuel Luckey, 1859; Isaac Gibbard, 1860; John Mande- ville, 1861; Albert N. Fisher, 1862; W. B. Holt, 1864; George W. Paddock, 1867; R. O. Willson, 1870; William R. Benham, 1872; Albert D. Wilbor, 1873; Albert N. Fisher, 1876; Andrew J. Ken- yon, 1879; Luman A. Stevens, 1882; Addison W. Hayes, 1885; Ebenezer H. Latimer, 1890; M. Elijah Hedding, 1892; Thomas T. Rowe, 1895; Thomas Cardus, 1898; Edgar P. Hubbell, 1903; William C. Wilbor, 1908; Frank L. Wemett, 1910; Franklin J. Kennedy, Jr., 1914; James F. Bisgrove, 1917; Charles Henry Gall, 1920; Ernest W. Collings, 1922.
The West Avenue Church ( Methodist) was incorporated Sep- tember 12, 1895, and the following elected trustees: Franklin B. Hutchinson, Dr. George M. Haywood, Edward P. Wright, Rev. James E. Bills, Lindsay Mylese, Alfred Williams, William Killip, William E. De Cue, and George M. W. Bills. This society had the advantage of possessing a church lot before it was organized, as property at the junction of West and Chili avenues had been se- cured seevral years before, in anticipation of its use for a church. The church bought it later from the Methodist laymen who had originally obtained it. A church house was finished thereon in
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1900. The pastors of the West Avenue Church have been : Corwin V. Wilson, 1895; Ward D. Platt, 1898; George H. Dryer, 1899; Dalbey, 1902; Benjamin F. Hitchcock, 1904; Oakley E. Van Slyke, 1905; William A. Frye, 1908; John O. Sparnon, 1911; Charles X. Hutchinson, -; Joseph W. Barrett, 1918; William H. English is the present pastor.
The Spencer-Ripley Methodist Episcopal Church was first or- ganized November 16, 1887, as the Central Park Church. A house of worship was built on Emma Street, between North Good- man and Webster. The first trustees were Rev. Lemuel T. Foote, Mortimer A. Dancy, George W. Scott, C. Newbold, W. J. Os- bourne. On December 11, 1889, the name of the church was changed to Spencer-Ripley Memorial Church, in honor of the widow of Rev. Merritt W. Ripley, who had given $5,000 toward the erection of a church; her maiden name was Spencer and this was also added at her request. The church building was com- pleted in 1890. The pastors of this society have been: James Gosnell, 1885; John H. Stoody, 1886; Arthur O. Sykes, 1889; Lemuel T. Foote, 1890; Thomas J. Bissell, 1893; John H. Stoody, 1895 ; Phineas T. Lynn, 1898; John M. Walters, 1902; Burton M. Clark, 1906; Herman H. Downey, 1908; Frederick M. Williams, 1913; John T. Cameron, 1915; James H. Olmstead, 1919; Milton B. Pratt, -; J. S. Bisgrove is the present pastor.
On October 21, 1905, the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church resulted from a consolidation of the Glenwood Methodist Episco- pal Church and the Hedding Mission Church. The Glenwood Church came into existence March 25, 1890, as the outgrowth of a Sunday school which had been started two years before by the younger members of the First Church. Rev. Frank S. Rowland was the first pastor. The church was located on Driving Park Avenue at Pierpont Street. After consolidation a new site was found at Driving Park Avenue and Thorn Street, where a modern church building was erected in 1908. Since Reverend Rowland, the pastors have been : Lyman E. Rockwell, 1896; Curtain G Roop, 1899; Horace A. Crane, 1902; Earl D. Shepard, 1905; Louis B. Chaloux, 1914; S. S. Davies is the present pastor.
The North Street Methodist Episcopal Church (Italian), lo- cated at 395 North Street, was organized in the year 1913. Trin- ity Methodist Episcopal Church, Post Avenue and Sawyer Street,
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was founded in 1916. The Lewiston Avenue Church, corner Dewey and Lewiston avenues, was started in the year 1913. Char- lotte Methodist Episcopal Church is located on Lake Avenue be- tween Latta Road and Stutson Street.
Among the very earliest churches of this section were those of the Congregationalists, but they have largely disappeared. Con- cerning the history of this denomination, enlightening facts are contained in the following extract from the writings of Rev. Orlo J. Price :
"The Congregationalists were among the first to plant churches in this section, but owing to the 'Plan of Union,' so-called, adopted 1801 by the Congregationalists and Presbyterians, by which the 'Christians of both polities might cooperate in the founding of churches and in maintaining the work of the Gospel,' the most of the Congregational churches became Presbyterian in this region. Brighton Presbyterian, for example, was organized 1816 as Congregational. In 1831 it was refused admission into the Presbytery 'in the interests of peace.' In 1842 it withdrew from the Congre- gational Association and was 20 years an independent church. In 1870 it was admitted to the Presbytery. Victor, East Bloomfield, Sweden, Springwater, Pittsford and Clarkson were all Congregational. As early as 1812 the Ontario Association (Con- gregational) discussed merging with the Presbytery of Geneva. In 1813 in May at a special meeting of the Association called for this purpose, resolutions were passed directing the Moderator to dissolve the Association that the churches might unite with the Presbytery. The Congregational churches then on the 'Accommodating Plan,' i. e., reserving to themselves the right to manage the government of the Church by vote of the majority of the brethren instead of a bench of ruling elders, one by one united with the Presbytery generally, also adopted the Presbyterian polity. (Hotchkin, p. 102.) The story of the efforts at union with the Presbytery in these early years explains in large part the predominance of Presbyterianism in Western New York and the weakness of Congregationalism as a denomination."
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