Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 36

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374

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RT. REV. WILLIAM CROSWELL DOANE, D.D., LL.D.

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ceeded in 1862 by Rev. William T. Wilson, with Rev. William Tatlock, associate, but both resigned in 1866, and in the next year Rev. William Crosswell Doane accepted the charge. In December, 1868, Dr. Doane was elected the first bishop of Albany by the primary convention of the diocese, his consecration taking place February 2, 1869. He re- signed the rectorship in that year, but remained with the church until Easter, 1870. His successor was William A. Snively, who resigned in - 1874, when the present rector, Rev. Walton W. Battershall, was in- stalled on September 29, of that year. Under his administration the

church has been progressive and successful. In 1876 the parish house was erected on Lodge street, for Sunday school, charitable and social purposes. In the same year the church tower was built as a memorial to the late warden, John Tweddle, and supplied with a beautiful chime of bells. Since that time the arrangement of the chancel has been altered, and new chancel windows, altar and reredos provided, with other interior improvements. The church property is valued at $250,- 000. Connected with St. Peter's church is the St. Peter's Orphan Home, which was organized in 1864. After a few years devoted to the care of orphan children the Home was incorporated under the name of the Albany Juvenile Retreat, but the rector having received assurances of support, took the institution under parish charge, and in October, 1864, it was reorganized under its present name. A board of mana- gers was chosen from the women of the congregation, and a matron appointed. In 1865 a commodious building was erected at 59 Chapel street; this was sold to the Albany Savings Bank in 1873, and in the next year the trustees purchased the house No. 1 Pine street. This was rendered unsuitable in 1883 by the erection of the City Hall, and the household was transferred to No. 2 Madison Place. The school and home have accomplished great good. The present handsome rec- tory of the parish, adjoining the church, was built in 1895.

St. Paul's parish was organized November 12, 1827, though services had previously been held in a school room on South Pearl street. Rev. Richard Bury was the first rector, through whose efforts and those of the vestry a lot on South Pearl street was purchased, a church erected and consecrated August 24, 1829, being then known as St. John's church. Mr. Burey resigned in 1830 and was succeeded by Rev. William Linn Keese, who served for three years, greatly extending the parish, but resigned on account of ill health. Rev. Joseph H. Price was the third rector and was succeeded in 1837 by Rev. William

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Ingraham Kip, D. D. In 1839 the church property was sold and a theatre property on the same street purchased, the building being re- fitted and consecrated in 1840. Dr. Kip was elected bishop of Califor- nia in 1853 and was succeeded by Rev. T. A. Starkey, D. D. He oc- cupied the pulpit until 1858, and in April, 1859, Rev. William Rudder was called. During his rectorship the Pearl street church was sold and in 1862 the present property on Lancaster street was purchased. Rev. J. Livingston Reese succeeded Mr. Rudder in June, 1864, and in December of that year the church was consecrated, the rectory being added in 1867, while the Free Chapel on Madison avenue was opened in 1868 and the parish house in 1883. Extensive improvements have been made in the church itself from time to time since its erection. The present rector is Rev. F. G. Jewett.

The first meeting with reference to the organization of Grace Church was held Sexigesima Sunday, 1846, in a room over a store at the cor- ner of State and Lark streets, under the auspices of Rev. Maunsell Van Rensselaer, who had been for some time in charge of St. Peter's in the absence of the rector. Services were continued in this room until Sunday May 24, of that year, when a meeting was held to perfect the organization and adopt the name, and at which Rev. Mr. Van Rens- selaer was chosen rector. At the close of that year the congregation accepted the use of the Spring street mission building, which had been tendered them. On February 11, 1847, the lot on the corner of Lark street and Washington avenue was purchased for a church site, and the corner stone of the edifice was laid September 10, 1850, and on Christmas day of that year the first service was held in the building, though it was not wholly finished, and was not consecrated until De- cember 15, 1852. In June, 1873, the building was removed to the cor- ner of Clinton avenue and Robin street, and a rectory was built in 1844 at a cost of $9,000. The church has been much improved since, par- ticularly in 1884, 1892 and 1894, resulting in a new transept and choir, a new roof, and the guild-hall and a choir room. The rectors since Mr. Van Rensselaer have been Revs. John Alden Spooner, James R. Davenport, Theodore M. Bishop, Philander K. Cady, Edwin B. Rus- sell, James Hutchings Brown, William A. Snively, Thaddeus A. Snively, C. W. Knauff, David L. Schwartz, William H. Bown, and George D. Silliman.'

Trinity church, Trinity Place, was organized in 1839, and leased the Presbyterian (Cameronian) church on Westerlo street until 1841. In

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1842 a frame edifice was built on the corner of Herkimer and Franklin streets, and in 1849 the present church building was erected, since which time the chancel has been rebuilt and other improvements made. The present rector is Rev. Russell Woodman, who began his service in 1888.

The Holy Innocents' Church society was organized February 15, 1850, and the handsome church, corner of North Pearl and Colonie streets, the gift of the late William H. De Witt, was consecrated in September of the same year. During the rectorship of Rev. Richmond Shreve, which began in 1888, the parish added to its property by the purchase of a rectory on Ten Broeck street. Rev. Mr. Shreve resigned July 31, 1896, and was succeeded by Rev. A. Randolph B. Hagerman. the present rector.

The Cathedral of All Saints was incorporated by act of the Legisla- ture March 27, 1873, and on All Saints' day in 1872 the building at first used for cathedral purposes, and which was originally an iron foundry, was first occupied for religious services. On the festival of All Saints in 1881 the bishop announced the purpose of at once begin- ning the erection of the cathedral, and at a meeting held in November 23, 1881, the bishop, Erastus Corning, and Orlando Meads were ap- pointed a committee to select a site. It was also resolved to raise the sum of $150,000 for building purposes, exclusive of cost of site, and a subscription book was opened with James Moir (acting under Gen. S. E. Marvin, treasurer of the chapter) as treasurer. On April 30, 1883, the plans of R. W. Gibson, architect, were adopted for the edifice, and on November 28, 1883, the grounds donated by Erastus Corning, valued at $80,000, were accepted for the site, and work on the structure soon began. At a meeting held March 24, 1884, it was resolved to lay the corner stone on June 3, and at the same meeting a special subscription was authorized for the columns of the building, to stand as memorials of eminent churchmen. These columns are twenty-four in number and cost over $1,000 each. When the day arrived for laying the corner stone the subscriptions had reached nearly $100,000. The edifice was carried to its present partial state of completion within the year.

Methodism was first established in Albany county in 1788, although services in this faith had been held, probably, as early as 1766 in Al- bany by Capt. Thomas Webb, of the British army. He was then stationed here as barrackmaster and having been converted to Method- ism in his own country, held family prayers at which some of his neigh-

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bors attended, and probably preached in the streets. In February, 1767, he was in New York where he labored as an evangelist. The pioneer Methodist preacher to labor regularly in the local field was Rev. Freeborn Garretson, a native of Maryland, one of the earliest Methodist preachers of American birth. He went to New York in 1788 and en- gaged in the revival work that was then spreading northward.

Francis Asbury, who had been elected bishop in 1771, and Mr. Gar- retson were assigned with a number of other young men to this district. the bishop himself passing over the territory once each three months. Albany soon became an important point in this field and Mr. Garretson obtained permission to preach in the City Hall. It can be easily imag- ined that the new doctrine, which had received more or less opposi- tion wherever planted, received little encouragement in Albany, espe- cially from the clergy of other denominations, so that Mr. Garretson wrote on July 1, 1779, that " Albany still appears to be a poor place for Methodism." The following day he met a few friends in a private dwelling and united them in a society under Methodist discipline. and in the evening preached to them in the City Hall. Within the next two years a house of worship was built on the southeast corner of North Pearl and Orange streets. This church and society were incor- porated in 1784 as the Methodist Episcopal Church of the City of Al- bany, with John Bloodgood, Abraham Ellison, Isaac Lawson, Elisha Johnson, William Fradenberg, Nathaniel Ames, and Calvin Chessman, trustees. In 1812 a new church edifice was built on Division street, the old one being occupied for a time by a Baptist congregation, and finally in 1882 being sold to the Scotch Presbyterians. The first preacher stationed at Albany after it was taken from the circuit was Joel Ketcham, after whom changes in pastors were frequent, as is cus- tomary in this denomination. In 1813 it was proposed to found a Sun- day school, but as the older members of the church frowned upon the proposition as a desecration of the day, the project was temporarily abandoned in favor of a liberal circulation of tracts. The school was, however, finally established through the efforts of a woman, a Mrs. Brockway, who in 1816 had organized a day school and added Sabbath services. The church was slow in growth, its membership of forty per- sons in 1799 being only a little more than one hundred in 1811. In February, 1812, two lots on the south side of Division street, a little below South Pearl, were purchased and there a new church was erected and first used in 1813, the membership then being 153 white persons

REV. WILLIAM GRIFFIN, D. D.

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and sixteen blacks. The introduction in 1829 of the policy of renting seats caused great dissatisfaction and led to the withdrawal of a consid- erable number of the congregation, who rented a hall on the corner of Pearl and Columbia streets and obtained preachers from the Water- vliet circuit, and in February purchased a large building on the east side of Pearl street near the site they had occupied. Here a revival soon be- gan which greatly enlarged not only the Methodist church, but ex- tended its influence among other denominations. At the Conference of 1834 a third church was organized-the Wesleyan Chapel in the southern part of the city. In 1835 the membership of the three societies was 440 in the first; 435 in the second (called Garretson Station), and 214 in the Wesleyan. Another church was now authorized by the Confer- ence called the West Station. The organization was effected by mem- bers of the Division street society and the Garretson Station, who united in the purchase of a small house of worship which the Primitive Methodists had built on State street, above the Capitol. This society, feeble at first, soon increased in numbers and in 1845 purchased a site on the corner of Washington avenue and Swan streets and there erected a new edifice. The society, through lack of wisdom in financial manage- ment, finally became reduced in number and heavily encumbered with debt. In 1839 the Wesleyan Chapel was burned. This organization had also become involved in debt and small in number, largely through its anti-slavery proclivities and activity, so that the property was sold to pay debts and in May, 1842, the society disbanded; but on the follow- ing Sabbath (May 27) the teachers of the Sunday school met and deter- mined to reorganize, which they did at the Ferry Street M. E. church. While still under pressing difficulties Thomas Schuyler joined the con- gregation and relieved their financial burdens. In 1843 the Division Street church found a more eligible site on Hudson street between Philip and Grand and built a new edifice which they occupied within the same year. A parsonage has been erected in connection with the church property, and the church building has been extensively im- proved, particularly in 1865. The fifth Methodist church in Albany was organized in 1848, succeeding the formation of a class on Arbor Hill. In the year 1854 the Albany Methodist Sunday School Union was formed which within a few years established five schools-one on Central avenue, one at West Albany, one called the South Mission, on Benja- min street, one at Bath, and one at East Albany, the two latter being across the river. Some of these formed the nucleus of later churches.

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In 1870 a remarkable revival was experienced in the Central avenue chapel, conducted by a number of zealous laymen and the missionary who had been appointed in 1868. At the ensuing Conference a second missionary was appointed with special charge of the Central avenue congregation, which had a membership of ninety at the close of the first pastorate in 1873. Meanwhile the West Station, or Washington Street church, which was merely a mission in 1853, had prospered, funds had been raised, and in 1867 a fine edifice was erected on the corner of Lark and Lancaster streets. It took the name of Trinity M. E. church and was dedicated in December, 1875. Within the past four years the interior of the church has been somewhat changed and redecorated. In 1881 the Garretson Station congregation, which had in the mean time erected its second church building, united with the Central avenue congregation. Separate worship was kept up, however, until the com- pletion of the new church edifice, situated on the corner of Clinton and Lexington avenues, in 1883-4, which took its present name of St. Luke's. In 1869 the Broadway Mission and the Arbor Hill congregation were united under the name of Grace church, and a lot was purchased on the corner of Ten Broeck street and Livingston avenue, where a temporary structure was built which was superseded a few years later by the present edifice. When the pressure of business establishments began to crowd upon the church property of the Methodists and Presbyterians on Hud- son avenue, it was realized that a removal must be made. The latter congregation finally built their new church edifice on the corner of State and Willet streets, at the northeast corner of the Park, while the Metho- dists purchased the building previously occupied by the Presbyterians, at the same time selling their own property. The Ferry Street church prospered and in 1863 sought a better location, a site being purchased on the corner of Westerlo and Grand streets where the present Ash Grove church was erected, with a parsonage adjoining.

The fourth church society organized in Albany was in the Presby- terian faith, the organization having been perfected in 1762. Preach- ing had been maintained for about two years previous to that date by supplies sent by the New York and Philadelphia Synods, among whom were Revs. Hector Alison, Andrew Bay, William Tennant, Abraham Kettletas, John Smith, and Aaron Richards. The site for the first church edifice was purchased in 1762 and in the next year the society was recognized as an incorporated body. The church was at first

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connected with the Dutchess County Presbytery, organized in October, 1762, but in 1775 it was transferred to the Presbytery of New York. The first church edifice was erected in 1764, on the lot on Gallows Hill, on a site bounded by Beaver street on the north, Hudson street on the south, William street on the east, and Grand street on the south, and was a plain wooden structure, painted red, and having a bell tower surmounted by a spire. This was occupied until about 1795, in which and the following year the second edifice was erected on South Pearl street on the site occupied in recent years by the Beaver block, at a cost of about $13,000. This building was sold to the Congregational- ists in 1850 and the congregation removed to their third church on the corner of Hudson avenue and Philip street, which was erected in 1849- 50, at a cost of $15,000, the lot having been purchased two years earlier, and which was opened for service March 10, 1850. In 1856 this building was sold to the First M. E. Society (as before stated) for $25, 000, and in 1883-4 the fourth church of this society was built on the corner of State and Willett streets, fronting Washington Park, and with its session house cost about $110,000. William Force Whittaker is the present pastor.

On the third Monday in July, 1813, certain subscribers to a building fund for a new Presbyterian church met and appointed James Kane, John L. Winne, Joseph Russell, Nathaniel Davis, and Robert Sedg- wick, trustees. Work was at once commenced on a building, which was opened for worship in September, 1815, and over which Rev. John Chester was installed as the first pastor November 8, 1815. On De- cember 3, John L. Winne, John Boardman, Chester Bulkley, and Uriah Marvin were chosen ruling elders of the church. This society was greatly prospered under Dr. Chester's administrations, the mem- bership reaching 365 in 1829. Among the pastors of this church was Rev. William Buell Sprague, 1829-69, eminent as the author of " The Annals of the American Pulpit," a work of nine volumes.

The third Presbyterian church in Albany, now known as the Second Presbyterian church, was organized by a number of members from the First church and some from the Associate Reformed church, in 1817. An edifice was soon erected on Montgomery street, which was occu- pied until 1844, when it was sold to the Bethel Society, the present church, corner of Clinton avenue and North Pearl street, being dedi- cated December 3, 1845. The first pastor was Rev. Hooper Cumming.

The fourth Presbyterian church was incorporated December 1, 1828,

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the edifice of which, on the north side of Broadway, was erected in 1829, and dedicated May 30, 1830; but this was taken down in 1865 and the present church erected in 1866. The first pastor was Rev. Edmund N. Kirk, the present being Rev. David O. Mears. During a few years past this society has erected a permanent building for the Viaduct Mission, which it established, and has considerably improved the church itself.

The fifth Presbyterian church in Albany was organized in 1831, the first meeting being held in the City Hall, the first pastor being Rev. Alonzo Welton, whose services began in 1832.

The sixth Presbyterian church in Albany was organized as a result of a prayer meeting held in December, 1855, in a room on what is now Livingston avenue, and in October of the next year a Sunday school was organized. The work continued until the spring of 1868, when Rev. John R. Young was employed as a missionary to aid in organiz- ing the church. His place was taken in May, 1868, by Rev. Amos Hammond Dean, and the organization was perfected December 8, of that year. The church edifice on Second street was completed in the fall of 1871 and dedicated on November 16. Rev. Leslie R. Groves is the present pastor.

The State Street Presbyterian church was organized in 1860, with Rev. Alexander S. Tombley as pastor, and the present church edifice was erected and dedicated October 12, 1862, since which time it has been little changed. Rev. John McC. Holmes is the present pastor, having served the church since 1877.

The West End Presbyterian church was built in 1877 on the corner of New York Central avenue and Third street. The first pastor was Rev. Robert Ennis, the present being Rev. George N. Karner. Within a few years past the main audience room of the edifice has been en- larged and the interior otherwise improved, and a chapel has been added to the building.

Madison Avenue Presbyterian church was organized and a temporary building erected in 1888, which was occupied until 1894, when it was enlarged to meet the increasing numbers of the congregation. A new and handsome edifice in pressed brick is now (1896) in process of erec- tion, which is due to the untiring efforts of Rev. Charles A. Richmond, the present pastor.

The United Presbyterian church in Albany had its inception as early as October, 1800, when the society was connected with the Presbytery

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of Montreal, the first pastor being Rev. John McDonald, who con- tinued until 1819 and died in Albany. In 1820 the church was trans- ferred to the Presbytery of Cambridge and Rev. James Martin became pastor, continuing to 1842. The first church edifice stood on the cor- . ner of Chapel and Canal streets and was occupied in January, 1802. A new edifice, situated on Lancaster street near Eagle, was erected in 1860 and opened on the first Sabbath of 1861. In May, 1858, the As- sociate and Associate Reformed churches were united to form the United Presbyterian Church of North America, and this congregation then took its present title. Rev. S. C. McKelvey is the present pastor.

The first meeting of Baptists in Albany was held January 1, 1810, by Joshua A. Burke, Salem Dutcher, John Gray, William Penrey, Charles Boyington, Tamer Page, Betsey Burke, Catharine Gordon, Margaret Jones, Elenor Penrey, and on January 23, 1811, a church or- ganization was perfected with twenty-one members. In 1818 what was then known as the Green Street Theater was purchased, refitted and occupied many years as a place of worship, until in 1852 a site on the corner of Hudson avenue and Philip street was purchased and there the present edifice was built at a cost of $26,000. The building was ex- tensively improved in 1865. Rev. De Witt T. Van Doren is the pres- ent paster.

The Tabernacle Baptist Church is an outgrowth of a mission formed in 1856, consisting of a few members of the society now constituting the Emmanuel Baptist church, who met in a building on North Pearl street. The rapid growth of the society led to its organization in Oc- tober, 1859, under the present title, and in 1875 the site of the present edifice was purchased, a new church built and dedicated February 14, 1877. The first pastor was Rev. Justin D. Fulton, the present being Rev. Thomas M. Eastwood.

Emmanuel Baptist church was organized in 1834 and bore the name of the Pearl Street Baptist church until 1871. The first pastor was Rev. Bartholomew T. Welch, D. D., who had during the seven pre- vious years preached to the First Baptist church, but was released from that pulpit to form the new church, whose first edifice was erected on North Pearl street and cost $46,000. In 1869-70 the present church was built on the north side of State street, between Swan and Dove streets, and was dedicated in February, 1871, the tower being added in 1883, a gift from Mrs. Eli Perry in memory of her husband. The

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entire church property cost about $220,000. Rev. Wallace Buttrick i- the present pastor.

Calvary Baptist church was organized January 16, 1860, under the name of Washington Avenue Baptist church, and was first under pas toral charge of Rev. Wm. P. Everett, but the rapid early growth of the congregation led them to purchase the church on Washington avenue which had been built for the German Baptists, and February 4, 1865 the society purchased the State street Baptist church building (corne of High street), and took the present title. That building was occu pied until 1880 when it was demolished and the present edifice erected The State Street church, mentioned above, was organized in 1845, and in the same year built the edifice which was finally sold to the Calvar church. Rev. Joseph F. Elder is present pastor of the Calvary church

The Washington avenue German Baptist church, situated on Wash ington avenue, was purchased in 1859, and sold within a few years t the Roman Catholics. The first pastor was Rev. William P. Everett

The German Baptist church, situated at No. 252 Washington avenu was organized and the edifice built and dedicated in 1854. Rev. A Von Pattkammer was the first pastor. In 1892 a new front to the ec ifice was erected. Rev. A. M. Petersen is the present pastor.

Hope Baptist church, on Clinton avenue, originated in a missior and was regularly organized in 1891, when the present beautiful bric edifice was erected and dedicated. Rev. Henry S. Potter is pastor.

The organization of Roman Catholic churches in Albany followe closely upon the work of the Jesuit missionaries. On October 6, 1796 a meeting was held in Albany at the house of James Robichaux, wher an organization was effected which was soon followed by incorporation the certificate of which is on file in the county clerk's office and is signe by Lewis Le Coulteaux and David McEvers, and is witnessed by Se bastian Visscher and Archibald Yates. The first church edifice wa erected on the site of the present St. Mary's church, the corner stor. being laid in 1797 by Thomas Barry, then a prominent merchant. S Mary's is older than any other Roman Catholic parish in this State e: cepting St. Peter's in New York city. The entrance to the first S Mary's was on Pine street and the interior was about fifty feet squar. Among the early clergy who officiated over this congregation were Re' Fathers Thayer, Whelan, O'Brien, and La Valenure. Rev. D. Mah ney was here in 1806-7; Father James Buyshe in 1808; Father Hurle in 1809 ; Father Weddin in 1810-11; Father O'Gorman in 1812-13. Othe

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 36

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1374

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374