USA > New York > Tioga County > Owego > Owego. Some account of the early settlement of the village in Tioga County, N.Y., called Ah-wa-ga by the Indians, which name was corrupted by gradual evolution into Owago, Owego, Owegy and finally Owego > Part 38
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The meeting house was dedicated Jan. 8, 1835, and was occupied as a place of worship twenty years. The dedication sermon was preached by Rev. Mr. Corwin.
The Old Town Clock.
In the steeple of this meeting house was placed the first and only town clock ever seen at Owego. It was the invention of Charles Frederick John-
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son, of the town of Tioga, and was constructed by him and John J. Speed, of Ithaca. May 22, 1846, a contract was made between Mr. Johnson and Joel L. Pinney, clerk of the board of trustees of the church, in which con- sent was given to Mr. Johnson to put the town clock in their meeting house at nis own expense and keep it there three months on trial. If the clock should not keep accurate time, Mr. Johnson was to remove it and put the building in as good order as before; if the clock should keep accurate time Mr. Johnson was to remove it or let it remain, at his option.
The clock was put into the steeple accordingly and was in running order in the following September. It had four dials and was run by huge weights. It was arranged with a strik- ing apparatus and the hours were struck upon the church bell.
No provision had been made by the village to purchase it, nor did it, in some respects, give satisfaction. Johnson & Speed, in May, 1847, made some alterations in it, to ensure it keeping better time and offered to sell it to the village for $200, which amount was also to cover the cost of the dials and the expense of winding it, up to that time, at the same time engaging to keep it in good order for two years. The price was about one- half that of an ordinary town clock.
At the time of the annual election for village officers, June 7, 1847, John- son & Speed's communication was read and it was voted to pay them $200, provided a larger dial was put on and painted black with the hands and hours in gilt letters. Mr. Johnson agreed to comply with the terms stipu-
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lated and also agreed to have the new dial and hands in place within six weeks, which was done accordingly.
Wakeley Spencer was employed to wind, oil, and keep the clock in order when it was first put up, and he was paid at the rate of $10 a year. The second year the village trustees de- cided to let it to the lowest bidder and it was given to William Manning at the same price. Mr. Spencer was the sexton of the church and his bid was $25. The result was that the church trustees would allow no one but Mr. Spencer to go into the building for the purpose of winding the clock, giv- ing as a reason that the clock inter- fered with the ringing of the bell and made it much harder to ring.
At the same time a petition, signed by about seventy of the leading citizens was presented to the village trustees, praying that the clock might be re- moved to some place where access might be had to it for the purpose of winding it. No action was taken, but Mr. Spencer continued to wind the clock and was paid at the rate of $15 a year. The clock was wound subse- quently by Hiram Ferguson and after- ward by Thomas Williams.
In February, 1849, the clock got out of order and Johnson & Speed were notified to repair it. The church bell was also cracked by the striking ap- paratus. At the annual election for village officers on the 4th of the fol- lowing June, resolutions were adopted directing the trustees to remove the clock unless they could have access to the building, to wind and repair it, and authorizing them to appropriate $100 toward purchasing a new bell, provided that on examination it should
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be found that the clock was the cause of the breaking of the bell.
October 6, 1856, a communication was received from the Baptist society calling attention to the necessity of removing the town clock, as the meet- ing house was to be removed and a new church built in its place. The street commissioner was accordingly directed by the trustees to take down the clock and take charge of it. The clock was taken to Mr. Johnson's house and was never again used.
The church was altered and re- paired in February, 1842. A one-story building for a conference room was built in Church street, south of the church, in the spring of 1844, at a cost of $300, with money raised by sub- scription. It was built by Ambrose Townsend, a member of the society.
The society continued to prosper and the congregation increased in number so that in 1856 it was decided to tear down or sell the meeting house and build a larger one of brick in its place. The old building was sold to Ezra Canfield, who removed it to the lot where Gen. I. B. Ogden's cabinet shop had been burned on the north side of Main street. opposite the present Owego hotel. The gallery was extended over the whole building and the second floor thus made was used as a public hall.
The attempt to move the meeting house was a failure at first. The con- tractor succeeded in moving it on rollers into Main street, but could get it no further than a little west of Church street, where it stood several days, blocking the street. Then R. H. Hall, a member of the congregation, who had a patent stump puller, under-
-
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took to finish the work and did so with his machine.
William P. Raymond in March 1866, purchased the building and converted a portion of it into a meat market. John Phelps had a tin shop in part of it, and another part was occupied as a carpenter shop by Wm. H. Perry and Albert Robertson. The part back of their places of business was rented as living rooms. In the night of Satur- day, Dec. 13, 1868, a fire broke out in the building, burning it to the ground, together with another wooden build- ing adjoining it.
The new Baptist church was built by James A. Dean. Its construction was begun in December, 1856, and the foundation was laid the next April. It was finished in December and dedi- cated January 14, 185S. Rev. William H. King, the pastor of the church, preached the dedication sermon in the forenoon on the rise and progress of the church since its organization, and in the evening Rev. A. H. Burlingham, a former pastor, preached.
The new church cost $16,000. Be- fore its construction, the vacant ground east of the church lot was pur- chased for $515, in the summer of 1851.
The two towers at the corners of the church at the north end were con- sidered ungainly, and in 1869 it was decided to replace them with others that would be more in harmony with modern architecture. The work was done in the spring of 1870, the mason work by J. S. Houk and A. H. Keeler, and the carpenter work by Jas. A. Dean and Miles F. Howes. The north wall and the greater part of the west wall were taken down and a portion
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
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of the building was extended out toward Church street to make an al- cove for the organ and choir. One of the towers was converted into a handsome steeple and the other into. a tower of modern shape. The build- ing was covered with a slate roof. A baptismal pool was constructed back of the pulpit, separated therefrom by sliding doors. The interior of the church was handsomely frescoed.
Attached to the church at the south end was built a large brick addition for a conference room two stories high. In the back part are a ladies* parlor and other rooms. In the second story are the Sunday school rooms. The cost of the entire work was be- tween $15,000 and $20,000.
The reconstructed edifice was dedi- cated March 16, 1871, Rev. Dr. E. Dodge, president of Madison univer- sity, preaching the dedication sermon.
In the summer of 1896 the church was again remodeled. The level floor was removed and a new sloping floor built in its place, which is three feet higher at the entrance to the building than at the altar. The pews were made of semi-circular form. The work was done by contract by Lucius Ford and the improvements cost about $4,500.
May 1, 1863, the Baptist society pur- chased of David Mersereau for $500 the house and lot east of and adjoin- ing the church grounds, and the house has ever since been occupied by the pastor of the church as a parsonage.
The pastors of the Baptist church have been as follows:
Rev. Samuel W. Ford, April, 1832- June, 1833.
Rev. James R. Burdick, June 12, 1833-June 10, 1836.
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Rev. Alonzo Wheelock, March 1837- 1838.
Rev. Philetus B. Peck, March, 1838- August, 1847.
Rev. Beaven, 1847-March 1848.
Rev. Albert L. Post, June, 1848-June, 1849.
Rev. James H. Pratt, Sept. 1, 1849- Jan., 1850.
Rev. Charles Morton, March 11, 1850-Dec. 29, 1850.
Rev. Aaron H. Burlingham, March, 1851-September, 1852.
Rev. J. M. Cooley, 1853-1854.
Rev. William H. King, June, 1854- 27 March, 1881.
Rev. Latham A. Crandall, May 22, 1881-Sept, 1, 1884.
Rev. Reuben E. Burton, Dec. 27, 1884-Feb. 20, 1889.
Rev. W. A. Granger, July, 1889-June 29, 1894.
Rev. Milton F. Negus, October, 1894- Aug. 31, 1897.
Rev. Peter B. Guernsey, September, 1897-October 1, 1899.
Rev. Riley A. Vose, October, 1899-
James R. Burdick, the first pastor of this church, was a graduate of Brown university. He came to Owego from Ithaca. In June, 1836, he re- signed his pastorate and removed to Lisle, Broome county.
After the departure of Mr. Burdick, Rev. H.G. Chase preached a few weeks, but in August, 1836, declined the pas- torate, which was tendered to him. Mr. Wheelock began his pastorate in March, 1837, and preached his farewell sermon Feb. 25, 1838.
Rev. Philetus B. Peck was born at New Woodstock, Madison county, N. Y., in 1809. He was educated for the ministry at Hamilton college. He died October 6, 1847, while on a visit to his birthplace in Madison county.
Mr. Peck was one of the pioneers in the anti-slavery movement, and in
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those days the abolitionists were very unpopular with the people. Having the courage of his convictions, Mr. Peck at the outset of his pastorate preached a sermon in which he made an attack. upon slavery, which so in- censed some of his hearers that at its close he was asked by the deacons to meet them and some of the older members of the church in the vestry. He was there informed that his senti- . ments on this question were distaste- ful to them and that the matter of slavery should not be referred to again by him in the pulpit. Mr. Peck re- plied that he should be discreet, but should never compromise his convic- tions, and would denounce the sin of slavery whenever he should deem it wise to do so. His defence of his course was so strongly made that it was finally decided that he should be allowed to act upon his own convic- tions.
In December, 1839, Mr. Peck pur- chased of J. L. Pinney a lot on the north side of main street, nearly op- posite Ross street, where he built a house, in which he lived during the rest of his life and which was occu- pied by his family after his death.
In March, 1897, a sermon in memory of Mr. Peck was preached by Rev. M. F. Negus, when two circular granite tablets, each 18 .nones in diameter, on the south wall of the church were un- veiled. On one tablet in carved let- ters, gilded, are the words: "In loving memory of Rev. Philetus B. Peck, our Pastor. 1838-1847." On the other tablet is the following inscription : "In loving memory of Rev. William Harvey King, D. D., our pastor. 1854- 1SS1.
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For many years a white marble monument stood in the northeastern part of the church yard, which monu- ment was placed there in Mr. Peck's memory. It bears the following in- scription: "In memory of Rev. Phile- tus B. Peck, late pastor of the First Baptist church in Owego, who died Oct. 6, 1847, aged 38 years. His last words were, 'The will of the Lord be done; the will of the Lord be done,' and then fell asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep, from which none ever wake to weep. This monument was erected by the young ladies and gentlemen and Sabbath school scholars of the Baptist church and society in Owego in memory of their beloved pastor and Sabbath school superintendent." Soon after the unveiling of the tablet in Mr. Peck's memory inside the church the monument was removed to Evergreen cemetery.
William F. Warner says of Mr. Peck:
"He was one of the leading clergy- men of his denomination and a natural leader of the people, one who exerted an influence, not only through- out his own particular congregation but throughout the town and county. He was also a prominent man in the councils of the Baptist denomniation. He was a man of judgment and discre- tion, and possessed the love and re- spect of all. His death was felt as a public loss, and his memory is cherished by all who knew him."
After Mr. Peck's death there was for a few months no settled pastor. Revs. Jabez Swan and John Peck. father of P. B. Peck, preached until Mr. Bevan came in the winter of 1847- 8. Mr. Bevan resigned his pastorate in March, 1848.
Mr. Post preached a year in 1848-9. Mr. Pratt was pastor only four
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months. In January, 1850, he resigned on account of ill health. Mr. Morton preached only seven months. He came here from Newark, N. J.
Rev. Aaron H. Burlingham was a man of great ability. He came here from Pittsburgh, Pa. He resigned his pastorate to accept a call from Bos- ton, Mass. He died March 1, 1905, at Mount Vernon, N. Y., aged 83 years.
Rev. William H. King, a self-edu- cated man, a scholar, and one of the
REV. WILLIAM H. KING.
ablest of all the pastors of this church, was born Oct. 8, 1820, in the town of Otsego, Otsego county, N. Y. His father died when he was nine years old and six years later he came to live with his brother, a lumberman and farmer on Shepard's creek, two miles north of Factoryville, now east Wa- verly. Here, when not engaged at work for his brother, he studied Latin,
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Greek, Hebrew, and French. From 1843 to 1848 he taught school at Wa- verly, and while thus engaged began preaching. In 1849 he was ordained to the ministry at Athens, Pa., and assumed the pastorate of the Baptist church there. He came to Owego in March, 1854, and was pastor of the Baptist church here 27 years, when he resigned his pastorate on account of ill health. He was a profound student, a deep thinker, and a sound reasoner. As a recreation he studied medicine, but did not practise. He preached against slavery and for temperance, and was a vigorous supporter of the government during the civil war. He was interested in local public affairs and was one of the trustees of the old Owego academy and when the schools were consolidated under the union school law in 1864 he was elected a member of the board of school com- missioners and was twice re-elected. He was broad in his views, firm in his beliefs, and always fearless in express- ing them.
Rev. L. A. Crandall was a graduate of Hillsdale college, Michigan. He was graduated from the Rochester theological seminary May 18, 1881, and came at once to Owego. In July, 1884. he resigned his pastorate and became pastor of the Twenty-third Street Bap- tist church in New York city. In February, 1889, he went to Cleveland, Ohio, having accepted a call to the Euclid Avenue Baptist church.
Rev. R. E. Burton came to Owego from Buffalo. He was opposed to dancing and card playing, and "having the courage of his convictions" he condemned them in his sermons. Some of the members of his congrega-
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tion took offence at his course, and as a disposition was manifested to re- duce his salary, in order to compel him to resign, he did resign. This was in February, 1887. The opposition to his leaving, however, was so great that he afterward acceded to the request of a committee and withdrew his resig- nation. In 1889 he resigned his pas- torate and became pastor of the Dela- ware Street Baptist church in Syra- cuse.
Rev. W. A. Granger resigned his pastorate here in June, 1894, to accept a call to the Baptist church at Mount Vernon, N. Y., with a larger salary. He was pastor of that church until April 16, 1908, when he preached his farewell sermon, having resigned to take the presidency of the Baptist mis- sionary convention of the state of New York.
Rev. Milton F. Negus came from Minneapolis, Minn., in August, 1894, to accept the pastorate of this church, and began his duties on the first Sun- day in October. In May, 1897, he re- ceived a call to the First Baptist church of Brooklyn and assumed the pastorate there on Sept. 1. Mr. Negus is a son of Rev. C. R. Negus, who was for forty years a successful pastor in central New York. He was educated at Colgate university and Rochester theological seminary, graduating from the latter institution in 1887. He was at once called to the pastorate of the Fourth Baptist church of Minneapolis, Minn., where he remained seven years and until he came to Owego.
After having filled the pastorate of the Owego church two years, Rev. P. B. Guernsey resigned in September, 1899, to take the presidency of Roger
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Williams university at Nashville, Tenn., a college which prepares young colored men for the ministry under control of the Boston home mission society. Before coming to Owego Mr. Guernsey was a teacher in Cook acad- emy at Montour Falls and was later in the railroad business at Elmira. He prepared himself for the ministry and he and his wife went as missionaries to India. A few years ago the univer- sity building at Nashville was burned and was not rebuilt. Since that time Mr. Guernsey has been engaged in mission work in New York city.
Rev. Riley A. Vose, the present pas- tor was born at Spencer in this county June 21, 1859. He was graduated from Colgate academy in 1881, from Madi- son university in 1885, and from Ham- ilton theological seminary in 1887. His first pastorate was that of the Baptist church at Madison, N. Y., where he remained from Jan. 1, 1888, to June 1, when he was called to the pastorate of the Albany Avenue Bap- tist church at Kingston, N. Y., and preached there two and one-half years. January 1, 1892, he assumed the pas- torate of the Tabernacle Baptist church at Utica. He remained there nearly four years. In October, 1895, he became pastor of the North Avenue Baptist church at Cambridge, Mass., and preached there until May, 1889, when he resigned on account of ill health and went to Europe to recuper- ate. At a farewell reception given to Mr. and Mrs. Vose the congregation presented to them a purse of $1,500. Upon his return, his health having im- proved, he accepted a call to the Owe- go church and began his duties here in October, 1899.
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A History of St. Pauls Episcopal Church from Its Organization in 1834 to the Present Time. with Some Account of the Church Edi- fices and the Rectors of the Church.
The third church organized at Owe- zo was St. Paul's Episcopal church, which was organized Feb. 10, 1534. by Rev. James D. Carder, who came from Ithaca for that purpose. The name of the organization was "The Rector, Churchwardens. and Vestrymen of St .- Paul's Church in the village of Owe- go." John Watson and Thomas Far- rington were chosen wardens and Dr. Jedediah Fay. Col. Samuel Rockwood, Charles C. Noble, George Bacon, Har- mon Pumpelly, John Howland, Robert Charles Johnson, and Sheldon Osborne vestrymen. At this time there were only three communicants, Mrs. Gad Worthington. Mrs. Samuel Rockwood, and Mrs. Hyde. Church services were held at the old Presbyterian session house, or lecture room as it was then called, on the east side of Court street.
In November, 1:33, Mr. Carder, who was rector of St. John's church ai Ithaca, wrote to Mr. Farrington saying that he expected to have a leisure Sunday after Thanksgiving day and that if it should be the general wish of those concerned. he would render some service in organizing a parish here during the fall or winter. Mr. Carder came here later and organized the church. He preached here every other week a few months.driving over from Ithaca for that purpose. In May, 1:34, owing to ill health, he left Ithaca to spend the summer on the Atlantic coast
Rev. Dr. Carder came to Ithaca in
.
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1831. When he left there, in 1834, he went to Connecticut. He was after- ward appointed secretary of the Epis- copal Board of Foreign Missions, and held that position at the time of his death, about the year 1867.
Rev. Ezekiel G. Gear, who succeeded Mr. Carder as rector of St. John's church at Ithaca, held church services at Owego, beginning in March, 1835. Mr. Gear was the second rector of St .- John's church, preaching there from 1823 to 1828, and again from 1834 to 1836. He went from Ithaca to the west as a pioneer missionary.
Rev. John Baily, who was then a deacon, was the first settled clergy- man of St. Paul's church. He first came here in the fall of 1837 and held services every other week at the Pres- byterian session house during the win- ter. He also held services at Candor and Richford. He was regularly called to the pastorate of St. Paul's in March, 1838. Church services were now held at the court house. Mr. Baily was ordained to the priesthood in April. He remained as rector of the church three years. In February, 1841, Mr. Baily, who for a year had been pre- vented by ill health from conducting services, resigned the pastorate, say- ing that on account of his health he could not continue his duties in the ministry. He afterward lived at Fayetteville, N. Y., where he died a few years ago.
In 1839 the society built its first church. The ground on which it was erected was owned by James Pum- pelly, and was the same land on the south side of Main street where the rectory now stands. This was a part of the Pumpelly orchard, and was
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deeded to the society April 14, 1840. Mr. Pumpelly gave the society the use of the ground so long as it should be occupied for church purposes. The church was consecrated May 17, 1840, by Rt. Rev. Wm. H. Delancey, bishop of the diocese of western New York.
The church was in size 58 by 38 feet, including the vestibule. The roof in front projected from the building and was sustained by four large square pillars. A square bell tower was on the peak of the roof at the front. A bell was not placed in the tower until 1855. It was purchased by ladies of the church and their friends and weighed about 1,200 pounds. The church lot was enlarged on the south and west sides by gift from George J. Pumpelly April 6, 1850, making the lot 58 feet wide in front and 100 feet deep. The church was enlarged in the summer of 1850. The rear of the edifice was cut off and a section of several feet in length inserted. The number of pews was increased. A Sunday school room was fitted up in the basement, but this basement was damp and was not much used. The changes cost about $1,000. While the improvements were in progress church services were held at Fay's hall in Front street.
Further enlargement and improve- ments were made in November and December, 1856. by builders Ferguson and Ebenezer Tucker after plans by architect Charles Babcock, of New York city. The altar was at the south end of the church. There was a long reading desk, from which the services were conducted, and back of that a high pulpit, from which the rector preached his sermons. These were
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removed when the church was en- larged in 1856, and more modern ones placed in an extension made for the purpose at the rear of the church. Transepts were built on each side of the church in front of the altar rail, making the edifice of a cruciform shape, in which transepts additional pews were placed. The partition which separated the auditorium from the vestibule under the gallery at the north end of the church was removed and the gallery was torn down. In the space where the vestibule had been twelve new pews were placed. The organ and choir were placed on a platform about four feet high be- tween the doors at the entrance of the church. Stained glass windows were put in place of the old ones. The whole whole interior of the edifice was improved and beautified and it was re- opened for public worship Jan. 11, 1857. While the church was undergo- ing these improvements services were held at the village hall in Main street. Other improvements were made to the church in the fall of 1863 and the fall of 1865.
In the spring of 1873 Richard H. Sackett, who had purchased the John H. Avery property in east Front street, which consisted of the ground on which the houses of Dr. E. D. Downs and Joel C. Kenyon now stand, to- gether with all the property of equal width on the south side of that street offered the property as a gift to St .- Paul's church, with the condition that the society should erect a church on the north side of the street within four years,to cost not less than $15,000, the lot on the south side of the street
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to be used as a site for a parsonage. Between $10,000 and $11,000 were raised by subscription, but the balance could not be obtained.
In the spring of 1891 the question of building a new church edifice was agitated. The heirs of Geo. J. Pum- pelly, through gift and purchase, had given their interest in the church lot to the society. A member of the so- ciety offered to pay for additional land at the west of and adjoining the church lot and give it to the society, but nothing was done in the matter. A year later, in April, 1892, the lot at the northwest corner of Main and Liberty streets was purchased of Mrs. S. J. Ogden for $2,500. The church was built in 1893 with money raised by the ladies' guild of the church. The architect was William Halsey Wood, of Newark, N. J.
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