USA > New York > Steuben County > Bath > The official records of the centennial celebration, Bath, Steuben County, New York, June 4, 6, and 7, 1893 > Part 3
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In 1814 there moved to what is now Cold Springs, the remarkable wom- an to whom, under God, St. Thomas owes its origin, Mrs. Elizabeth Hull
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THE CENTENNIAL OF BATH.
Townsend. She was born and bred in Connecticut, permeated with the churchly zeal of the people of Seabury. She had just come from Troy, N. Y., fresh from the successful founding of a since famous seminary for young ladies. In her first acquaintance with the town, Mrs. Townsend found matters, both temporal and spiritual, at a low ebb in Bath. The people were depressed through failure of crops, and the frosty seasons appear to have chilled whatever religious zeal they may have had.
Mrs. Townsend had reported herself to the Rev. Mr. Clarke, of Geneva, the nearest Church clergyman. Her private journal tells of a horseback ride to that place, carrying her young child to receive Holy Baptism. At this time she seems to have presented to Mr. Clarke the urgent claims of this new settlement for missionary work. He in turn spoke of it to Bishop Hobart, who had the whole State of New York as his Diocese. The good Bishop, much against his will, was compelled from dire necessity to neg- lect this and similar demands made upon him. His hands were tied ; he could do nothing. Mrs. Townsend, the meanwhile, in patience possessed her soul, praying and hoping for the time, soon coming, when her dreams for her new home were to be realized. Her heart was cheered in 1815, when there rode to her door the long-looked-for clergyman. He proved to be the Rev. Caleb Hopkins, a veteran of the Revolutionary war, from Mauch Chunk, Pa. He was prevailed upon to stay over the Sunday and hold a service in the old Court House, which apparently he was only too glad to do. For a half dozen years this veteran of the Cross, curious mix- ture of soldier and priest, visited this region, as the opportunity presented itself, removing, in 1823, to Angelica, officiating at these two points until his death in the following year.
The place of meeting in Bath continued to be the Court House, which was also occupied by a small company of Presbyterians, gathered through the care of the Rev. Mr. Niles. The stated services held by Mr. Hopkins in Bath produced some fruit, and his memory is justly held sacred here, one of our beautiful traceried windows perpetuating his name forever. He died in the 69th year of his age.
At this point we may properly introduce two stories illustrative of Mrs. Townsend and her spirit Churchwise. At the time of the first service, it is said that Mr. Hopkins hesitated about the use of the Prayer Book and surplice, on the ground of the prejudices of the people. "But," said Madame Townsend, "if you do not use them, how can the people know what the Church is like?" It is also told of her that, before the coming of Mr. Hopkins, she was invited to teach in the Presbyterian Sunday school. She promised to do so when consent was given her to instruct her class in our Church Catechism. O si sic omnes!
From such anecdotes we readily understand that nothing daunted this very remarkable woman. Nor are we surprised to find that in 1825, largely
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HISTORICAL SERMON, ST. THOMAS CHURCH.
through her efforts, the Bishop is prevailed upon to appoint a regular clergyman for this field. The missionary sent proved just the man required. His name was William W. Bostwick, a newly ordained deacon, who held his first service in Bath, May 23, 1825. At the outset, only a portion of his time was devoted to this vicinity, as Angelica, Dansville, Penn Yan and parts adjacent, formed a portion of his cure.
The permanency of our Church in Bath, however, was now assured. At a duly called meeting, held April 19, 1826, the organization of Saint Thomas parish was effected. We appreciate a little the situation when we remember that to find another parish of our Church, a journey must have been taken to the east as far as Broome county, while on the west our near- est neighbor would have been found in Chautauqua, or, in a northerly direction, at Geneva. There were not a dozen communicants of our Church in the whole of this part of the county.
The first vestry was gathered from almost every part of our present Assembly district. Its members were the following representative men : The wardens elected were Zalmon Toucey, of Campbelltown, and Nehe- miah White, of Avoca. As vestrymen were chosen Paul C. Cook, of Cohocton ; Selah Barnard, of Pratt's Town ; John B. Mitchell, of Wayne ; John D. Dent, of Campbelltown, and the following residents of Bath, viz : Col. W: H. Bull, Dugald Cameron, John Brown and William Gamble. Col. Bull, at his death, in 1883, had served continuously for 57 years in the vestry of St. Thomas church. In 1876, he was the sole survivor of the original corporation of the parish.
In the years next following, many familiar names appear, very many of whose descendants are foremost in our parochial activities at the pres- ent day. Of the exact condition of parish affairs during these next few years but very little is known. The private journal of Mr. Bostwick speaks of labors abundant, the establishment of parishes in such places as Penn Yan, Hammondsport, &c., and the faithful discharge, under trying cir- cumstances, of the arduous duties of a pioneer of the Gospel. For con- venience sake at this time he made his home in Hammondsport.
After a few years, St. Thomas had reached such a point of strength that it was deemed wise to consider the subject of a building of its own. Hitherto our worship had been conducted in the Court House, or the chapel of. the Wesleyans. A lot was obtained on the south-east of Pulteney Square, on which was erected, in 1836, the first Episcopal church in Bath. Its completion really marks a most important epoch in our parochial his- tory. Probably not a few of my hearers to-day have seen that little frame structure, with its Doric front and shapely cupola, whose interior was adorned with the then usual arrangement in the chancel of high pulpit and reading desk below, to say nothing of the square, high-backed pews. Humble and unpretentious in comparison with our present beautiful
.
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THE CENTENNIAL OF BATH.
edifice, yet it was no mean exponent of the love and devotion of our fathers, $4,000 being expended upon it, for those days a very large sum of money. The original seating capacity was a little over 150.
In 1840, Mr. Bostwick, feeling that Bath demanded the entire, undi- vided attention of a clergyman, sent his resignation to the vestry, who accepted it with great regret. (Mr. Bostwick removed to Joliet, Illinois, where he died in 1845). With unusual promptness, in a very few days the vestry invited the Rev. Phineas L. Whipple to become their Rector, though at a small stipend. He accepted, and for a few years labored here with great acceptance until his tragic death in 1844, cut short a career of very great promise for the church." He was 53 years of age at the time of his decease, as was my immediate predecessor, if I mistake not, who also died while Rector of this parish. A noteworthy incident of Mr. Whipple's rectorship was the acquirement by the corporation, through the liberality of William M. McCay, of the plot of ground in the cemetery, known as the "Church Plot." This has ever since been under the control of our vestry, being cared for by a trust fund obtained for this purpose. The deed of gift was presented at the last meeting presided over by Mr. Whip- ple. Of the eleven persons present at that meeting, not one is now living, the mortal remains of most of them resting in that sacred plot of ground. Beautiful windows in the chancel of our present church perpetuate the memory of these faithful servants of God, Bostwick and Whipple.
Not more than a month after the loss of their lamented Rector, the vestry secured another pastor in the person of the Rev. William D. Wil- son, who since has occupied many a distinguished place in the councils of the Church. Coming to Bath in the strength of young manhood, he soon gave evidence of that wealth of power and learning which has made his name venerated wherever it is known. He was a preacher to whom all gladly listened, a pastor whose counsel was eagerly sought. A close and careful student, he must have been pursuing in Bath those lines of thought, the fruit of which appear in his widely circulated book, "The Church Identified," published in 1848, two years after he left Bath. As you know, he has occupied leading chairs in Hobart College and Cornell University, besides having been a deputy to every General Convention since 1841.
In 1846, Mr. Wilson was called to Hobart, and the Rev. Levi H. Corson became Rector of St. Thomas, filling the office most acceptably for four years, until his resignation, in 1850. Of this period of parish history the records say almost nothing. Upon my study wall there hangs a most curious and complicated " Perpetual Calendar or Almanac " (his invention),
* In the address of Rev. L. M. Miller, D. D., delivered on Tuesday evening, will be found an account of the circumstances attending his decease.
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HISTORICAL SERMON, ST. THOMAS CHURCH.
attesting alike to his mechanical ingenuity and mathematical skill. He died a few years ago in Michigan.
With the next rectorship, we may be said to be coming to modern his- tory. In converse with my people, I have found many, who would be unwilling to be classed as even middle-aged, having distinct and vivid memories of that genial and courtly priest of the Church, Rev. Almon Gregory. He was in charge of the parish from 1850 to 1856. During those years the records show many marks of development and progress. It was a time of solid growth for the village, and our parish made corresponding strides forward. In 1850-51 the church edifice was greatly improved. A recess chancel was added, ten feet deep by sixteen wide, in which was placed a new Altar and two massive chairs, one of which I think is still in use in our parish room. Eight additional slips were added, increasing the seating capacity by about fifty. A robing room, adjoining the chancel on the east, was also built. In the chancel was placed a stained glass window, more of a rarity then than now, besides two mural tablets, in memory of Revs. Messrs. Bostwick and Whipple.
In 1852, the parish was able to expend the sum of $1,450 to provide their minister with a suitable home of his own. The nucleus of this fund was a legacy of a few hundred dollars, saved to the parish through the vigilance of Mrs. Townsend. The property thus acquired was that now occupied by the present Rector, though the house to-day looks but little like the small and modest structure into which Mr. Gregory moved forty years ago.
In 1854, the interior of the church was still further beautified by the gift of a font from Mr. McCay, which was used for the first time Septem- ber 17, at the baptism of Orilla Lucinda, wife of E. K. Potter. The records describe the font as " of beautiful design in alabaster."
Mr. Gregory sent in his resignation in 1856. Something of the char- acter of his six years of ministry may be judged from his private journal, which shows that during his rectorship he baptised 98 children and 26 adults, while he presented for confirmation 73 persons. The total of com- municants increased during his rectorship from 63 to 128.
In 1857, there came to us from Dansville the faithful priest, whose quar- ter of a century of ministry in Bath was destined to leave such an endur- ing impress upon the community. You understand my reference to Oran Reed Howard. It was a most happy ordering that for twenty-five years our parish had the benefit of the learning, zeal and practical piety of this devoted priest.
In 1859, $2,000 more were expended in improving the church. The pillared front was enclosed, the interior renovated, sixteen new pews add- ed, the gallery cut back, unsightly stoves and pipes giving place to a base- ment furnace. In 1866, at the baptisms of March 31, a beautiful new font,
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THE CENTENNIAL OF BATH.
the gift of the Sunday school (costing $150), was used for the first time. Ellen Elizabeth Ward, an adult, was the first recipient of the washing of regeneration on this memorable occasion.
But why should I try to elaborate the details of Doctor Howard's rec- torship ? You all know the story better than I do. The pilgrim, entering the stately Cathedral church of London, rests his eye upon the conspicuous Latin inscription which runs : " Si quaeris monumentum, circumspice." It is the one memorial the glorious fane contains of its architect, Sir Christo- pher Wren. Yet how much is compressed in that single sentence. Ren- dered into English, the words read, "If you are searching for his monu- ment, look about you." The noble pile, everything in it, is the enduring monument of Wren. In some such way would I speak to you to-day of the work of him whose mortal remains we laid at rest in yonder God's Acre but a few weeks ago. You ask for the fruits of his ministry ? Lift up your eyes upon this beautiful church in which it is our joy to worship God to-day. Remember the inspiration, encouragement and advice received from him during the period of its construction. Think of the anxiety, of which no small share was his, involved in the collection of over $50,000, the sum required to erect and properly furnish this magnificent edifice. Recall the stately services, arranged by him, in connection with its completion and consecration. Do not these go to prove that the pres- ent Saint Thomas church may be justly deemed the monument of the sixth Rector of the parish? Yet elsewhere would I bid you look for his memorial. Your sons and daughters, baptised and led to confirmation by him, nourished with sound doctrine and built up in the way of the Lord ; your homes sanctified and cheered by his blessing in times of rejoicing, or soothed in the hour of sorrow ; the sacred ties of holy friendship woven with enduring strands by a quarter of a century of assiduous ministry- this is his monument in our midst, brighter than polished brass, more last- ing than granite.
Increasing infirmities made it necessary for Dr. Howard to resign his position in 1882, when he was made Rector Emeritus, and the Rev. Abner Platt Brush, of Dansville, was called to the active duties of the vacant pastorate. The material fabric of the parish was in such a splendid con- dition that there was nothing for the new Rector to do whereby he could perpetuate his name through the medium of such improvements as our story hitherto has contained. Yet those uneventful years, from 1883 to 1889, notwithstanding they were filled often times with periods of intense bodily suffering, was a churchly growth for our parish. Men are differ- ently constituted. The gift of Mr. Brush was as priest and pastor. In a quiet way he did considerable to give to the services of our parish a dignity and reverential aspect they had not before attained. Faithful and assidu- ous, also, were his parochial ministrations, so that in many a home in Bath
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HISTORICAL SERMON, ST. THOMAS CHURCH.
to-day the name of Mr. Brush is a treasured memory. Even those months of pain and lingering illness preceding his lamented demise, in September, 1889, were ordered by God as a precious example of how a good man meets death. So that many an one echoed the words of the Seer, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his."
Of events since then, it become us not to speak, beyond recording the fact that the present Rector assumed his duties May 1, 1890, never having seen the day when he regretted that the call of duty brought him here.
Before closing, allow me to mention some things of interest not already alluded to, in the form of a brief summary, or index, of parochial affairs. Some of them have come to my notice too late for insertion in their proper place. But before that, there are a few words I would like to say. Do not imagine because this narrative makes no mention of many a faithful laborer that they have been forgotten, or what they did undervalued. The time would fail me to recite the long line of zealous men and women who during so many years found their greatest joy in furthering the interests of the parish. Graven on window and memorial, the names of many are preserved. Connected are their memories with many an incident in your lives, who were their associates and companions. Forgotten, not one, thank God, in the book of divine remembrance. In spirit they are with us now. Unheard their voices will mingle with ours as, at the Altar, with all the heavenly company, we laud and magnify the glorious name of our God. "Seeing then that we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with patience the race set before us." "Other men have laboured, and we eat of the fruits of their labour." A great responsi- bility surely rests upon us in these latter days. So solidly and compactly have the walls been raised, so honest and true has been the material employed for building, we cannot, we must not, deviate from the high standard set by the fathers. Our duty is plain before us. We are called to work. Ours to raise higher the walls day by day, and in such a manner that with every fresh stone laid the building may approach the nearer to the true conception of a Temple fit for the Lord of Hosts. Which may God grant. Amen.
SUMMARY OF EVENTS.
1142213
1. First service of our church in Bath, held in the old Court House, in the year 1815, exact date not known, Rev. Caleb Hopkins, of Mauch Chunk, Pa., officiating. Mrs. Nancy Robie, an eye-witness, was wont to relate the intense emotion displayed on that occasion by Mrs. Townsend, who had not heard the services of the Prayer Book for over nine years.
2. Occasional services given by the same missionary for nine years, at the last from Angelica. No existing record known of Mr. Hopkins' official acts in Bath.
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THE CENTENNIAL OF BATH.
3. Arrival of Rev. W. W. Bostwick, in 1825, and the organization of St. Thomas Church the following year, 1826. Worship maintained at regular intervals, the Methodist chapel being used for the most part.
4. First recorded baptism in Bath is that of Nancy Robie and Sarah Whiting, adults, and Harriet Almira, infant daughter of Reuben and Nancy Robie. The date is given as September 12, 1826. The first recorded marriage was on the following day, September 13, when Franklin Whitney and Eliza Cameron were joined together in holy wedlock. The first men- tioned burial was in July, 1825, William Doty being the name of the per- son laid to rest. The first visitation of a Bishop to Bath was September 14, 1826, when the Rt. Rev. John Henry Hobart, D. D., Bishop of New York, administered confirmation to Selah Barnard, John G. Mitchell, Sarah Whiting, Phebe Tousey and Betty Ann Trevour.
5. The parish has occupied but two church buildings. The first stood on the south-east of Pulteney Square, adjoining the Howell estate. The original cost of this building, with the land, was $4,000. It was finished and used for the first time in 1836, having accommodation for about 150, ample for the time. It was twice enlarged ; in 1851 by the addition of chancel, &c., at a cost of $1,500 ; still further enlarged and changed in 1859, at a cost of $2,000. The corner stone of the present edifice was laid by Bishop Coxe, at sunset, August 3, 1869, in the presence of ten of the clergy and over 1,500 of the laity. The plans for the church were drawn by Henry Dudley, of New York city, and the building contract was let to the Patterson Manufacturing Company, of Warsaw, N. Y. The total cost of the church, exclusive of bell and organ, was $55,000. Of this amount, one generous person* contributed $30,000. The bell, the offering of the con- gregation, cost $1,300, and was hung in the spire July, 1873. Its weight is 3,097 pounds. The cost of the organ was $2,500. The last stone in the building was laid and the cross put on the finished spire September 21, 1870, in the presence of a great concourse of people. First service in the new church, January 29, 1871, the consecration occuring April 13, of the same year. A notable occasion for the parish was the meeting of the annual Council of the Diocese in September, 1873. Another noteworthy event was the Jubilee of the organization of Saint Thomas, celebrated with appropriate services, April 19, 1876.
6. As a matter of record we insert here the first and existing cor- porations of St. Thomas Church, Bath :
1826. Rev. William W. Bostwick, Rector ; Zalmon Toucey and Nehe- miah White, Wardens; Dugald Cameron, William H. Bull, John Brown, William Gamble, Paul C. Cook, Selah Barnard, John B. Mitchell and John D. Dent, Vestrymen.
* Hon. Constant Cook.
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HISTORICAL SERMON, ST. THOMAS CHURCH.
1893. Rev. Benjamin Smith Sanderson, Rector; Martin W. Noble and Benjamin F. Young, Wardens ; Lansing D. Hodgman, James Lyon, Charles F. Kingsley, William W. Allen, Augustus de Peyster, Samuel S. Seely, Clarence Willis, Edwin S. Underhill, Vestrymen.
7. Parochial report presented by the Rector to the Bishop at the Council of the Diocese of 1892 (September) :
BATH ST. THOMAS CHURCH.
The Rev. Benjamin Smith Sanderson, B. D., Rector.
Wardens-Martin W. Noble, Benjamin F. Young.
Licensed Lay Reader-Hon. Clarence Willis.
Families, about 130 ; Baptisms, adults 5, infants 16; Confirmed, 10; Communicants, present number (actual), 214 ; Marriages, 6 ; Burials, 20 ; Churching, 1; Services, Sunday 180, weekday 97; Holy Communion, pub- lic 81, private 2; Sunday School Teachers (male 4, female 14), 18 ; pupils, 175.
OFFERINGS.
PAROCHIAL-Communion Alms, $121.77 ; Expenses and Salaries, $2,- 000 ; Sunday School, $47.16 ; Church Property (repairs), $100 ; Altar Socie- ty, $25 ; "For Parish House Fund," $356.84; Sunday School Christmas Tree, $87.95 ; "For the Rector," $63.19. $2,801.91 DIOCESAN-Missions, (Box, per W. A., $80.50), $210.78 ; Christmas Fund, $31.45 ; B. and P. B. Society, $13.06 ; Assessments, Diocesan, $40, Episcopate, $100 ; Special at Bishop's Visitation, $14.74. .. $410.03
GENERAL-Missions, Dom. $116.32, For. $61.82, Col. $30.40, Jew $5.15 ; Church Building Fund, $20.39 ; "Scholarship at Salt Lake City," $40 ; Dom. (per W. A. Box, $30.70), $66.70 ; Ind. (per W. A. Box, $122.20), $127- .20 ; Col. (per W. A. Box, $104.05), $110.15 ; For. (per W. A.) $6 ... .. $584.13 Total of Offerings. $3,796.07 PROPERTY-Church (Sittings 650), $50,000 ; Rectory, $4,000) ; Invested Funds, (2), $1,341 -$55,341.00 No debt.
As a part of his duty, the Rector has officiated on stated Sundays at the Davenport Asylum and the Soldiers' Home. Seven of the burials reported are from the latter institution. Though the total of offerings in this report falls short of that of 1891 by about $150, yet there is really a marked increase for this year, as "special " offerings, nearly $500, swelled last year's total. During the past year there has been (at the lowest) a 50 per cent. increase in the contributions for the three departments of mis- sionary work. This gain is largely due to the adoption and use of the "Systematic Offering Plan," as a substitute for the church collections on stated Sundays. The valuable property of the parish is kept in most excel- lent condition, and is well insured.
CENTENARY M. E. CHURCH.
SERMON BY REV, M. C. DEAN,
SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 1893.
TEXT :- " There shall be a handful of corn in the earth, upon the top of the mountains, the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon."
-Psalms Ixxii, 16.
The text is a prophecy of Christ's kingdom on earth. We wish to apply it to the beginning and growth of Methodism in Bath,
The handful of corn prefigured the small beginning. The unfruitful top of the mountain signified the unpromising moral condition of the human heart for receiving and propagating the seeds of Divine truth. The great cedars of Lebanon, with their long branches and tremulous foliage, which gave the mountain the appearance of being instinct with life, set forth the all-animating power of Christianity among men. Christ said that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning him. He ordained his Church to set forth the truths of Christianity, as contained in the Scrip- tures of the New Testament, both as a history of the fulfillment of all those prophecies of Himself, and also as a power adequate to accomplish all that was predicted of His kingdom on earth.
Every department or branch of the Church of Christ is helping to pro- duce the great harvest of souls, which at the end of the world will be gathered into the garner of the Lord.
According to the request of the Centennial Committee, we are this morning to speak of the origin and growth of the Methodist Episcopal branch of Christ's Church in Bath.
It is peculiarly difficult for me to meet the expectations of the Com- mittee. The early Methodist itinerants were so like the "Angel" of the Apocalypse, "flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth," that they did not settle down in any local habitation, and make records of their evangelistic work, but
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