USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 52
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REV. JOSEPH WARREN -
was called to be rector of the united parishes of St. Peter's, Cort- landt and St. Philip's, Philipstown. The next year he makes report to the Diocesan Convention, for the two churches, of ten communicants. He was succeeded by the
REV. JOHN URQUHART,
who entered upon his duties as minister of the united parishes in 1809,b and resigned in December, 1814, whereupon the " Rev. Adam Empie and the Rev. John Brown were selected to supply the vacant congregations at Peekskill and Philipstown." The following year the Rev. Adam Empie (chaplain and professor in the military Academy at West Point) reported :- " That in compliance with the appointments made at the last Convention he has performed divine services, and preached two Sundays at Philipstown and two Sundays at Peekskill; in each of which places he administered the Holy Communion, of the ad. vantages of which they had for more than two years, been de- prived." The
REV. PETRUS S. TEN BROECK,
Deacon, residing in New York, succeeded Mr. Urquhart in 1817. In the fall of 1816 he reported to the Convention, " that
a Vestry minutes. The Baptist meeting house must have stood near St. Peter's church, for on the " 20th of March, 1805, Joseph Ferris was appointed to put up the division fenca between the church yards of the Episcopal and Baptist churches.',
' Jacob Lent was allowed $25 in 1808-9, for reading service in both churches.
600
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
the congregations at Fishskill, Philipstown and Peekskill, have been in a depressed state in consequence of having been desti- tute of the regular services of a clergyman for some time past ; the two last particularly, whichi have been longest destitute.a They now. appear to be rising from their depression."a For the successors of Mr. Ten Broeck see list of rectors.
At a vestry meeting held January 4th, 1828, Pierre Van Cort- landt, James Wiley and John Oppie were appointed a committee to rent the glebe farm, and also to petition the Chancellor for leave to sell the same, &c. Permission was accordingly granted on the 10th of November, 1828, and on the 20th of October, 1838, the glebe was sold for the sum of five thousand dollars. On the 18th of April, 1840, (in answer to an application of the wardens and vestrymen of St. Peter's church and St. Philip's chapel,b) an act was passed by the Legislature of this State, authorizing a seperation of said church and chapel.
In 1829 an organization was formed in the village of Peeks- kill by the name of St. Paul's Church, which continued until 1840, when the above mentioned act of the Legislature took effect, and the present corporation was formed under the title of " St. Peter's Church, Cortlandt, in the village of Peekskill."
THE CHURCH.
'The old parochial church of St. Peter's (a venerable relic of the piety of its founders, worthy of preservation, and which, connected as it is with the early Provincial history of the Church in this country, we hope to see ere long put in credit-
. The vestry on February 22d, 1817, " refused to allow the Independent Congrega. tion to occupy a part of the church until further consideration."
" This application appears to have been made without a formal meeting of the vestry.
€ The Rev. Edward J. Ives in his report to the Diocesan Convention of 1829, says : " A new congregation has also been organized in the village of Peekskill, who con- template the- erection of a new church as soon as their pecuniary resources shall be enlarged, being now insufficient to carry their good object into effect."
601
AND CHURCH OF CORTLANDT.
able repaira) stands upon the summit of a high knoll, a short dis- tance from the village of Peekskill. This humble structure was erected, as we have seen in the year 1766. The site and adjoining grave yard were the gift of Catharine Van Cortlandt, wife of Andrew Johnson, and daughter of the Rt. Hon. Stepha- nus Van Cortlandt, first Lord of the manor of Cortlandt. The following entry occurs in the old quarto bible belonging to this church, printed A. D. 1728 :- " The gift of Mrs. Susannah Robinson, to St. Peter's church, at Peekskill, which church was by the desire of Beverly Robinson, Esq, Messrs, Jeremiah Drake, Caleb Ward, Isaac Hatfield and Charles Moore, trustees, appointed by the subscribers to said church for directing and carrying on said building, and for securing it to the inhabitants as a place of public worship, according to the establishment of the Church of England, on Sunday the 9th of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven, being the eighth Sunday after Trinity, consecrated by the Rev. Doctor John Ogilvie of New York, for the service of the Holy Trinity, according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, as by law established, by the name of St. Peter's church."
Mrs. Robinson, (the wife of Col. Beverly Robinson,) was the eldest daughter of the Hon. Frederick Philipse, second Lord of the manor of Philipsburgh, by his wife, Joanna Brockholes, and devisee with her brother, Philip Philipse, of Philipse's patent in the Highlands. Mrs. Robin- son, as we have seen, was included with her husband in the confiscation act of New York, and at the peace accompanied him to England. She died at Thornbury, near Bath, in 1822, at the age of ninety-four.
TOMBSTONES.
The church yard, which is quite extensive, contains several
* In 1828, it was voted, " that the sum of $40 be appropriated for the repairs of St. Peter's Church and yard, under the direction of James Mandeville, John Oppie and Daniel W. Birdsall."
602
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
memorials to the Penoyer's, Ward's, Drakes, Ferris', &c. The oldest interment appears to have been the following :- " Mary wife of John Ward, who died on the 15th of September, 1765, in the 69th year of her age." On the west side of the yard is situ- ated the monument of John Paulding, one of the captors of the British spy, Major John Andre.
THE CHAPEL.
The chapel of St. Peter's, which was erected in 1838,a · as auxiliary to the mother church, is a handsome gothic structure of wood, situated near the centre of the village of Peekskill. The interior, which is handsomly fitted up, contains a neat chancel and gallery. Against the north wall is placed a marble tablet inscribed as follows :-
M. S. ANN STEPHENSON, The affectionate and beloved wife of Gen. PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT, of this township and county, who departed this life at Albany, March 20th, 1821, translated by God to a kingdom of happiness and glory, aged 46 years, 6 months and 16 days.
Early instructed by her pious mother in the doctrines and principles of the . Gospel, this excellent woman became exemplary as a communicant of the Church when only thirteen years old, and continuing to be a sincere and humble follower of her Saviour, even unto her life's end, was endeared to all who knew her by her Christian virtue-, and for a pure and devoted attachment to Christ's Holy and Apostolic Church, and to the ... embers of this congregation, who, as a memori. al of her worth and mark of respect for her venerable consort and her only son, benefactors of this parish, have erected this tablet.
REQUIESCAT IN PACE.
There is a noble and deep toned bell in the tower, which sum - mons the parishioners every Lord's day to the house of prayer
" The deed for the church lot, from Ward B. Howard and Lucia his wife, bears date 23d of December, 1829.
603
AND CHURCH OF CORTLANDT.
by its rich and solemn sounds. "This was a gift in every way worthy of the venerable individual whose name is graven upon it, the late Gen. Pierre Van Cortlandt, for many years senior warden, to whose family the parish is not only indebted for the original grant of land upon which the mother church stands, but for other and more recent favors." It weighs one thousand and eighty-five pounds, and bears the following inscription :- "' Cast by G. W. Holbrook, East Med- way, Mass., 1841. Presented to St. Peter's Church, Peekskill, Westchester County, New York, by General Pierre Van
Cortlandt, August 29th, 1841."" The marble font was the gift of his son Colonel Pierre Van Cortlandt. The organ, presented by the ladies of the parish in 1849, was also built by the Messrs. Holbrook & Co., and cost twelve hun- dred dollars. The corner stone of this edifice, which was organized under the title of St. Paul's Church, in 1829, was laid by Bishop Onderdonk in 1838, and upon Saturday, June 16th, of that year, it was consecrated and set apart to the worship and service of Almighty God, under the title of "St. Peter's chapel, &c." by the same Prelate.
PRINCIPAL BENEFACTORS.
.Catharine Van Cortlandt, Col. Beverly Robinson and Susan- nah Philipse his wife, the Ven. Propagation Society, Gen. Pierre Van Cortlandt, Col. Pierre Van Cortlandt, Nicholas Cru- ger, Esq., Isaac Seymour, Esq., Col. John Williams and the Cor- poration of Trinity Church, New York.a
William Dunning and Jarvis Dusenbury were the first dele- gates from this parish to the Diocesan Convention in 1791.
RECTORES DE CORTLANDT.
INST. RECTORES. VACAT. PATRONS. 16 July, 1771, Rev. John Doty, Cl. A. M. per resig. War. & Ves. 18 Sept. 1775, Rev. Bernard Page, Cl. A. M. «
* Trinity Church in 1797 presented the sum of $750 to St. Peter's church. In 1807, $1,250 for St. Peter's and St. Philip's. In 1826, $750. In 1837, $250, and in 1839, $1000. Total $4000.
604
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
INST.
RECTORES. VACAT. PATRONS.
7 Aug. 1792, Rev. Andrew Fowler, Pr. per resig. War. & Ves. 15 Dec. 1794, Rev. Samuel Haskell, B. A. Presb. " 7 April, 1806, Rev. Joseph Warren, Presb. 17 Apr. 1811, Rev. John Urquhart, Presb. 11 Jun. 1817, Rev. Petrus Ten Broeck, Presb. . 29 May, 1826, Rev. Edward J. Ives, Presb.
Dec. 1832, Rev. James Sunderland, Presb. Apr. 1838, Rev. William C. Cooley, A. M. Pr. " 3 Mar. 1841, Rev. Moses Marcus. a B. A. Presb. " 7 Jun. 1843, Rev. William Barlow,b Presb. 25 Apr. 1848, Rev. George S. Gordon, Presb. 66
12 Oct. 1854, Rev. Edmund Roberts, Presb. present rector.
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FAI
*The following obituary notice appeared in the New York Churchman, for Dec. 25th, 1852 :- " Died at Egremont Place, New Road, London, on Friday, Nov. 26, aged 57, the Rev. Moses Marcus, a Presbyter of this Diocese, but for the last few years a resident in England, his native country. Having received Deacons and Priests Orders in the Church of England, he removed to this country, and became connected with this Diocese, in September, 1835 : where he will be long remembered for his geniai temperament, his warm and kind feelings, his steadfast and generous friendships, his quiet and unobtrusive piety, and the earnest and disinterested zeal with which he gave himself to his official duties, and sought the good of the Church' His last parochial connection was with the church of St. George the Martyr in this city, a parish of his own raising, and which he intended should be mainly for the benefit of emigrants from the British dominions."
b The Church [Review for April, 1850, contains the following obituary notice
605
AND CHURCH OF CORTLANDT.
NOTITIA PAROCHIALIS.
1807, Baptisms 59,
Communicants 50. 1847, -
40. 1853, 7, 50.
Whole number of baptismns from 1838 to 1852, 132. Funerals 62. Confirmed, 36. Marriages, 31.
In 1712, the population of Cortlandt's patent was 121, and Ry- ke's patent, 32. In 1782, the east, middle and west wards of Cortlandt's manor, contained 654 heads of families. The num- ber of families belonging to this parish in 1853, were 54, and number of souls, 260. Catechists, 6 and Catechumens, 35.
In 1840, the population of Cortlandt was 5,592.
" 1850, " 1853, the village proper, 3,200.
66 7,758.
WARDENS OF ST. PETER'S CHURCH.
1770-1.
Beverly Robinson, Charles Moore.
1772-3.
Beverly Robinson,
Daniel Birdsall.
1774-5. Beverly Robinson, Jeremiah Drake.
1790-2.
William Dunning,
1793-4.
Pierre Van Cortlandt.
William Dunning,
1795-6.
Caleb Morgan.
Silvanus Haight, 1797-9. Caleb Ward, Sen.
Joshua Nelson, 1800.
Daniel Wm. Birdsall,
Daniel Haight.
1850-3.
James Mandeville.
Daniel Haight.
Caleb Ward.
of this individual :- " Died at Chicago, Ill., February 24th, after a short illness, Rev. William Barlow, formerly pastor of St. Paul's Church, in Syracuse, and subsequently of Ogdensburgh."
,
606
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
1804.
Daniel Haight,
Daniel Birdsall.
1805-7.
Daniel Haight,
James Mandeville.
1809 -10.
Henry Garrison,
Barnard Hanlen.
1811.
Henry Garrison, Daniel Birdsall.
1812-20.
Barnard Hanlen,
Henry Garrison.
1821-5.
Henry Garrison.
Daniel W. Birdsall, 1826-39.
Pierre Van Cortlandt, 1840-3.
Henry Garrison.
Pierre Van Cortlandt, 1844-8.
Jonathan Collett.
Pierre Van Cortlandt, 1849-51.
Isaac Seymour.
Isaac Seymour,
Philip Flagler.
Philip Flagler,
Thomas Snowden.
1853.
Thomas Snowden
Charles A. Lee.
To this parish is annexed Yorktown on the east, which prior to 1788, constituted a portion of the old township of Hanover, within Cortlandt's manor. A part of it early acquired the name of Gertrude's borough, in honor of Gertrude Beeckman.
Episcopal services were held at the village of Crumpond, in Yorktown, at a very early period, by Mr. Wetmore of Rye, who, we are assured, " was not wanting in his endeavours to promote the interest of true religion among the inhabitants, but his advanced age, and their distance, prevented his being so very serviceable as otherwise he might have been."
1852.
607
AND CHURCH OF CORTLANDT.
In 1762, Crumpond was visited by the Rev. Mr. Dibble of Stamford, who describes the people, at that time, as sheep with- out a shepherd, a prey to various sectaries and enthusiastic lay teachers. He also found here many well wishers and professors of the Church of England, who told him they had not heard the Liturgy in several years. Some land is said to have been given by John Schuyler, Esq. for the erection of an Episco- pal church at Crumpond, in the vicinity of the Congrega- tional meeting house. The original deed from Schuyler to Sackett, is said to be in the possession of Mr. Baldwin, of Lake Maho- pac. These particulars were related to a friend of the author, by the late Thomas Strang, Esq.
Episcopal services were also performed at the village of Cro- ton, in this parish, by Mr. Wetmore in 1756, by the Rev. Mr. Dibble in 1761, and by the Rev. Mr. Punderson in 1763, who says, " that he preached a lecture there, the people giving a cheerful attendance, &c."
Exertions have been made within the last year to organize a parish here, and build a church, a lot having been given for that purpose, by Philip G. Van Wyck, Esq. a grandson of the late Lt. Governor, Pierre Van Cortlandt.
St. Peter's Church, erected, A. D., 1766.
HISTORY
OF THE
PARISH AND CHURCH
OF
SOUTH SALEM.
This parish prior to 1808, was called the lower district of Sa- lem and afterwards South Salem, to distinguish it from the northern district and parish of that name.
In 1699, the Kitchawan tribe of Indians released a large por- tion of these lands to Stephanus Van Cortlandt. This individual had previously obtained a charter from the Crown, erecting the whole of his possessions into the Lordship and manor of Cort- landt, by which means the northern part of this parish came to be included in that manor.
On the 8th of July, 1701, we find the Indian sachem Catonah confirming to the inhabitants of Stamford, "all those lands which extend westward as far as the west bounds of Bedford purchase and marked trees, and by the east bounds of the same, &c." The foregoing sale embraced a large proportion (perhaps the whole) of South Salem.
This parish also includes seven miles in length of the south end of a tract of land formerly called the Oblong, the patentees of which on the 23d of December, 1751, made the following grant :-
-
609
AND CHURCH OF SOUTH SALEM.
"That out of the good will they had to the inhabitants of Salem, they have re-leased two parcels of land situated in the lower part of the Oblong or Equivalent lands, to the first Presby- terian or Independent minister who would be called and ordained in Salem, for the use and benefit of himself and successors for ever."a The same year we find, that "a convention of minis- ters assembled at Salem upon the desire of the people."
It appears from the printed reports and MSS. of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, that prior to 1731, and even for some time afterwards, Ridgefield, Ridgebury and the Oblong were considered to be, in one sense, within the bounds of the parish or mission of Fairfield. Accordingly, at a very early period the Episcopalians of Salem were united with their breth- ern of the Church at those places, in the support of religion.
Services in the lower district of Salem, according to the rites of the Church of England, appear to have been first held by the
REV. EBENEZER DIBBLE, A. M.
the Society's missionary at Stamford, in the year 1759 .The fol- lowing extract occurs in a report of his to the Secretary for that year :-
MR. DIBBLEE TO THE SECRETARY. (EXTRACT.)
"Stamford, Conn., New 'England, Sept. 29th, 1759. REV. SIR,
June 24th, second Sunday after Trinity last, I preached in the lower district of Salem, to a very considerable auditory, judg- ing between three and four hundred people old and young, who behaved very decently and attentively, and I gave the commu-
* The deed of gift, signed by James Benedict, Timothy Keeler and others, was proved by witnesses in November, 1770. The original document is in the posses- sion of the clork of the trustees of the Presbyterian society at Lewisboro.
39
610
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
nion to thirty-nine communicants. There is a hopeful prospect of the increase and flourishing state of religion among that scat- tered poor people, and no endeavours of mine are wanting to serve them in their best interest. I preached to them about two weeks before upon a special fast, appointed in that Province to implore the smiles and blessing of Divine Providence to attend his Majesty's arms the ensuing campaign, upon which occasion, also, that people gave a religious and decent attendance.
I am Rev. Sir, your most obedient,
most humble servant and brother in Christ,
EBENEZER DIBBLEE."a
This letter is probably the only record of the organization of a congregation here, seperate from that of Upper Salem and Ridgefield, prior to 1760. Mr. Dibble no doubt continued to preach among them as often as the duties of his extensive mis- sion would allow, until 1767, when the
REV. EPENETUS TOWNSEND, A. M.
was appointed the Society's missionary at Salem, Ridgefield and Ridgebury. In one of his earliest communications to the Society from Salem, Mr. Townsend says :- " The fatigue which neces_ sarily arises from a steady performance of my duty in these three places, I have hitherto, and I trust in God, I shall for the future be enabled to undergo with cheerfulness, tho' I expect it will in a little while be increased, occasioned by the building a new church in Salem, which when it is finished, I propose, with the Society's leave, to officiate in sometimes. To acquaint the So- ciety with the propriety of building a new church in Salem, I would observe, that Salem is a township twelve miles in length, and but two in breadth, joining on the one side to Connecticut, and on the other partly to Cortlandt's manor, which extends twenty miles westward to Hudson river, and partly to another
Conn. MSS. from archives at Fulham, 392. (Hawks.)
611
AND CHURCH OF SOUTH SALEM.
patent, which extends several miles westward towards Bedford, which is the utmost limit of Mr. Avery's mission. The church, which is already built, is situated within about two miles of the north end of Salem, on the borders of Cortlandt's manor, as the Society was informed in the petition of the churchwardens and vestry It was built by people of this part of Salem and Cort- landt's manor in conjunction, and this congregation is larger than either of those in Connecticut, there being generally in good weather in the Summer season, upwards of two hundred people assembled. The church, which I expect will soon be built in Salem, will be about five or six miles further to the north- ward, and about two or three miles to the westward from Ridge- field church, where I have been informed there are near thirty families of Church people, besides a considerable number in places very contiguous, for whom it is extremely difficult to attend public worship, either at Ridgefield, or at the church to- wards the north end of Salem, on the borders of Cortlandt's manor, where I reside. When this church is built, (if the Society approves of my officiating in it sometimes, besides my atten- dance at the other three churches,) I would request the favor of the Society, to give a quarto common Prayer Book and Bible to this, as they have to the other churches of Salem and Ridge_ bury." In his report for 1771, he informs the Society, "that the fourth church in his mission is now building." This edifice was probably completed and opened for divine service in the Fall of 1771, for the next year Mr. Townsend reported to the Society, " that his congregations were increasing." At an early period, perhaps before the erection of the church, Mr. James Browna of Norwalk, made a liberal benefaction of one hundred acres of land in Salem for the support of a minister of the Church of England. But the intention of the donor appears to
. The will of James Brown of Norwalk, bears date 31st of July, 1766. To his son James he devises the dwelling house he now lives in at Salem, and " all the lands that I have, which lyeth north of the road leading from Ridgefield to Bedford, which lyeth south of the pond called Long pond, &c." This will was proved on the 7th of March, 1769 .- Probate office, Fairfield, Conn.
612
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
have been sadly perverted, as this gift has never been realized by the parish.
The Society's abstract for 1775, says :- " That Mr. Townsend is constant in the performance of his duty in his own parish, and preaches frequently in the parts adjacent." Mr. Townsend continued the services of the Church, within his mission, until the Summer of 1776, when the worship of God was suspended and the churches closed. Subsequently the parish church was used as an hospital, and on one or two occasions sermons were de- livered therein to the American troops. This edifice stood directly opposite the cross roads leading from South Salem to Ridgefield, upon the land of the late Jeremiah Keeler, whose father sold the lot to the trustees. Mr. Keeler, who died 1853, (at the ad- vanced age of 93) remembered its erection in 1771. He described it as a large and convenient building, constructed of the very best oak timber. Its first trustees are said to have been Gershom Sellick, James Brown and others.
Some of the most active members of the parish having joined the army at the commencement of the Revolution, it was found absolutely necessary to dispose of the church and lot to satisfy the claims of the contractor, Mr. Benjamin Chapman. This individual subsequently purchased both of the trustees, and converted the former into a tavern. For many years after the war, it was known as the " Church Tavern." The lot still goes by the name of Chapman's garden and meadow. Mr. Chapman afterwards sold the property to John L. Moorehouse, from whom it passed to the late Jeremiah Keeler,a who in 1796 dismantled the building and removed the materials.
. In the possession , of the Keeler family is the following deed for the church lot : " 14th of March, 1796, between John Lewis Moorehouse of Charlton, in the County of Saratoga, to Jeremiah Keeler, all those certain parts, pieces and parcels of land situated and lying in the town of Salem, in the County of Westchester, &c. on the north side of the road leading from Ridgefield to Bedford, opposite to the road leading from the south part of said Salem to the north part of the same, and is bounded as followeth, viz : beginning at the said Bedford rcad at a stake and stones, around the same, and thence runs northerly six rods to a stake with stones; thence easterly by said Bedford road so far as that a line of equal length to and parallel with stones, &c."
613
AND CHURCH OF SOUTH SALEM.
The first notice of this parish, subsequent to the Revolution, occurs in the minutes of the Diocesan Convention held in New York, Oct. 3d, 1810, when " on motion, it was resolved, that the delegates from the Episcopal Church of South Salem (of the in- corporation of which, the Convention has no legal evidence) be admitted to honorary seats. Mr. Henry Hoyt, delegate from said Church was accordingly admitted to an honorary seat."
The earliest record of the proceedings of the vestry, is dated Monday, 15th of October, 1810. The officers then chosen, ac- cording to the provisions of the act of 1795, were the following : Augustus Mc Carroll and William Sherwood, churchwardens. Henry Hoyt, Gould Bouton, Jesse Jarvis, Samuel B. Isaacs, Sam- uel Ambler, Joseph Nash, Absalom Holmes and James Church, vestrymen. On the 19th of May, 1811, the Church was incor- porated under the style of " The churchwardens and vestry- men of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Salem."
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