USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Troy > Manual of the South Reformed Church of West Troy, N.Y > Part 2
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The following is a list of mechanics em- ployed in the. construction of the building :
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Stone Masons .- Robert and William Trimble, West Troy, N. Y.
Stone Cutters .- McMurray, Weidman & Co., Albany, N. Y.
Stone Cutters for Turret .- John Don, Troy, N. Y.
Carpenter and Joiner .- Fred. Borter, West Troy, N. Y.
Painting and Oiling .- James D. Retallick, West Troy, N. Y.
Plastering and Stucco Work .- Hennessy & Boyle, Albany, N. Y.
Slater .- Thomas Hoag, Troy, N. Y.,
Carver .- L. H. De Zouche, Troy, N. Y.
Frescoing .- L. Cherest, Troy, N. Y.
Limestone and Cut-stone Steps .- James McDonald, Willsboro Point, N. Y.
Galvanized Iron Work .- Graus & Masten, Cohoes, N. Y.
Cast Iron Work .- James Mckinney, Albany, N. Y.
Rolled Iron Beams .- Henry C. Haskell, Albany, N. Y.
Stained Glass .- Cook, Redding & Co., Boston, Mass. . Hardware .- L. Pruyn & Son, Albany, N. Y.
. Organ .- Steer &. Turner, Westfield, Mass. Carpets .- Van Gaasbeck & Co., Albany, N. Y.
Furniture .- Green & Waterman, Troy, N. Y.
Marble Tablets and Tiling .- William Manson, Albany, N. Y. .
. Gas Fixtures .- R. S. Lobdell, West Troy, N. Y.
Heaters .- " Burtis" -A. A. Smith, West Troy, N. Y.
At the time of the erection of the build- ing the tower was left incomplete. The
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original plan was altered to an elaborate design in stone and wood, and the tower was completed during the season of 1878, under the supervision of Wm. M. Woollett, archi- tect; Wm. Trimble, mason; John Don, stonecutter ; Frederick Borter, carpenter.
4. CHAPELS.
(1) The Chapel on Broadway .- This build- ing was erected with funds raised by sub- scription among the congregation during the year 1859. The total cost was $755.22.
An extension was added to this building during the year 1870, by James B. Jermain, for the accommodation of the infant depart- ment. The last public Church service in this building was that of the Sabbath School, December 23, 1878.
: (2) Chapel on Groton street .- This chapel, situated on lots north of the Church, was erected during the season of 1878. These lots (100 by 120) were purchased in the year 1872, of Joseph M. Lawrence, at a cost of $1,000
July 19, 1876, the Consistory appointed the Pastor, the Superintendent of the Sab-
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bath School, James Campbell, Jr., and James B. Jermain, a committee to procure plans for this building. Owing to a lack of sufficient funds, little was done by this committee for over a year, except in a very general way: On November 1, 1877, the Consistory re- quested this committee to confer with the committee on the sale of the old Church property, as to whether, by pressing the sale of old property or otherwise, advantage could not be taken of the then low prices of material for building a chapel. The result of this conference was the offer, by James B. Jermain, of a loan of $4,000 on the old Church property, without interest, for three years. This loan was accepted. John Beat- tie, Maurice Cashman and Thomas J. Lacey were appointed a building committee, in con- nection with the committee on plans.
During the winter of 1877 and 1878, after several consultations, suitable plans were, pre- pared by George Nichols, at an estimated cost of $5,500, and were submitted by the committee, and approved by the Consistory February 27, 1878. The Consistory called a meeting of the congregation March 4, 1878,
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to take into consideration ways and means of raising the necessary balance of $1, 500 to erect this building. This meeting advised the Consistory to appoint a committee of six to solicit subscriptions to the necessary amount. The Consistory immediately ap- pointed the following committee : J. P. Thomas, Jas. Campbell, Jr., Wm. Thomp- son, John Beattie, George Moffat, Thos. J. Lacey. At an adjourned meeting of the . congregation, held March 18, this commit- tee reported an actual subscription of $931, with assurances of obtaining about. $250 more. It was resolved that the Consistory be advised to go on with the building. The building was erected during the season of 1878, under the supervision of Geo. Nichols, carpenter, and William Trimble, mason. The cost of the building, exclusive of furniture, was $6,348:78. It was opened with appro- priate services Sabbath evening, December 22, 1878.
5. PARSONAGES.
(1) The Parsonage on Broadway .- This was erected in the year 1851. Mrs. Gertrude
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Ten Eyck-in her will-left $1,000 to this Church for the erection of a Parsonage, on condition that an equal amount be raised by the congregation.' The necessary amount was raised, and the building completed at a cost of $2,035.
(2) The Parsonage on Middle street .- This building formerly stood on the site now occupied by the "Memorial Building." It was moved westward some 70 feet. The front entrance was changed to Middle street, and the building was thoroughly repaired and enlarged, at a cost of about $3,000, and was occupied by the Pastor in April, 1873.
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II.
NOTABLE DATES.
FIRST Church organized in West Troy- " The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Washington and Gibbonsville," March 22, 1814.
Dedication of old building on Broadway, July 10, 1816.
Organization of the "South Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, in the village of West Troy," June 18, 1844.
First meeting of the Consistory, June 24, 1844.
Organization of Sabbath-school, July 8, 1844. .
Beginning of Pastorate of Rev. Theodore F. Wyckoff, May 4, 1846.
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Transferred from Classis of Albany to Classis of Watervliet, 1845.
Transferred from Classis of Watervliet to Classis of Saratoga, 1857.
Erection of Parsonage on Broadway, 1851.
Erection of Lecture-room on Broadway, 1859.
Erection of extension to Lecture-room on Broadway, 1870 ...
Beginning of Pastorate of Rev. Garret L. Roof, May 16, 1855.
Beginning of Pastorate of Rev. Jacob S. Wyckoff, May 10, 1865.
Beginning of Pastorate of Rev. Selah W. Strong, March 16, 1870.
Sermon on Church building, March 19, 1871.
Communication received from James B. Jermain, proposing to erect "Memorial Build- .ing," February 19, 1872.
Possession obtained of site for " Memorial Building," April 1, 1872.
Ground broken for erection of the same, June 28, 1872.
Laying of first stone, August 5, 1872.
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Laying of corner-stone, September 22, 1872.
Farewell services in old building, December 27, 1874.
Dedication of "Memorial Building," De- cember 30, 1874.
Completion of tower, 1878.
Erection of Chapel on Groton. street, 1878.
Opening of Chapel, December 22, 1878.
III.
OFFICERS.
I. PASTORS.
I. REV. THEODORE F. WYCKOFF.
BORN at Catskill, N. Y., 1820; son of Rev. Isaac N. Wyckoff, D. D .; graduated at Rut- ger's College, 1839, and from the Theologi- cal Seminary at New Brunswick, N. J., 1842 ; licensed by the Classis of "Albany, 1842 ; settled over Second Reformed Church of Ghent 1843-44; installed pastor of this Church May 4, 1846; resigned December 18, 1854; died at St. Thomas, W. I., Janu- ary 24, 1855. .
A marble tablet was erected to his mem- ory, and inserted in the wall at the north of the pulpit, in the old Church. This
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tablet was transferred to the "Memorial Building," and is inserted in the south wall. It bears the following inscription :
ERECTED BY THIS CHURCH
AS A MEMORIAL OF THE LONG AND FAITHFUL LABORS -THE CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN. CHARACTER, AND SHINING EXAMPLE OF THEIR LATE PASTOR, THE
Ret. "Theodore &. Wyckoff, WHO DIED AT ST. THOMAS, W. I., JANUARY 24TH, 1855.
AGED 34 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AND 17 DAYS.
" The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance."
In "The Manual of the Reformed Church in America" the following eulogy is written of him : .
. " He was distinguished for the mental graces with which he was adorned, the faith- fulness with which his pastoral duties were. . discharged, for the gentleness of his dispo- sition, the amenity of his manners, and the eminent social qualities which endeared him · to the high and low, the rich and poor .. He was also. a finished scholar. His passionate love of his Maker's works; his high appre-
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ciation of the beautiful in art, were sources of unbounded pleasure to him - a pleasure > which he often imparted to others with his facile pen. His contributions to the press, as well as his public addresses, evidenced a refined taste and a highly cultivated mind, winning him a high position for one of his years. His health led him to settle in the West Indies; but in a few weeks he was stricken down by the yellow fever, and died." 4
II. REV. GARRET L. ROOF.
Graduated at Union College, 1831; settled over the Reformed Church of Auriesville, N. Y., 1847-50; over the Church of Port Jackson, N. Y., 1850 to 1855; installed pas- . tor of this Church May 16, 1855; resigned January 23, 1865, to take the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church of Lowville, N. Y., which he resigned in 1878. Removed to Troy, where he now resides.
III. REV. JACOB S. WYCKOFF.
Graduated at Rutger's College 1853, and New Brunswick Theological Seminary, 1856; licensed by the South Classis of Long Island
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1856 ; settled over the Reformed Church of Colt's Neck, N. J., 1856-65 ; installed pastor of this Church May 10, 1865 ; resigned Octo- ber 28, 1869.
IV. REV. SELAH W. STRONG.
Born at Flatbush, L. I .; son of Rev. Thos. M. Strong, D. D. Graduated at the New York University 1862, and at the Theological Seminary at New Brunswick, N. J., 1865 ; licensed by the Classis of New York 1865 ; settled over the Reformed Church of Roches- ter, Ulster county, N. Y., 1865-70; installed pastor of this. Church March 16, 1870.
2. ELDERS AND. DEACONS. The First Consistory.
. Elders .- John C. Schuyler, Robert Dunlop, Philip S. Schuyler.
Deacons .- Stephen C. Dermott, David Moore.
The number of the Consistory was in- creased to eight (8) members, April 8th, 1845.
The following is a list of others who have . served as Elders and Deacons. Those Elders marked with an asterisk (*) have served as Deacons likewise:
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Elders. - Clarkson F. Crosby,* John M. Fort,* Lewis Taylor,* William Anderson," Clark Wright," John Bronk, William I. Snyder, Adrian Winne*, Lorenzo D. Lawrence,* John Goewey, Joseph A. Lansing,* William Thompson,* Gerrit L .. Schuyler," John Kennedy,* Maurice Cashman .*
Deacons .- Bartholomew Tymeson, Abraham Bronk, John Anderson, William. Smith, Samuel Stratton, Peter Forbes, Abram Witbeck, Jonas E. Hanaman, William Koon, John Beattie, Robert W. Bell, Charles. H. Burn- ham, William Allen, James Campbell, Jr., George Moffat, Platt Lyon, Thomas J. Lacey, Joseph Anderson, Daniel McL. Campbell.
3. CLERKS OF THE CONSISTORY.
John C. Schuyler, appointed June, 24, 1844. William Anderson, appointed May 4, 1857. John C. Schuyler, appointed May 7, 1860. William Anderson, appointed May 2, 1871. John Kennedy, appointed January 19, 1875.
4. TREASURERS.
Stephen C. Dermott, appointed 1844. 2
Clark Wright, resigned April 13, 1857.
John C. Schuyler, appointed April 13, 1857.
Benjamin W. Knower, appointed January 1, 1875; died January 16, 1879.
George Moffat, appointed February 1, 1879.
5. CHORISTERS AND ORGANISTS.
A. R. Hitchcock, Chorister. Charles Mason, Organist.
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Stephen W. Meneely, Organist.
William Hopkins, Organist.
. Abram G. Snyder, Organist and Chorister.
Josephine Roof, Organist.
Mary F. Lawrence, Organist.
Frances Pierce, Organist.
Mary Snyder, Organist.
Alida C. Lansing, Organist.
Mary Gregory, Organist.
Mrs. D. McL. Campbell, Organist.
At " Memorial Building," Edward Parkhurst.
6. RECORDER.
Jeffrey P. Thomas, appointed May 4, 1874.
7. SEXTONS.
Peter Shafer, appointed July 31, 1844 ..
James B. Dyer, appointed 1846.
John Jacobie, appointed February 8, 1847.
John Anderson, appointed May 4, 1857.
James Hungerford, appointed May 3, 1858.
Charles E. Shaver, appointed 1859. George Gray. Charles E. Shaver ..
William McIntyre, appointed November 1, 1875.
Sexton of " Memorial Building," Alexander Keyes, appointed January 1, 1875.
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IV.
SERVICES.
I. SABBATH SERVICES AT THE CHURCH.
Every Sabbath morning at the Chuch, at 1072 o'clock, and Sabbath evening, at 732 o'clock, from May to September, and at 7 o'clock from September to May.
The evening service is omitted on those Sabbaths when the quarterly exercises of the Sabbath School occur. These are held at the Church, on the afternoon of the last Sabbath of each of the quarters of the cal- endar year.
The evening service is also usually suspended during the very warm weather.
2. SABBATH SCHOOL.
Exercises are held at the chapel every Sabbath after- · noon, at 21/2 o'clock.
3. PRAYER MEETINGS.
(1) General meeting on Wednesday evening, at the chapel, at 772 o'clock.
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The meeting upon the first Wednesday evening of the month is devoted to the interests of Missions, both at home and abroad.
The meeting upon the third Wednesday evening of the month is devoted to the interests of the Sabbath School and of the young, in connection with parental duties and responsibilities. This meeting is led by the Superintendent of the Sabbath School or one of the teachers.
(2) "Cottage Prayer Meeting," on Friday evening, at 772 o'clock, at such place as is designated from week to week.
(3) Ladies' Prayer Meeting, on Thursday afternoon, at 3 o'clock.
(4) "Aaron and Hur Meeting," at the chapel, Sab- bath morning, at 972 o'clock. The specific object of this meeting is to ask for the Divine blessing upon pas. tor and people, especially with respect to the services of the day.
(5) " The Week of Prayer" is regularly observed in the week following the first Sabbath of January in every year.
V.
ORDER OF SERVICES.
MORNING.
I. Anthem, or Voluntary.
II. Invocation.
III. Salutation ..
IV. Reading of Ten Commandments, or other Scrip ture.
V. Response, or Chant.
VI. Reading other Scripture.
VII. Singing Hymn.
VIII. Prayer.
IX. Announcement of Notices.
X. Singing Hymn.
XI. Collection.
XII. Sermon.
XIII. Prayer.
XIV. Singing Hymn, with Doxology. .
XV. Benediction.
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EVENING.
I. Anthem, or Voluntary.
II. Invocation.
III. Reading Scripture.
IV. Singing Hymn.
· V. Prayer.
VI. Notices.
VII. Singing Hymn.
VIII. Collection.
IX. Sermon.
X. Prayer.
XI. Singing Hymn, with Doxology. XII. Benediction.
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VI.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS
I. THE LORD'S SUPPER.
THE Lord's Supper is administered at the Morning Service of the Second Sabbaths of March, June, September and December.
The Preparatory Service is held at the Church on the Friday evening preceding.
2. BAPTISM.
The Sacrament of Baptism will be admin- istered at any of the public services for worship. It is desirable, however, that the ordinance be administered at the Church. It is customary for parents to present their child- ren for Baptism on the occasion of the quar-
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terly exercises of the Sabbath-school, which occur at the Church, on the afternoons of the last Sabbaths of each of the quarters of the calendar year, viz., on March, June, Septem- ber and December.
Parents who desire to present their child- ren for Baptism, are requested to notify the Pastor, or Elders, accordingly, and to pre- pare a memorandum which will state :
The name of the child. The date of birth of child ..
Name of father. Maiden name of mother. Date of Baptism.
This memorandum is necessary, in order to properly inscribing the same upon the Records of the Church.
The Constitution of the Church requires that this sacrament * shall, if possible, be ad- ministered in the Church, or some other place of public worship, at the time of public wor- ship;" but where this is not possible, as in cases of the sickness of the parents, and especially of the infant, it is lawful to admin- ister this Sacrament in private, but not, how-
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ever, without the presence of at least one Elder, who shall accompany the minister for that purpose, and the same form and solemnity shall be used as in public Baptism.
For the benefit of baptized parents who may desire to present their children for Bap- tism, the following legislation of the General Synod is appended with respect to the sub- jects of Baptism :
I. " The right or privilege of infant Baptism doth not rest upon what is called full cummunion; nor is the par- taking of the Lord's Supper, by one or both of the parents, an indispensable test for admitting infants to be baptized in the Reformed Church.
2. " In avoiding one extreme, which straightens ad- mission into the Church of Christ, by making a test not commanded in the Word, of God, it is necessary to watch against the opposite evil, which makes no distinc- tion between the pure and vile, and which, by an indiscriminate administration to all who apply, relaxes Christian discipline and prostitutes the sacred ordinance of Baptism. The General Synod, therefore, recommend and enjoin that when both the parents openly profess such errors or heresies, or are chargeable with such immoralities and improper conduct as ought, if they were in full communion, to exclude them from the table of the Lord, they shall not, during such apostacy in doctrine or manners, be permitted to present their infants for Baptism; but shall be denied that privilege until they profess repentance and show amendment. 4
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When one of the parents shall be thus guilty, and the other is a decent and peaceable professor of the religion of Jesus Christ, the infant shall be baptized at the re- quest, and upon the right of the professing parent, who alone shall stand and present the child. And lastly, where the Minister and one or more of the Elders find great ignorance in the parents, and such a want of know- ledge in the first principles of our holy religion as to render them unfit to make a public profession of their faith, it shall be their duty to withhold them for a time, notwithstanding their decent moral conduct and profes- sion, and frequently and affectionately instruct them previous to their admission to the ordinance, that thus, if possible, the confession and vows at the Baptism. of their infants may be made with knowledge and sincerity and truth."
VII. THE CONSISTORY.
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."THE Elders and Deacons, together with the Minister, if any, shall form a Consis- tory. When joined together in one board, the Elders and Deacons have an equal voice in whatever relates to the temporali- ties of the Church, or to the calling or dis- mission of a minister, . * in all which they are considered as the general and joint representatives of the people. But in admit- ting members to full communion, and in dis- missing them to other Churches, in exercising discipline upon those who have erred from the faith or offended in morals, and in choos- ing delegates to attend the Classis, the Elders, with the Minister, have alone a voice." (Constitution, Art. VI.)
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The time of the regular meeting of the Consistory is on the first Wednesday evening of each month.
The members of the Consistory are elected by the members of the Church, to serve for two years. The term of membership of half of the Consistory expires yearly. The an- nual meeting of the members of the Church, to elect members of the Consistory in the place of those whose terms of office are about to expire, takes place at the Chapel on the evening of the first Monday in April.
The officers elected are ordained and in- stalled (if not re-elected) to their respective offices on the first Sabbath in May, according to the form in the Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America.
VIII.
MEMBERSHIP.
. I. ADMISSION.
PERSONS may be received into the Church by confession of their faith, or by letter from other Churches, at any time, by signifying their desire accordingly to the Pastor or any of the Elders.
The regular meeting of the Elders for this purpose is held immediately after the Prepara- tory Service.
Those who desire to connect themselves with the Church upon confession of faith are required to make profession, and submit to an examination before the Elders, of their personal faith in and appropriation of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour from the :
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guilt and punishment of their sins, and their assent unto the articles of the Christian faith as taught in this Church according to the Word of God. Those who have not been baptized must receive this Sacrament upon their admission to the Church. The public reception into full communion of those who
have made such confession, takes place at the service at which the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is administered, and the man- ner of such reception is after the form for the same as in the Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America.
Those who are desirous of connecting themselves with the Church, are earnestly recommended and requested to study the " Compendium of the Christian Religion, for those who intend to approach the Holy Supper of the Lord."
This Compendium, together with other doctrinal. standards of the Church, will usually be found in the hymn books of the Church -its use and importance as indicating the qualification of Church membership, may be apparent from its last paragraph, which is here . quoted :
"" When those who are inclined to become members in full communion of the Church, and to approach the Holy Supper of the Lord, thoroughly know and confess these fundamental truths, they are then to be asked whether they have any doubt in any point concerning
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the doctrine, to the end they may be satisfied; and in case any of them should answer in the affirmative, en- deavors must be used to convince them from the Scrip- tures ; and if they are all satisfied, they must be asked whether they have experienced the power of the truth in their hearts, and are willing and desirous to be saved by Jesus Christ from their sins; and whether they pro- pose by the grace of God to persevere in this doctrine- to forsake the world and to lead a Christian life.
" Lastly, they are to be asked whether they will. sub- mit themselves to the Christian discipline, which being done, they'are to be exhorted to peace, love and con- cord with all men, and in reconciliation, if there be any variance subsisting between them and their neighbors."
2. DISMISSION.
Members who move from the bounds of this Church to another, should obtain a certificate of membership and dismission accordingly. Such letter may be obtained upon application to the Pastor. The place where, and the Church to which one wishes to be dismissed, should be stated.
IX.
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
AT the first meeting of the Consistory of this Church, held June 24, 1844, it was
"Resolved, That it be recommended to the Congrega- tion to hold a meeting in the Church on Tuesday of next. week, at half-past six o'clock, P. M., for the purpose.of organizing a Sabbath School, to be attached to this Church, and that the officiating minister be requested to give a notice to that effect on next Sunday."
About four years after this, it would seem that the condition of the Sabbath School, : for some reasons, had seriously declined ; for the record of the Consistory of May 1, 1848, shows a minute calling for a meeting similar to the one above mentioned, "to resuscitate
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and give greater effect to the Sabbath School." The statistical table of the Church (at the end of this book) shows that the school began with 20 scholars in 1844; that the number increased to 70 and 75 during the years 1846 and 1847; but in 1848 the number fell to 40. Hence the necessity of the action proposed by the Consistory,
The measures then adopted seem to have been successful; for the report of the next year, 1849, shows a total number of 136, with an average attendance of 70. There is no farther mention of any decline in the mat- ters of the Sabbath School ; on the contrary, the general testimony is in the direction of the great prosperity and efficiency of the Sabbath School of this Church. The statis- tical table shows an increase, with some brief periods of decline during the following years.
The exercises were held in the Church until the year 1859, when the chapel on Broadway was erected.
The school at the present time, and for the past ten years, has been under the universally
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acceptable and most efficient administration of James Campbell, Jr.
The following is a list of those who have served successively as Superintendents of the school: Miss Gertrude Ten Eyck, Clarkson F. Crosby, John .M. Fort, Lewis Taylor, Adrian Winne, Lorenzo. D. Lawrence, Rev. Jacob S. Wyckoff, Lorenzo D. Lawrence, James Campbell, Jr.
The contributions of the scholars are equally divided : one-half being used in the current expenses of the school, and the other half for benevolent purposes. The contribu- tions of the Infant Department are devoted entirely to benevolent purposes. With funds so procured, the school has for a number of years supported a Bible reader in India, at an expense of $75 per year, besides contributing various amounts at different times for other benevolent purposes, as well as for the poor at home. . One of the former teachers of the school, Miss Emma C. Witbeck, is now labor- ing as a missionary in Japan.
The exercises of the school are held at 2:30 o'clock, P. M., every Sabbath.
The public quarterly concert exercises of
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the school, are held in the Church on the afternoon of the last Sabbaths of March, June, September and December, at 3 o'clock.
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