USA > New York > Oneida County > Utica > Memorial history of Utica, N.Y. : from its settlement to the present time > Part 41
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73
435
EBENEZER AND IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCHES.
of a close friend rather than of a religious teacher. In the pulpit and out of it, in efforts to reform and uplift his fellowmen, he labored patiently and persistently, content to do his duty, and confident in the power and purpose of his Lord. The impress he made upon the religious thought, social culture, and moral progress of the city is beyond estimate. Rev. C. A. Taylor assumed the pastorate June 5, 1890. The present mem- bership of the church is 485 ; of the Sunday school 275. The present deacons are John Ryalls, Isaac D. Ryalls, F. P. Ashley, S. U. Cook- inham, and John Rowlands.
The Ebenezer Baptist Church was incorporated in August, 1836, with the following trustees : Deacon Joseph Goodliffe, Garrett Jones, jr., James Stone, William Towers, William Jarrett, and Jacob Loak. During a pastorate of forty years Elder Thomas Hill officiated. He was called in March, 1835, and was the only pastor the church ever had. The record shows that he received no salary while he could work at his trade, which was wood-turning. He died August 9, 1874. A lot on Columbia street was purchased in 1836 of Appollos Cooper for $450, and it was agreed to erect a building at a cost of $350 or $400. The church is a frame building and at the present time is offered for sale, there being only about fifteen members to support it. No Sunday school has ever been held in connection with the church. The society will purchase where land is cheaper or rent rooms. Since the death of the pastor the pulpit has been supplied by Elder S. H. Durant and. Elder Baylis Bundy. The present trustee is John Brimson.
The Immanuel Baptist Church was organized January 29, 1890, with a membership of forty-two. The first house of worship was erected at the corner of Eagle and Dudley streets at a cost of $6,000. This church was dedicated, free from debt, March 12, 1890, Rev. R. G. Sey- mour, D.D., of Auburn, N. Y., preaching the sermon. It has a seating capacity of 450. Rev. James M. Hutchinson is the pastor. The dea- cons are William B. Walling, Thomas H. Peters, William R. Rowlands, and Thomas E. Morris. The Sunday school from which this church is an outgrowth was organized December 26, 1888, at 75 Seymour avenue, with an attendance of 187. The present membership of the church is 143.
The Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church (German) was organized May
436
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
15, 1842, at its place of meeting-the " Old Bethel," on Fayette street in West Utica. There were fifty-six charter members, all natives of Germany, in which language the services have always been conducted. The first elders of the church were Charles A. Wolf, sr., and Michael Breitenstein. The first house of worship was erected upon the south side of Columbia street near St. Patrick's Church at a cost of about $2,000, and was dedicated September 28, 1844. It was destroyed by fire February 28, 1851. The site was then sold to the Catholics and the present church building was erected on the corner of Cooper and Fay streets at a cost $4,000; its seating capacity is 550. In 1868 the edifice was lengthened by an addition of twenty feet. The first pastor of the church was Rev. A. Wetzel, who continued as such until 1879. He was succeeded by Rev. John P. Lichtenberg, who labored in the pastorate until May, 1889, when Rev. A. Oscar Gallenkamp, the present pastor, came to the charge. A day-school building was erected in 1870 on Columbia street near Varick at a cost of $8,000. It is of brick, three stories high, and over 150 pupils are in attendance. It is known as Zion's Day School. Over 200 families are in attendance at this church and there are 475 pupils in the Sunday school. The present deacons are Gaius Bach, Michael Agne, and Martin Schwartz.
On the 25th of March, 1860, the Evangelical Lutheran Zion's Church of Utica, Rev. A. Wetzel, pastor, resolved to establish a German Mis- sion in the southeastern part of the city (Corn Hill). A lot was given and a suitable small building secured, which was consecrated in August of the same year as St. Paul's Lutheran Church (German). Pastor Wetzel and his son-in-law, Pastor Schmidt, served the congregation for eight years, when it united with the New York Ministerium and called the Rev. C. Fischer, under whom a new building was begun. Scarcely was the corner-stone laid when Mr. Fischer died. During the pastor- ate of his successor the building was completed. Rev. D. W. Petersen served the congregation from 1875 to 1880, when he removed to Mid- dleville, N. Y. He was succeeded by Pastor O. Kaselitz, under whom the congregation met with the most severe trial that had yet befallen it. During the night of the 6th of November the roof of the church was torn off by a storm and the building was so much injured that it be- came necessary to raze it to the ground. Without a house of worship,
437
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER.
and with a debt of $4,000 on the building just destroyed, the members though greatly discouraged took heart and began the erection of the present building, thus increasing the debt to $13,000. Under Rev. A. J. Heisler, who became pastor in 1885, the condition of the congre- gation improved. It numbered 400 from Utica, had two Sunday schools, one English the other German, and English services were held once a month. The debt was materially reduced. After his resigna- tion and a season of irregular services Rev. G. A. Bruegel, of Syracuse, entered upon his work October 1, 1890. At present there are two Sunday schools and English services are held twice a month. Much is due to those members who, though one pastor died in office and sev- eral others resigned on account of ill health, though the storm increased their debt and other misfortunes befell them, have steadily persevered, clinging to the congregation of their choice, and gradually reducing their indebtedness until they freed themselves from all obligations.
In the month of June, 1877, seven members of the Evangelical Lutheran Zion's Church started a movement which resulted in a meet- ing at the dwelling of John C. Hieber, corner of Cottage and Hart streets, July 10th, and the form of an. organization that should be known as the "English Lutheran Church Association of Utica," the object being to establish a church of that faith. A method of system- atic giving for church expenses was inaugurated October 16, 1878, a call was extended to Rev. Theodore B. Roth, of Philadelphia, and he began his labors November 24th. The M. E. Chapel, corner of Court and Stark streets, was rented for one year and services were held regularly, morning and evening. The following Sunday a Sabbath school was organized. December 27, 1878, a church organization was effected under the name of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. March 30, 1879, the constitution was adopted and the following deacons elected : Henry Martin, John C. Hieber, Louis F. Leo, Adam Martin, John Reichart, John G. Hoerlein, Anton Dougne, and John R. Bucher. During the summer of 1881 a building lot known as the " old malt- house," fronting 119 feet on Columbia street, was purchased for $6,850, and thereon a stone chapel was erected; it was occupied on December 25, 1883, and the church proper on May 17, 1885, the buildings having cost upwards of $30,000. This church called Rev. G. A. Bierdemann
438
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
to mission work in the city and through his efforts the Church of the Holy Communion was organized. Rev. Mr. Roth has had repeated calls to other fields, but still holds to the church of his own building. The membership of the church is 500 and of the Sunday school 350. The present deacons are Henry Martin, John C. Hieber, John Kohler, John R. Bucher, Christian Sautter, John George, Henry Scheehl, and Louis F. Leo.
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (German) was organized An- gust 21, 1881, in the house of Lewis Guckemus on Stark street. At this meeting it was also decided to form a Sunday school and a day school. St. Patrick's school building on Columbia street was hired and a day school begun. Rev. C. J. Oelschlager was called to the pastorate and in December the first trustees were elected. March 12, 1882, the Beriah Green property on Hamilton street was purchased and the house remodeled for church purposes. Rev. C. A. Germann was called to succeed Mr. Oelschlager, September 30, 1883. Two years later the present brick church was erected at a cost of $13,000, and was dedi- cated December 12, 1886; its seating capacity is 500. A frame build- ing was also built in the rear of the church for a day school. There are about eighty children in attendance here and the Sunday school has 160 pupils. The church has 100 families in its fold. The present elders are George Edinger, L. Fehrmann, and Peter Peterson. A par- sonage was erected on a lot adjoining the church in 1884. The value of the church property is about $25,000.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion is a frame structure in the Gothic style of architecture located at the corner of Sun- set avenue and Mulberry street. It was built in the winter of 1887-88 at a cost of $6,3000, including cost of the lot. It seats 400 persons. The pastor of the church is Rev. Gustavus A. Bierdemann, who began his labors as missionary in southwest Utica by a house-to-house can- vass of the district, in the fall of 1887, having been called to the work by the Church Council of the Church of the Redeemer from a well es- tablished church at Boylestown, Ohio. The society was organized after the church was built and numbers 167 persons; the Sunday school has 150 pupils. A new organ has just been placed in the church at a cost of $1,600.
439
MORAVIAN CHURCH.
In 1854 several families made application to the authorities at Bethlehem, Pa., for admission into the Moravian Church, and at the same time requested an appointment. In response Rev. Valentine Miller was given the pastorate. Services were held for a time in private houses. After an official visit by Rt. Rev. H. A. Shultz, from Bethle- hem, a small frame church, corner Cornelia and Cooper streets (formerly Lutheran), was purchased and the congregation was formally organ- ized as the Moravian Church on July 2, 1856. Rev. Valentine Detterer succeeded Mr. Miller in 1856 and remained until 1862. His successor was Rev. John Praeger, who had charge of the parish until 1876. Rev. J. Wuensche was pastor from 1876 until 1882 and was succeeded by Rev. P. F. Rommel, who remained until 1889. His successor was Rev. L. P. Clewell, the present pastor. During the administration of Rev. Mr. Miller a parsonage was built. At length the old church became too dilapidated for use and it was decided to build a new one, together with a parsonage. This was done during the administration of Rev. Mr. Clewell in the summer of 1891. The new edifice (which is built on the old site) is of brick and of good dimensions. Its cost was $1 I,- 000, and it has a seating capacity of 500. There are 300 members in the church and 175 in the Sunday school. The present elders are John Beisiegel, Frantz Weber, and Vitus Frank.
The Moravian Mission on South street is a branch of the Moravian Church above described and was organized in April, 1882. The services and Sunday school were first held in the house of Mr. Kehle, 301 South street. The room soon became inadequate on account of the continual growth of the school and it was found necessary to obtain a larger apartment. Hence in February, 1883, it was decided to build a chapel. A lot was purchased on South street at the foot of Leeds street and the present wooden edifice erected thereon. The pastor was Rev. P. F. Rommel. This mission is under the care of the pastor of the Moravian Church.
A published notice in the papers of the day announced to the people of Utica that Mr. Thompson was to preach in the court- house on Sun- day the 20th of November, 1825, and the Universalists of the village and neighborhood were requested to meet at the same place on Monday evening the 21st for the purpose of organizing a society. Accordingly
440
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
" a number of persons believing in the doctrine of God's impartial and universal love " met at the time and place appointed and organized the " First Universalist Society of Utica." The following persons were ap- pointed trustees : Andrew S. Pond, Daniel James, John R. Ludlow, John H. Hickox, Roswell Woodruff; and the following were appointed deacons : Ezra S. Barnum and William Stevens. Forty-two persons signed the constitution. Rev. John S. Thompson, the chairman of the meeting, remained only a short time as the pastor, and the society was supplied with occasional preachers, among whom was the father of the late T. Starr King. A church was erected in 1828-30 on Devereux street, and in the latter year Rev. Dolphas Skinner, D.D., became the first settled pastor. The church became involved in financial difficult- ies and was subsequently sold. In 1848 services were re-commenced in Mechanics Hall and a new society was organized under the name of the Central Universalist Society, commonly known as the Church of the Reconciliation. A brick church was erected on Seneca street near Genesee and completed in 1851. It cost $12,500 and has a seating capacity of 480. Rev. Mr. Francis was the pastor. He resigned his charge in 1853 and was succeeded in October by Rev. Theophilus Fisk. Rev. C. C. Gordon became pastor in 1857 and resigned his charge in August, 1859. Rev. T. D. Cook, who had been one of the earlier pastors of the old church, began a new pastorate in 1860 and spent four years in the work here. He was succeeded by Rev. D. Ballou in October, 1864, who remained five years. In August, 1870, Rev. A. J. Canfield was called and continued his labors until May, 1873. In De- cember of that year Rev. Charles F. Lee became pastor and continued until January 1, 1879. Rev. Marion Crosley was the next pastor, officiating from January, 1880, to July, 1882. He was succeeded by Rev. O. A. Rounds, who came in the following September and con- tinued as pastor until September, 1887. Rev. Clarence E. Rice, the present pastor, came to the work December 1, 1887. In 1877 the church was extensively repaired and a new chapel was built. The present membership is 200 and the Sunday school has an average at- tendance of 150.
The services of the Second Universalist or Church of our Father were first held in May, 1888, in the Mary street school-house and a Sun -
i
44 1
ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.
day school of nine scholers was gathered. This continued until Oc- tober, when a chapel was built on Bacon street. Rev. C. E. Rice, of the First Universalist Church, supplied the preaching, the services being held in the afternoon until July, 1889. At this time Rev. George A. Sahlin came to the work. After one year he was succeeded by Rev. H. W. Smith, the present pastor. In 1890-91 a lot was purchased on Bleecker street between Nichols street and Kossuth avenue, and a brick church was erected, the house and lot costing $12,000. The church will seat 400 persons. The membership of the church is nearly eighty and of the Sunday school about 100.
The first priest whose name is found mentioned in connection with the Roman Catholics of Utica was Rev. M. McQuade. He was pastor of St. Mary's Church in Albany. He took charge of the scattered Catholics in this district and said mass for them occasionally from 1813 to 1816. When he first began his labors here the diocese of New York, to which Utica belonged, was without a bishop. On the 24th of April, 1808, Father Luke Concanen was consecrated as bishop of New York. He died before leaving Naples, and was succeeded by Father John Con- nolly, who was appointed in the fall of 1814. Arriving in New York he remained there, and in the year 1818 dispatched Rev. Michael O'Gorman to Albany and the northern part of the State, where a church was soon erected. The first notice found of Catholic services being held in Utica is in 1819.
Agreeably to a notice previously published Rev. Mr. O'Gorman, from Albany, met the adherents of this faith on the 10th of January in the academy for public worship. Mass was celebrated, six or seven females and two males received the consecrated water, and eight or ten children were baptized. In the evening Mr. O'Gorman preached. On the 15th of March the Catholics of Utica and its vicinity were invited to attend divine service on the following Sunday, which was to be per- formed by Rev. Mr. Farnon ; and on the 24th of May it was announced that "Rev. Mr. Farnon, who is now established rector of the Western District, has returned from a circuit through said district, and will per- form divine service at the academy on the 30th inst."
The foregoing were the first steps taken toward assembling and or- ganizing the now numerous body of Christians of this faith, who were
56
442
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
still so few and sparsely scattered that the whole Western District was included in one religious society. The first trustees of this church, St. John's, were John C. and N. Devereux, of Utica; James Lynch, until then a resident of Rome, but who about this time removed to Utica; Francis O'Toole, of Augusta ; and another from Johnstown. Measures were at once taken to erect a church edifice. The resident congrega- tion did not exceed twenty- five or thirty and these few contributed freely to defray the expense. Much generous assistance was also ac- corded by Protestants generally. Moreover the construction of the Erie Canal, now in progress, had caused a large immigration of Irish laborers, who, though poor and without homes, could not be denied the privileges of their own form of worship. From their scanty wages they each gave $I a month toward the building of the church. A lot was presented by Judge Morris S. Miller and wife on condition that it should revert to the owners or their heirs whenever it ceased to be used for the pur- pose for which it was given. This lot, on the corner of John and Bleecker streets, is the same that is now occupied by St. John's Church, though the building first placed thereon was afterward moved across Bleecker street to its lower side, where with some alterations it still stands. An Englishman named Crane took the contract for the erection of the building, and it went rapidly forward. The congregation in the meantime worshiped in the parlors of one or other of the Messrs. Dev- ereux, or on saints' days, and when unusual services were held, in the court-room of the academy building. When completed the church was a pretty Gothic structure of wood 45 x 60 feet, surmounted by a low spire, and painted white. It was consecrated on the 19th of August, 1821, by Rt. Rev. Bishop Connolly, assisted by Revs. O'Gorman, O'Connor, and Farnon. But though fit for use it was about two years before it was finished and only about ten pews were let at this time. Rev. Mr. Farnon's position was by no means a sinecure, since in addition to the superintendence of the erection of the church he was much occu- pied in ministering to the parishioners of his widely extended district, and in visiting the sick and destitute up and down the line of the canal. As a preacher he was plain and practical, and spoke without notes. The rectory, adjoining the church on the west side, and which has given way to the present one, was built in 1824. Mr. Farnon remained until
443
ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.
1825 and was succeeded by Rev. Richard Bulger, a talented young Irishman who remained two years. Rev. Charles Brennan succeeded Father Bulger, but on account of ill health he remained only nine months and removed to Paterson, N. J. Rev. John Shanahan was the next pastor, and probably came to Utica toward the end of August, 1825. There were then only sixteen Catholic families in Utica. Rev. Luke Berry was an assistant pastor under Father Shanahan from September 1, 1827, and when the latter left he acted as pastor until December 19, 1828. The congregation of St. John's now numbered 600 with a Sunday school of 85 scholars. Rev. Hatton Walsh was pastor from December 19, 1828, to November 24, 1829. He was succeeded by Rev. P. J. M. O'Reilly, who arrived August 14, 1829, and continued until November, 1830. Rev. Michael Cummings became pastor on December 1, 1830. He was first assisted by Rev. James B. Cahill, who came early in 1831 and became pastor March 6, 1832. During the prevalence of the epidemic of that year his labors were indefatigable. He remained until May 8, 1833, and on the 8th of June of the same year was succeeded by Rev. Walter Joseph Quarter as assistant. Through the generosity of John C. Devereux he brought hither the Sisters of Charity, who have cared for and instructed the children of the flock for more than half a century. Early in 1834 steps were taken for the erection of a larger and more commodious church. The corner- stone was laid in June, 1836, and it was completed before the end of the year. It was not as large as the present church, extending west only as far as the present galleries.
Rev. Walter J. Quarter took charge of the parish January 1, 1835, and the first. assistant pastor, Rev. William Beecham, began his labors December 23, 1836. Rev. Father P. Bradley also assisted the pastor. Rev. P. McCloskey became assistant pastor January 27, 1838, and was succeeded by Rev. D. W. Bacon, January 13, 1839. Rev. Francis Farrell took charge of the parish as pastor November 1, 1839, and re- mained until his death, which occurred in December of the following year. He was succeeded by Rev. John Loughlin, afterward bishop of Brooklyn, who remained until January 10, 1841, and was followed by Rev. Thomas Martin. He organized a temperance society and labored to suppress the evils of drunkenness. Rev. Joseph Stokes succeeded him
444
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
May 12, 1845, and remained six years, leaving the Albany diocese on account of ill health in February, 1851. He was succeeded in the fol- lowing month by Rev. Francis P. McFarland, who was pastor until March, 1858, at which time he was appointed third bishop of Hartford, in which see he was consecrated bishop March 14, 1858. Remembered as well for his sweet and kindly disposition as for his zealous labors for the church, it was during his pastorate that the Brothers of the Christian schools came to Utica. The Assumption Academy was opened Sep- tember 1, 1854. His assistants were Michael Clarke, who removed to Carthage in February, 1854; William Coghlan, afterward the first resi- dent pastor of Clinton; Eugene Carroll, who went to Port Leyden ; James Smith, afterward pastor at Fulton, N. Y .; John U. Herbst ; Dan- iel P. Falvey, who died while pastor in Schenectady ; John McDermott, afterward pastor at Oneida, was assistant under F. P. McFarland from August, 1855, to mid-lent in 1856, and was succeeded by William J. H. Maeyer, who remained until Father Daly took charge after Easter, 1858. Thomas Daly was appointed by the then Bishop McCloskey in April, 1858. His assistants were Rev. P. J. McGlynn, Eugene Carroll, Will- iam F. Sheahan, Francis J. Purcell, John McDonald, P. F. Smith, B. B. Grattan, William F. Smith, James M. Ludden, Aloysius Murphy, Luke G. O'Reilly, and Edward A. Terry, who remained until September 21, 1880. Under Father Daly's administration St. John's Church was greatly developed, and it soon became evident that a larger church and accommodations must be provided. The St. John's Building Associa- tion was organized with the object of aiding the pastor and securing the necessary funds for building the new church, and the work went rapidly forward. The corner-stone was laid on the 27th of June, 1869, and the edifice was finished in 1871.
It was under his administration, too, that the Christian Brothers opened an orphan asylum for boys in a portion of the school building of the Assumption Academy, March 25, 1862. These accommodations were soon found inadequate, and in 1869 a large building was erected on the corner of Rutger street and Taylor avenue, which is now known as St. Vincent's Male Orphan Asylum. This asylum is described a little further on.
Father Daly's health failed and Father Terry became acting pastor in
445
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH.
1879. As soon as it became evident that Father Daly's health would not be restored Rev. James M. Ludden, pastor of St. Mary's Church, Little Falls, was called to the position of acting pastor. Considerable trouble arose in the congregation during Father Ludden's administra- tion over the fact that a large number of the parishioners ardently de- sired that Father Terry should remain in charge. A petition was drawn up setting forth the grievances of the people and sent to Rome. Mean - while Father Ludden continued faithfully in the discharge of his duties in the parish. In January and February, 1882, a correspondence oc- curred between members of the church and Bishop McNierney, which resulted in the transfer of Father Ludden to St. John's Church, Albany, and the appointment as acting pastor of Rev. J. S. M. Lynch, who en- tered upon his duties February 18, 1882. Father Lynch remained with the church, conducting its affairs with success and to the satisfaction of its large congregation, until the beginning of 1887, when he was trans- ferred to Syracuse and was succeeded by Father Moriarity. His term of service was, however, very brief, for he died in November, 1887. Father T. F. Cullen was then called to the pastorate, but he, too, was called by his Master on the 9th of May, 1891. Father Lynch was then re- transferred from Syracuse and is the present pastor.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.