USA > New York > Orange County > Montgomery > The history of Montgomery classis, R.C.A. To which is added sketches of Mohawk valley men and events of early days, the Iroquois, Palatines, Indian missions, etc > Part 5
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1859), describes the "old church as made of rough limestone, gable- roofed, two windows on the end, and two more on the east, with the door between, all having the Norman arch above." The spire put on in 1795 had disappeared by this time (1859), leaving but a remnant of a tower. In 1868 this old stone church was demolished, most of the stone being used in the wall enclosure of the Mills' place at Fonda. Its only bell was from the confiscated sale of Sir John Johnson's property, held at Tribes Hill, and was formerly Sir Wil- liam's dinner bell. It weighed a hundred pounds and has on it the inscription, "Sir William Johnson, Baronet, 1774, made by Miller and Rosa in Eliz. Town." After the sale of the church the bell began its old work of calling the hungry to eat on the farm of Mr. Shull at Stone Arabia. It has been recast and the owner added his name to the inscription. Over the door of the old church was a stone tablet containing these words, "Komt laett ons op gaen to den Bergh desfeern, to den hmyse des Godes Jacobs, op dat by ous leere van syne wegen, eu dat my wand ele in syne paden." Micah 4.2.
In 1854 the Rev. Douw Van Olinda who was pastor at Caughna- waga from 1844 thro 1858 conducted the Fonda Academy in the old building, Jacob A. Hardenburgh, a Rutgers man was the principal. He was New York Senator for two terms (1870-1873).
The successor to Romeyn was Rev. Abraham Van Horne (1795- 1833). The consistory elected April 15, 1801, was Henry B. Vrooman, James Lansing, Cornelius Smith, and John Prentiss, elders, and John Dockstader, Barent Martin, John C. Davis, and John Stauring, deacons. During the last two years of Van Hornes pastorate the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Isaac S. Ketchum (cf Stone Arabia). The father of Van Horne was a commissary in the American army and when he resigned in 1783 the son was appointed in his place. Rev. Van Horne preached in both Dutch and English. He died in 1840, aged seventy-five. Rev. Robert A. Quinn was the third pastor (1833- 1835). He died at Snug Harbor in 1863 while serving his eleventh year as chaplain of the sailors' work there. Rev. Jacob D. Fonda came in 1835 and remained thro 1842. After several other pastorates he died in 1856 while pastor at Schaghticoke. Jeptha R. Simms, the historian, was active in the church at this time, playing a flute in the choir. During the years 1842 and 1843 the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Andrew Yates of Union College, Schenectady (cf Chittenango). Dr. Yates died in 1844 and is buried at Schenectady.
The new church building, dedicated in October, 1843, cost $3,500. It was located on the corner of Railroad avenue and Centre street. During Rev. Boyd's pastorate (1866) this building was moved from that site to its present location, and eleven thousand dollars spent in repairs and improvements. On the dedicatory program were Revs. I. N. Wyckoff of Albany, Stevenson of Florida, and Robb of Canajo- harie. In 1844 Rev. Douw Van Olinda came to the church and re- mained here until 1858, the year of his death. Van Olinda spent more than twenty years in the Montgomery Classis (Auriesville, Canajoharie, etc.). Rev. Philip Furbeck (father of Revs. George and Howard Fur- beck) was the next pastor (1859-1862). Mr. Furbeck had an active ministry of forty years in the Reformed church, another charge in this Classis being at St. Johnsville. He died in 1899. Rev. Wash- ington Frothingham, a retired Presbyterian minister living at Fonda, supplied the pulpit during 1863 and 1864. He died in 1914. He was
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popularly known in the literary world as "The Hermit of New York," an eccentric man of fine character and noble attain- ments. Rev. John C. Boyd came in 1865 and remained thro 1870 when he entered the Presbyterian church. He spent his last years, however, at Fonda, supplying for a number of years the church at Auriesville (cf). He died in 1901. He was admitted to the bar in 1857 and practiced law a few years. The pastorate of Rev. Thomas W. Jones was from 1870 thro a part of 1882. A great revival marked this ministry at Fonda. During this pastorate also a parsonage was secured and $10,000 spent on organ, repairs, etc. On February 10, 1863, the Board of Trustees of the church was incorporated, patterned after the incorporation of the Madison Avenue Reformed church of Albany. After two short pastorates in the west and a long one at Bedminster, N. J., Mr. Jones died at Brooklyn in 1909. He supplied his old pulpit during 1900 and 1901. Rev. John A. DeBaun was with the church from 1883 thro a part of 1900 and died on the field. He was tendered a professorship at Hope College while pastor here, but declined the same in favor of the church. Rev. J. C. Boyd filled the pulpit for a while after Dr. De Baun's death. Rev. J. Collings Caton spent three years on the field (1902-1904) going next to the 12th St. Church of Brooklyn and in 1915 becoming pastor of the First Pater- son (N. J.) Church. Rev. Wm. J. Lonsdale followed Rev. Caton and remained until 1910. He is now pastor of the Second Paterson (N. J.) Church. Rev. Henry C. Cussler, the present pastor, was formerly of Buffalo.
FORT PLAIN REFORMED CHURCH
The village of Fort Plain goes back beyond Revolution- ry times, the place undoubt- edly taking its name from Fort Plain which was built in 1776 about a third of a mile north-east of the "Sand Hill" church, which church was built about a mile above the present site of the village. Some have thot it derived its name from Fort Plank, built toward the close of the war and which was two and a half miles west of Fort Plain and a quarter of a mile from the river. The story of the "Sand Hill" church ought to be read in connection with this of Fort Plain, because of the close relationship of the two, Fort Plain being an outgrowth of the old church on the hill. The present church at Fort Plain was organized in 1831. The church at "Sand Hill" had about outlived its usefulness, but under the influence of Rev. Wack (cf "Sand Hill") who had been dropped by Classis, it was endeavoring to defeat the aim of the younger congregation,
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whose work was more opportune to the changed conditions of the community. Already the present village folk of Canajoharie had withdrawn from the hill church and the families at Fort Plain felt the distance too great to continue to go there. Accordingly a com- mittee of Classis, Revs. Welles and Gray, visited the field, looked carefully into the situation and reported back to Classis on February 7, 1832, about as follows,-"that the 'Sand Hill' church was domin- ated by Rev. John J. Wack, no consistory had been elected for a decade, the property was fast falling into ruin, the members were scattered, and the church defunct. On the other hand Montgomery Classis and the Domestic Board had organized this new (Fort Plain) church and it was deserving of the hearty support of all in that com- munity, and amply sufficient to supply their needs." The men be- hind the movement for this new church were Revs. Douw Van Olinda (cf Fonda) and Cornelius Van Cleef (classmate of Rev. Bethune at Utica). These men at the time were looking after the work of the Classis at Johnstown, Mayfield, Canajoharie, Palatine, Mapletown, Sprakers, Fort Plain, etc. In June, 1833, both the Reformed and Universalists began to build their edifices. 'Henry and Abram I. Fail- ing were the Reformed church builders. There was a great rivalry to see which would first raise the frame. The Reformed church builders won out while the carelessness of the others caused an accident which injured several men, one of whom died.
Rev. Nanning Bogardus was the first installed pastor of whom we have any definite record. He was to have been installed on December 26, 1833, and Rev. Bethune was to preach the sermon, but on the night of December 25, the church decorated for the occasion, was burned and Bogardus was not installed until April 15, 1834. Rev. Demarest (pastor 1884-1890) thinks Rev. John H. Pitcher was the first pastor because he was ordained at Fort Plain. Corwin's Manual places Pitcher at Herkimer and German Flatts during 1831- 1833, but this is an error since Domine Spinner was then pastor and for ten years longer. The Minutes of the Albany Part. Synod speak of him as a missionary at Fort Plain in 1831. We know, also, that Pitcher at this time was in the Second church of Herkimer, merged into the First church in 1836. The new church to take the place of the one burned was built in 1834. Mr. Bogardus remained with the enterprise but a little over four months. Later he spent ten years in the Classis as pastor of the churches at Canastota and Sprakers (cf). He died in 1868.
During 1835-1836 the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Arthur Burtis, a member of the Oxford Presbytery, who went to the Little Falls Presbyterian church on leaving Fort Plain, and, later, became Pro- fessor of Greek in Miami University. He was ordained to the ministry by the Classis of Montgomery (1835). He died in 1867. The church was incorporated at this time, February 2, 1836, the names of David Diefendorf and James Post (elders) and Abraham I. Failing (deacons) appearing on the record; also that of Rev. A. Burtis. Rev. John P. Pepper succeeded Burtis, remaining four years (1837-1840), and had another pastorate in the Classis at Warren (Herkimer county). He died in 1883, being without charge for thirty years. Rev. Samuel Van Vechten was the next pastor (1841-1844) and tho he broke down physically here he lived forty years more.
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He also served in the Classis at Mapletown, Johnstown, and at Union. He died in 1882.
Rev. Charles G. McLean (1844-1852) came to the church from the Newcastle Presbytery (Pa.) and entered educational work on leaving this field. The church greatly depreciated during his pas- torate owing to internal trouble. For three years McLean was on trial before the Classis and Synods. Rev. Martin L. Schenck (1853- a von, F. 1857) succeeded McLean and proved to be a great conciliator who & funci harmonized the various elements in the church. He had three pastor- 1879-192 ates after leaving Fort Plain (Rocky Hill, White Hall, Plattekill). He died in 1873. Rev. John G. Hall was the next pastor, coming in June, 1858 (1858-1864), and remained seven years, a fine character, a most helpful preacher and pastor. But this prosperous pastorate was followed by a seven years famine, a divided house,-only the name of a church,-and Classis seemingly unable to bring the prayed for peace to its Jerusalem. In the interim of the pastorate the pulpit was frequently supplied by Rev. G. D. Consaul (cf Herkimer) and Rev. Whittaker, a Presbyterian minister. Finally, by invitation of the Classis, Rev. Vermilye of the Utica church, and Revs. Clark and Elmendorf of the Albany churches mediated the matter with the congregation and again peace and prosperity ensued. Rev. Alexander B. Riggs was called and came to this, his first pastorate (1870-1876). and brot the church back to its former glory and efficiency. He was ordained by Montgomery Classis.
During this pastorate the building was remodeled at a cost of $13,000. A great revival conducted by Riggs swept over the com- munity and not only increased the membership of the church but gave spiritual tone to the whole work. Mr. Riggs next went to the West Troy (Watervliet) Presbyterian church. For many years he has been Professor Emeritus at the Lane Theological Seminary. A Board of seven Trustees was incorporated on February 24, 1867. to manage with the consistory the temporalities of the church. There is also a record at Fonda of a meeting of these trustees, August 19, 1869, at which D. S. Kellog presided and G. J. Pettit was the clerk. During the years when the church was without a settled pastor the pulpit was supplied for at least four years by Rev. Ganesvoort D. W. Consaul (1864-1868), a licentiate of the Schenectady Classis. Seven years later he was received into the Classis, ordained and in- stalled over the church at Mohawk (cf Herkimer). In 1879 he de- mitted the ministry. Rev. Mr. Whittaker also supplied the pulpit for about two years (1866-1868).
The successor to Dr. Riggs was Rev. Samuel J. Rogers (1876- 1879) who had been a pastor at Geneva (cf) for eight years, and came to Fort Plain from Port Jervis. On leaving the field he entered the Congregational body, serving it in Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa. He died May 3, 1910, having been for a decade the Secretary of the Minnesota Congregational Association. Rev. Denis Wortman came to the church from the old First church of Schenectady, in 1880, and resigned in 1883 to take up work at Saugerties. For a great many years he has most efficiently served the denomination as Secre- tary of their Ministerial Board of Relief. Rev. James Demarest be- came pastor in 1884, remaining seven years. His last work was in the Bethany church of Brooklyn. He died in 1913. Rev. Edward A. McCullum was the next to occupy the pulpit (1890-1900). Mr.
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McCullum has recently resigned his pastorate at Fishkill-on-Hudson to take up the work at Castleton. Rev. Arthur Dougall was called to the pastorate in 1900 and remained about three years. He next entered the Elmira Presbyterian church and died while pastor there in 1909. The present pastor at Fort Plain is Rev. Henry C. Willough- by who came on the field in 1904.
FORT HERKIMER REFORMED CHURCH
The corporate title of this church is "The Reformed Pro- testant Dutch church of German Flatts." The beginning of its history goes back to the settlement of the country in the years 1722 and 1723 when the Palatines came into the valley of the Mohawk from Schoharie. Of these Palatines and their migration to Ameri- ca and to this valley we have spoken in detail in the Notes. The Burnettsfield Patent of 9,186 acres, dated April 30, 1725, was given to ninety-two persons, one-fourth of whom were women. Their names can be found in Simms' "Frontier- men." The history of this church is linked with the work at Herkimer since from the start the people of the latter place depended upon the German Flatts preacher for services, and for half a century or up to 1841 there was an established dual pastorate in the two fields. The initial church building at German Flatts was a long structure in the woods, erected, doubtless, as the Palatines were wont to do, as one of the very first buildings, as early as 1723. This was their many House of God for a few years, sie In 1734 we find one Nicholas Feller, in a deed once owned by the Oneida Historical Society (Utica), granting his pew in the German Flatts church to his son-in- law, Han Nicholas Chrisman. The deeds for the land on which the church stands are two in number, one dated September 24, 1730 (now owned- by Mrs. Andrew-Bacon of Mohawk, N. V.) and another dated April 26, 1733. Undoubtedly with the granting of the first land the German Flatts church, the one now standing, was begun. About 1860 the holders of the Glebe lands refused to pay rent. Court of Chancery, Utica, decided against them. Over the original entrance on the river, or north side of the edifice one sees cut into the stone "J. H. Esq. 1767,"-referring to Johanns Herkimer, Esquire, the father of the conqueror on the Battle Field of Oriskany, Nicholas Herkimer. But the will quoted above, and deeds of land for church building, and old
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subscription lists still extant, and the old books of the treasurer, and appeals to Governor Clinton for permission to raise funds for com- pleting the church (1730, 1746, 1551, et al.) are abundant evidence that the date, 1767, does not refer to the beginning of the building of the church, but rather its completion. History also records how the settlers long before this date used the stone church as a means of refuge in times of Indian depredation. Johann Jost Herkimer built a stone house for himself in 17 later called "Konin" ("bear") =d General Herkimer built a brick house, evidencing the reasonableness of believing the stone church was begun soon after the settlement. Among the names of those who are found on the lists and in the books as subscribing toward the building of the church are eight each of Becker, Veeder and Vrooman. Others of note are, Yoost Werner, Heinrich Riemenschneider, Ludwig Rickert, Joseph R. Yates, Annaatzie Ziele, Birch Hagedoorn, Storm Becker, Johannes Schuyler (Rev.), Barent Kysley Meinert Wemp (Wemple), Reyer Baxter, Sanders Glen, Plantina Vrooman, Wilhelm Braun, Peter Man, God- fried Knieskern, Jacob Borst, Johannes Snal, Phillip Rily, Arent Bratt (some of these of Schenectady and Schoharie).
The German Flatts church is one of the very few oldest churches in the country. Originally it was forty-eight by fifty-eight and seventeen feet high, but in 1812 it was made eight feet higher, a gallery put in on three sides, the entrance changed from the north to the west side, and the high pulpit, with sounding board, placedx in the east or opposite end. These repairs cost $4,359, and William 4,265.49 Clapsaddle was the chairman of the building committee. On June 1, 1813, the German Flatts consistory met in the "new church" of Herkimer, and decided to hold services in the barn of Squire Fox till the church repairs were completed. At this time the inventory of the church (recorded at Herkimer, Bk. 67, P 115) included thirteen hundred and seventy-seven acres of land, the rent of which was $235. Also one acre in the church site and cemetery.
The Herkimer family, numerous and influential, perhaps second to the Johnson family in importance in the valley, all belonged to this church, and lie buried either in its acre or under the shadow of the old church. General Nicholas Herkimer (dec. August, 1777) and his four brothers and eight sisters, one of whom married Rev. Abra- ham Rosencrantz, pastor (1752-1796) were, with their numerous de- cendants, allied with the old church. George Rosencrantz, son of the domine, was active in the church from 1794 to 1838. The parents of the General are buried at the rear of the old stone church- close to the original entrance of the church. The name is various- ly spelled, as here, also Herchkeimer, Erghemar, Harkamar. The true German was Ergemon.
Two of the pastors of the church, the Rosencrantz brothers, were buried under the pulpit (when in the south end). Indeed part of the sub-cellar was used as a burial ground, and has some graves, each marked with a rude unlettered stone. This custom may have been the result of the scalp hunting Indians who were looking for the bounty offered by the English and who regarded this settlement as privileged ground for their trade. Wlien extensive repairs were made to the building in 1887 two long fluted pillars of cedar, originally painted white, were found beneath the floor, and parts of the first pulpit that stood in the south end of the church. Along with these
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repairs a new bell was put in, a lower platform erected under the high pulpit, and an arch built up over the gallery, concealing it. It is hoped that some day these innovations will be removed and this grand old edifice put back to its pristine conditions,-a standing monument of the valor and vigor of the German settlers of the Mo- hawk valley.
Fifty rods west of the church was built Fort Herkimer. Original- ly this was a stone dwelling house, built (172%) by the father of the General and where Nicholas the eldest son spent his boyhood. The father, Johann Jost Herkimer, deeded several hundred acres of land to the young man on his first marriage to Miss Petrie and he went from this old home to the town of Danube, three miles east, and built the brick house, to which he was brought after the Battle of Oriskany and 1764 where he died, surrounded by his family, to whom he read the thirty- seventh Psalm. The first home built by Johan Jost Herkimer was about half a mile east of the church, and in this home General Herkimer was born. Neither this building nor the old Fort are standing, the stones of the latter having been used to enlarge the locks of the Erie canal near-by when its capacity was doubled about 1840. Bronze tablets, erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution mark many of the spots of historic interest hereabouts. The fort was called by the French, Fort Kouari. In the Summer of 1783 Washington visited the place and the fort was provisioned for five hundred men for ten months, and Col. Marinus Willett put in command.
On September 6, 1756 Governor Hardy of New York ordered Sir William Johnson to send two hundred and fifty more soldiers (making five hundred in all) to German Flatts, and to go himself, . side if need be, to protect the settlement. Thrice was the village assailed by the Indians, 401. 1757 when it was burned with the gathered crops, forty of the people killed, and a hundred and fifty taken prisoners, and sixty houses burned (Canadian records). In September, 1756, a breast work was built about the Jchurch. On April 30, 1758, a o.rideraid occurred, when the Indians, with the help of the French killed thirty. A settlement seems to have been also on the north -side of the river since it is told us that in 1758 tho warned of the coming of the savages, the settlers would not believe the friendly Indians: When at last these came the minister (Rosencrantz) and some others sought safety in the old stone church. In 1782 Brant with a hundred and fifty-two Indians and three hundred Tories again laid waste the settlement. August Hess lost his life. A hundred and twenty houses and barns were burned and six hundred head of cattle stolen.
Lieutenant Colonel John Brown (cf Note on Battle of Stone Arabia) was stationed here for thirteen months beginning April 1, 1776. Four years later he was killed at the Battle of Stone Arabia, October 19, 1780. Here also General Benedict Arnold, the only officer in Schuyler's command who would dare the journey, tarried for a few days on his way to the relief of Fort Stawki near the Oriskany Battle Field (Rome), and where the Stars and Stripes were for the first time in this country flung to the breeze. Arnold had twelve hundred men here, axd ffom German Flatts he started out the half-witted youth to strike terror into the hearts of St. Leger's Indians, still investing Fort Staww, and which caused them to beat
story find told 50 yrs Laterby 46 Bevor Duright
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a precipitate retreat with loss of nearly all their camp equipment. It was to German Flatts, also, that the renegade Tory, Walter Butler, came, after the Oriskany battle, with fourteen Tories and as many Indians, seeking to influence the settlers against Independence. He was apprehended, convicted as a spy, and sentenced to death. Thro the influence of his family connection he was imprisoned at Albany, from which confine he soon escaped, to wreak his diabolical vengeance on the men, women and children of the Mohawk valley. Two great councils of the Indians were held at German Flatts, one by Tarbot Francis et al on June 28, 1775, when the Oneidas and Tuscaroras agreed to remain neutral; and another council on August 16, 1775, from which a large delegation of the Indians was sent to a still larger council at Albany. On June 28, 1785 at a treaty conducted here the Oneidas and Tuscaroras (always friendly to the colonists), sold to the State all the land between the Unadilla and the Chenango rivers.
It was from German Flatts that Col. Charles Clinton (father of Governor George Clinton and grandfather of DeWitt Clinton) marched in the summer of 1758 to the capture of Fort Frontenac from the French. One of the first Liberty Poles erected in the country was at German Flatts. Sheriff White of Tryon county brot a large body of militia from Johnson and cut it down. In 1772. Gov. Tryon was here on an inspection of the troops.
German Flatts was formed as a district of Tryon county on March 24, 1772. In some of the older histories, and on some of the older church records, the place is called "Burnettsfield," because one of the English governors of that name owned most of the land originally. When the settlement was made at German Flatts the place was in Albany county, then in 1772 in Tryon county, then in 1784 taken from Montgomery county and made a part of Herkimer county. The village now has a population of a little more than a hundred, and is easily reached from Herkimer, from which it is distant about two miles, east.
The first known minister at German Flatts was the Rev. Johannes Schuyler, who was pastor at Stone Arabia and Schoharie. Among the names of the first subscribers to the building fund of the church we-find the name of this minister. He had married in 1743 Annatje Veeder of Schenectady and was forty years in the Schoharie church (cf Stone Arabia). Mr. Schuyler supplied German Flatts until the coming of Rev. George Michael Weiss who was the first permanent pastor in the field. Rev. Weiss came to this field in 1736 from Coxsackie and remained here ten years. This is the first mention we have ever noticed of either of these two men in connection with this church. In a letter sent to the Classis of Amsterdam (Holland), April 24, 1738, Rev. Weiss signs himself, "Reformed pastor at Bur- netsfield (German Flatts) in the county of Albany." Another letter of Weiss bears date of December 16, 1744 (cf Stone Arabia also in re to Weiss). The name of "Burnettsfield" was a temporary designa- tion, resulting from the original ownership of the land, Governor William Burnett.
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