USA > New York > Dutchess County > Poughkeepsie > The records of Christ church, Poughkeepsie, New York, Vol I > Part 18
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L. Charles Lake.
M. Miss Elizabeth Marsh; Mrs. Peter McAvoy; Mrs. Anna B. McConaghy; Miss Emily H. McCoull; ( ? ) Meisen- backer; Miss Mary T. Merritt; Lucilius Moseley.
N. Dorsey Neville; Mrs. Sophia P. Newcomb; Miss Louisa A. Nichols.
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O. Mrs. J. D. Ostrander; Dr. John C. Otis.
P. Henry W. Page; William Polk; Mrs. William Polk; Dr. James G. Porteous.
R. Emily F. Raab; Charles P. Robinson; James Robson; Zebulon Rudd.
S. Horace Sague; Mrs. Horace Sague; John K. Sague; Rob- ert Sanford; Charles E. Schou; Miss Elizabeth Shep- herd; Charles E. Shultz; Miss Amelia Shultz; Miss Lydia Shultz; James Shurter; Miss S. Shurter; Frances Shuster; James Sloan; William H. Sloan; John J. Sloan; Isaac Smith; P. Frost Spaulding; Mrs. Robert Stearns; George W. Storm; John Sutcliffe.
T. Hudson Taylor; Mrs. Hudson Taylor; Robert E. Tay- lor; Benjamin R. Tenney; Mrs. John Thompson; Albert Tower; John Tweedy; Mrs. John Tweedy.
V. George Valentine; Mrs. Mary Valentine; Mrs. Edgar M. Van Kleeck; Mrs. George M. Van Kleeck; Robert Van Kleeck; John H. Van Kleeck; Mrs. Susan B. Van Vliet; Miss Mary Vredenburgh.
W. Mrs. Ellen Whiten; Robert F. Wilkinson; James L. Williams; John Wirsch; Henry Wood; George Wood.
Y. Mrs. Julia G. Yelverton; Henry L. Young.
Of the total disbursements by the building com- mittee some of the principal items were:
Preparation of the site
$ 764.16
Architect
3,745.00
Contractor
71,300.57
Steam heater
2,200.00
Temporary windows
774.73
Removing human remains from old churchyard
555.27
The property on Market street was sold1 October 10th, 1888, for $8,000.00 to Dutchess County, the money being applied to the building fund. A plot in the northern end of the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery was purchased, and the bodies in the old churchyard carefully removed
1 Dutchess County Clerk's records, deeds, Liber 238, p. 356.
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thither, with their ancient headstones. Another plot in the Rural Cemetery, owned by the Church, was ac- quired in 1868,1 after the vestry had prohibited inter- ments in the poor lot in the English burying-ground, and, on this, the children of the Sunday School now place a cross of flowers at Easter.
The corner-stone of the new church was laid on Sep- tember 25th, 1887, by the Rt. Rev. Henry C. Potter, in the presence of a concourse of several thousand people. A leaden box, deposited in the cavity of the stone, contained:
A Bible, Prayer Book and Hymnal; silver and copper coins, all dated 1887; the Journal of the Convention of the Diocese of New York, 1886; copy of invitation to the ceremony and of the order of service; leaflet, containing the revised services of the Episcopal Church; copy of the charter of 1773; copy of the historical address, read by the Rector on this occasion; list of parishioners, and of all who contributed to the building fund; photographs of the old church, and of proposed plans for the new; Church almanac for 1887; copies of all daily and weekly papers in the city, and of Church newspapers; names of the architect and builders of the church; ancient coins, presented by Mrs. Albert Tower and Mrs. Robert F. Crary.
When the Market street church was razed, the corner- stone was found with some difficulty. Its entire pre- served contents consisted of four coins, dated 1833, a Pine Tree shilling, dated 1652, and a silver plate, marked "Christ Church, Poughkeepsie, John Reed, Rector. Presented by Bowler & Ward 1833." In 1892 these were placed in a pocket above, and resting upon, the corner-stone of the present church.
On Sunday, May 6th, 1888, the last service was held in the old church, and, on Sunday, May 13th, the first
1 Ledger E, p. 43.
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THE CORNER-STONE AND MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE PRESENT CHURCH Copyright, 1910, Frank B. Howard
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in the new. The former occasion was, of course, tinged with the sadness caused by the sundering of the associa- tions of many years, but the latter pulsated with the hope and the largeness of spirit which Dr. Ziegenfuss had inspired by his attitude toward the new chapter in their life that his people were beginning. His breadth of sympathy and his conception of what this Church should mean to Poughkeepsie are illustrated in his sermon that opening day, in which he said:1
Yes, this is Christ Church; let us never forget that. Him, alone, do we acknowledge as our spiritual head and guide. When yonder Table is spread, a broad invitation is given that shuts out not one sincere follower of our common Master; it is the Lord's Supper. And let me here say, once for all, you come there not of sufferance, nor of grudging hospitality, but our hearts go out to meet yours and bid you welcome, be you Greek Churchman, Catholic, or Protestant,-of whatsoever affiliation you please.
God grant that, in this new temple, renewed life may be ours; that we may have a rich measure of the spirit of Christ; that, in kindliness of disposition, in earnestness of purpose, in unreservedness of beneficence, and unfalteringly of faith unto the end, a vivid vision of the Divine One may ever be before our eyes, and that, humbly and prayerfully, we may daily endeavor ourselves to follow in the blessed footsteps of His most holy life.
The church was consecrated Tuesday, May 15th, 1888, by Bishop Potter, the event being marked by dignified ceremonial, and a congregation which filled the building. The procession entered in the order of the wardens and vestrymen; a full representation of the Denominational ministry of Poughkeepsie ; candidates for Orders; Deacons, Priests, and Bishops. The sermon was by the Rt. Rev. John Scarborough, and the Holy Communion
1 The Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, May 14th, 1888.
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was celebrated by Bishop Potter, assisted by Bishop Scarborough and the Rev. W. E. Snowden and the Rev. Henry L. Ziegenfuss.
For lack of a parish building, it was necessary that the luncheon for the guests, on the day of the consecration, should be served in the rooms of the Young Women's Christian Association. During the following year-1889 -the present parish house was erected, at a cost of nearly fifteen thousand dollars.1 Mr. Potter was again the architect, and Mertz & Son the contractors.
In the same year that the parish house was built, the tower was added to the church, given entirely by Mr. Albert Tower, at an expense of about thirty thousand dollars.2 The vestry of the Church, in 1901, placed upon the tower a tablet, bearing an inscription that was written by Bishop Potter, and which reads:
To the Glory of God and in Memory of Albert Tower a Just Man and the Generous Benefactor of this Parish
With the opening of the new church, the music was made a special feature of its services. At the suggestion of the architect, a vested choir of men and boys3 was established, which was organized and drilled by Mr. George W. Halliwell, the first choirmaster. The sing- ing of the Te Deum and of the Gloria Patri had been introduced by the Rev. Homer Wheaton, and of the Kyrie Eleison by the Rev. Dr. Buel. Now, Dr. Ziegen- fuss began the intoning of the Tersanctus, and the sound
1 Parochial Report, Journal of the Convention of the Diocese of New York, 1889.
2 Parochial Report, Journal of the Convention of the Diocese of New York, 1889.
3 Women were added to the vested choir in May, 1893, when Edward W. Valentine became choirmaster.
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THE TOWER Erected 1889 The Gift of Mr. Albert Tower Copyright, 1910, Frank B. Howard
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of his rich,deep voice, as he rendered those solemn words, still rings in the ears of some who heard it, on whom it made an ineffaceable impression.
A new organ was installed within a few weeks after the church was opened, which was made by J. H. & C. S. Odell of New York, and which is considered an excep- tionally satisfactory instrument; it is a three manual, of one thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight pipes. The purchase price was $6,000.00, less $800.00 allowed for the old organ; about $3,100.00 was paid toward it from the general treasury, and $2,105.00 was contributed in individual subscriptions by :
B. John Bayer.
C. Dr. Walter R. Case; George Cornwell.
D. Roland R. Dennis; Le Grand Dodge; Augustus Doughty; J. De Puyster Douw.
F. A Fair, held by the Ladies' Aid Society.
G. William Gibson.
H. Mrs. Adolphus Hamilton; Miss Edith Hamilton; Mrs. Mary C. Hulme.
K. Dr. John Kinkead.
M. Edward T. Mason.
N. Mrs. Cornelia M. Nelson.
O. Dr. John C. Otis.
P. Dr. Edward H. Parker.
S. Horace Sague; P. Frost Spaulding.
T. Mrs. Hudson Taylor; Mrs. Benjamin R. Tenney; Miss Elizabeth Thomas; Mrs. John Thompson; John J. Thompson; Joseph T. Tower.
V. Robert Van Kleeck.
W. James L. Williams; Mrs. Wiltsie.
Y. Mrs. Julia Yelverton.
The Altar put in the church was considered a tempo- rary one, only. The architect's plans called for a carved
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stone Altar and reredos, which were to be procured as soon as possible after the necessary building expenses had been met, and Dr. Ziegenfuss instructed the Ladies' Aid Society to select as simple and inexpensive a wooden Altar as they could, which would be suitable for the short time it was expected to be used; but, in the combination of adverse circumstances, which soon succeeded the erection of the church, the proper finishing of the sanctuary was lost sight of. After Dr. Ziegenfuss's death, the vestry approved a proposal to carry out the original plan as a memorial to him, but the confusion, into which the people had been thrown, retarded the progress of the movement. It is much to be hoped that chancel furnishings, adequate to the size and dignity of the building, and sacred to the memory of the Rector so much loved, may yet be realized.
When the congregation began its occupation of the beautiful church so joyfully, there was no thought that the stately services of the laying of the corner-stone, and of the consecration, would, in six years, be followed by impressive obsequies for the Rector of the parish. Dr. Ziegenfuss was elected Archdeacon of Dutchess in 1886, and the unwearied care he gave to the missionary work in the county was contemporaneous with his active labor in the building of the church, these both being supple- mented by his anxieties when the mortgage was incurred. There can be no doubt that he was overtaxed by the demands upon him, and was rendered unable to with- stand the strain of the illness which came to him, and from which he died on February 8th, 1894. But his place in the diocese, in the county, in the city and in the parish, and his hold upon the hearts of men, were attested by the number of those who came to the funeral service,
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held in the church on February 12th. A vast congrega- tion, of every Church and no Church, filled even the aisles, and many were turned from the door; Roman Catholic Priests and Protestant Ministers of Poughkeep- sie, and about forty clergy of the Archdeaconry and of the Diocese were present. Bishop Potter's address, the delivery of which was made faltering by his emotion, included these words:1
Coming here, under all the embarrassments of previous re- lationships, he (Dr. Ziegenfuss) steadily grew in his influence as a man, as a teacher and as a preacher of Jesus Christ. There is no relationship that binds one so closely as the relationship of a pastor to his people. This man was your minister; he went in and out of your homes, spoke words of life and hope to you, a true consoler in time of sorrow, a priest of immortal life.
This church, which has been his delight, will be his most appropriate monument. I shall always think of it, beau- tiful as it is, as peculiarly characteristic of him.
The recently created Church division, the arch-diaconate, which had been the subject of controversy, he did more than any other man to make successful and useful by his loving care for neighboring Churches. He took it out of the realm of con- troversy, and made it a vital work. When men came to us in derision and asked: "What is an Archdeacon?,"-we had but to point to his work. His heart was like a great arch, sustain- ing and upholding the new office.
My lips are sealed as to my personal relations with him, but I must speak of his loyalty, his watchful care over the interests of the northern part of the diocese, always trying to save me care and work. He did what he could to bring men closer together. People, of whatever fellowship, found in him some- thing to attract them. He believed that God has some com- mon standing ground for all, that all men are brothers. Nev- er ostentatious in his self-sacrifice, steadfast in his Christian discipleship, blessed be God for such a life! May He give you and me grace to reproduce it as we can!
1 The Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, February 13th, 1894.
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Dr. Ziegenfuss's death left the parish in the trough of the wave, and the Rectorship of it one fraught with the burden of many complications. To this difficult post was summoned the Rev. Samuel A. Weikert, and he brought to it earnestness of purpose, Christian good will, and faithful work, but his incumbency was comparatively short, being soon terminated by a call to St. Mark's Church, Paterson, New Jersey.
In the vacancy created by Mr. Weikert's resignation, the vestry applied to the Bishop of the Diocese for guidance, who responded by appointing his brother, the Rev. Dr. Eliphalet Nott Potter, as Minister in Charge of the parish.
Dr. Potter filled the position for nine months, and, after his death in 1901, the Bishop placed a tablet to his memory on the wall of the ambulatory in Christ Church. This choice of location was the occasion for a character- istic bon mot from the Bishop. "It is singularly appro- priate," said he, "that a tablet should be placed to the memory of my brother, 'Liph, in that particular spot. You know his tenure of office was transitory, and the tablet should therefore be in the ambulatory."
Not long before the new Christ Church was built, great economic changes had begun in the United States, and, as time went on, these made themselves deeply felt in their effect upon the religious world. The appearance of factories in countless numbers, the rise of so-called swollen fortunes, the inpouring of armies of emigrants of all nationalities, the desertion of the country for the city, congested population in the larger centers, the invention of new facilities for communication, rapid transit, changed standards of living, increased scale of expendi- ture, and the spirit of materialism which spread abroad,
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THE REV. SAMUEL A. WEIKERT, A.M. RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH, 1894-1900 From a photograph taken during his incumbency
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all these contributing causes combined to present to the Christian Church a problem difficult of solution. How were men to be reached with the Gospel of Christ in this new dispensation?
One method developed was the institutional Church, and, scattered over the land, are many parishes which have done magnificent work by their guilds and clubs, trade schools, etc. It is beginning to be pointed out, however, that where the Church endeavors to reach the masses only by offering such inducements as do benevo- lent and benefit organizations, and neglects to emphasize her divine origin and spiritual mission, the masses may well say, 'why not one club as well as another?' Here and there, a voice is raised of late in warning, saying that sociology must not be substituted for religion, and that, only as the Church is true to her primary function of inspiring the souls of men, will her hold be lasting; that, as an institution, the Church cannot attempt to purify politics and eradicate social evils, but that, by regener- ating the hearts and lives of her individual members, she may send forth men and women armed and equipped for the battle for righteousness, who yet renew their strength steadily through her sacraments and her wor- ship.
Much is being said just now of a desire for Christian unity. Whether, or not, the day is still distant when many men of many minds shall agree as to doctrine, organization, and forms of worship, it is surely a truth that the social needs of the present offer to Christian people a limitless field in which to unite to do Christ's work in Christ's spirit. Were all who acknowledge His leadership to cooperate, fraternally, in philanthropy and social service, an essential unity would have been gained;
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its moral influence would be evident in reform legislation, in honesty in business and politics, in the protection of childhood and womanhood, in more hospitals and more playgrounds, and in organized charities, while non- Christians would see the divided body of the Church in a new and happier light.
Under the pressure of these modern conditions, the Rev. Alexander G. Cummins, on December 2d, 1900, began his rectorate of Christ Church, and, because of all that he has done for the parish, and the much that he has accomplished, the vestry are marking his tenth anni- versary with the publication of this volume. Ten years ago, when he was instituted, there were not only the extraneous social and economic circumstances crowding for consideration, but the immediate parochial situation was one that held its particular perplexities, and the first duty was to set our own house in order. With vigor and resolution the Rector assumed the task, and has exerted an energizing influence in the execution of it. He has assembled about him those who were specially qualified for special work, but it is through him that opportunity for specialized work has been afforded, and it is to him that a large part of the success of it is to be attributed. Dr. Cummins's ability to organize and systematize is shown in the state of the congregation, its guilds, and its business affairs, all machinery of the parish having been brought into smoothly running order.
The services of the Church, as conducted by Dr. Cummins, are dignified, orderly and rich, his own polish- ed reading and the excellence of the choir raising them far above the ordinary level.
Prior to his rectorate, and in the period considered in this chapter, there were two special services which
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should be recorded, one on September 26th, 1881, when the three parishes of the city united in Christ Church in a memorial to President Garfield,1 and the other on December 21st, 1891,2 when the parish celebrated its one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary. In the present administration a special service in memory of President Mckinley was held on September 19th, 1901; one in hospitality to the Grand Army of the Republic took place on May 24th, 1908; and, on October 3d, 1909, the Hudson-Fulton anniversaries were suitably observed. Of special services, more closely related to the Church itself, Dr. Cummins has introduced several which have become annual customs,-the Harvest Home at Thanksgiving, Manger at Christmas, Palm in Holy Week and an out-of-door memorial in Ascension- Tide. In 1909 the custom of out-of-door popular serv- ices on Sunday afternoons in September was begun.
During Dr. Cummins's incumbency a great impetus has been given to the development of the music, credit for which is to be shared with him by the choirmaster, Edward W. Valentine, and by the organist, Harry S. Bock, who, as devoted communicants, have always had be- fore them the ideal of a "service," not of a "performance." Of the regular choir, the Bishop of the Diocese, the Rt. Rev. David H. Greer, has twice said, in his visits to Christ Church, that it was, to him, more like his dearly loved choir of St. Bartholomew's, New York City, than any choir he heard as he went about the diocese; higher praise than which, Bishop Greer could not give.
From the time that a vested choir was formed, one of its best friends among the laity was the late Putnam
1 The Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, Sept. 27th, 1881.
2 The Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, for Dec. 22nd, 1891.
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Frost Spaulding, who ever did all in his power to pro- mote its efficiency, and provide for its support. Since his death, in 1908, his son, Mr. Arthur Frost Spaulding, has added to the endowment of the Church a music fund, known as the P. Frost Spaulding Memorial, as a peculiar- ly suitable tribute to his father. Mr. Spaulding was a layman of rare calibre, who loved the Church with both tenderness and strength; he considered it a privilege to minister to its needs, and was happy in serving it at every opportunity in a spirit of devotion to all for which it stands.
Beside the regular choir, a festival choir was organiz- ed in the autumn of 1901, its membership drawn from many of the choirs and the musical clubs of Poughkeep- sie. The festival choir amounts, practically, to an oratorio society, by which two oratorios are given each year. Until 1909 its expenses were borne by the Church, from the general treasury, but the oratorios have now been placed upon a subscription basis.
Although they attract enormous congregations, the parish may be acquitted of all self-interest in promoting the oratorios, for analysis of confirmation classes and of pew rentals discloses that gains to the Church cannot be traced to musical services. Crowds of people pass in and out of the doors on these occasions, and many doubtless receive uplift and comfort from the artistic rendition of great compositions, but still, as of old, it is by pastoral visitation, consecrated lay work, the Prayer Book services, and the instruction in the Sunday School that candidates for confirmation are won. Dr. Cum- mins's ten confirmation classes have averaged in member- ship thirty-six candidates a year, three hundred and fifty-six persons having been confirmed from 1901 to 1910.
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The Sunday School of Christ Church is today in excellent condition, numerically strong, and doing a far reaching practical work, not only among children whose families are identified with the parish, but for many whose parents have no religious affiliations at all. A paid staff of trained teachers is employed, and the school is graded in conformity to the public school system of the city; its growth is so rapid that it is hampered for lack of room, every available bit of space in the parish house and in the church overflowing with classes.
While through the Sunday School many children, and adults as well, are led to form an attachment to the Church, large numbers of people are also reached by a parish paper, Christ Church Chronicle, which was started by Dr. Cummins at the beginning of his rector- ate, and is now in its eleventh volume. Beside pro- viding a record of current parochial events, the paper is used as a medium for the discussion of the more import- ant public matters that arise from time to time; it is aimed to edit it in a broad spirit, and to disseminate through it liberal teachings upon present day problems.
Under Dr. Cummins, and largely owing to his interest in it, the real property of the Corporation has been put into remarkable condition. The first important step toward this was the erection in 1903 of the Albert Tower, Jr., Memorial Rectory, given by A. Edward Tower. The architect, Charles A. Rich, designed a house with Tudor characteristics, which is in satisfying harmony with the architecture of the church. A large cast of a Madonna and Child, by Michael Angelo, over the mantel in the hall of the rectory, was presented by Mr. Rich, while another gift for the house was a maintenance fund of five hundred dollars, from Mrs. Martha Barnard Jones. At the same
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time that the rectory was built, the congregation connect- ed it with the study and parish house by a cloister costing about twelve hundred dollars.1
The open square about the church has been beautified by the treatment of the trees, by many gifts of shrubs and plants, by new paths and drives, and by such con- stant care for its needs that it is now a spot of which the whole city may well feel proud.
In 1906 Mrs. Charles H. Buckingham completely renovated and restored the church and parish house, which had received no repairs since their erection, al- though in constant use for eighteen years. So extensive in detail was Mrs. Buckingham's benefaction, that it has been entered in full as a section of the Appendix to this volume. Her more than generous expenditure of money has been made unique by the addition of her personal service, and the property has been brought into such order by what she has done for it, that, upon its repair, sanitary condition and general equipment, no criticism could be passed.
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