USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Honesdale > History of the First Presbyterian society of Honesdale > Part 14
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born in the valley of that river. He lived to an old age and died in Sussex county, New Jersey.
The three oldest members or the church are women. Mrs. Phebe Gainsfort came to Leonardsville with her husband, Wil- liam L. Gainsfort, who was a scow boss on the canal, about 1838. Phebe Gainsfort was received into the church by letter from Milford church June 29, 1838. She is still living near Port Jervis and will be 100 years old June 30, 1905.
Chloe H. Dibble, widow of John Inch, became a member of the church January 30, 1839. She was dismissed to Promp- ton church in 1842. She is living in Carbondale at an ad- vanced age.
Millicent Foster Woodhouse became a member of the church February 1, 1839, and she still abides with us, the last survivor of Elder I. P. Foster's large family.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HONESDALE
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This charter was amended on petition of the board of trustees, who in said petition represent that said corporation is embraced in corporations of the first class, specified in section second of the Act of 1874; that the trustees in pursuance of said act being desirous of altering, amending and improving its charter did at a joint meeting of the trustees and the session of the church held in the pastor's study at the chapel pursuant to public notice on the 25th day of November, A. D., 1895, adopt amendments to the charter, in substance, as follows: "The yearly annual income of the real estate and interest of money shall not exceed $30,000."
" The board of trustees shall consist of not less than five members, a majority of whom shall be recognized by the church as being in full communion with the church, and they shall be chosen by ballot at such time and in such place as the by-laws shall direct, of which election at least ten days previous notice shall be given. The persons capable of voting at the election of trustees, and at all other elections, shall be the subscribers to this instrument and all other persons who shall become mem- bers of this society and who adhere to the system of religious faith adopted by the Presbyterian church; provided neverthe- less, that no one shall be permitted to vote excepting pewholders, who contribute to the support of the church and society, and their families, who are members of said society, all of whom must be of legal age. The trustees shall meet within ten days of their election and organize by electing a president, secretary and a treasurer. A majority shall constitute a quorum. The trustees have power over the temporal affairs of the society but cannot contract a debt or expend more than $500 nor alien the property without the consent of the society.
The choice and salary of a pastor, the building of a house of worship or the disbursing of any sum of money exceeding $500, shall be determined by the vote of a majority of a meet- ing of the society, of which meeting ten days notice shall have been given, the object of the meeting being clearly stated in such notice."
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The trustees to be chosen after the charter was amended were divided into three classes, one class of three persons to be elected for one year, another class for two years and another for three years, so that thereafter three persons were to be elected annually to serve for three years. There are now nine trustees elected as the charter provides.
After obtaining the original charter, at the annual meeting on the second Tuesday of November, 1830, five trustees were elected, as follows: Isaac P. Foster, Charles Forbes, Richard L. Seely, Abraham I. Stryker and John Torrey. On Novem- ber 21, they met at the house of Rev. J. Campbell and organ- ized by electing A. I. Stryker, president, R. L. Seely, secretary and John Torrey treasurer. S. Brush was elected trustee the next year. December 5, 1832, at a meeting held at John Tor- rey's, Jason Torrey informed the board that the president of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company had furnished him with a copy of a resolution of their board agreeing to give the Episcopal Society two lots for a site for a church fronting on the public square providing he would give two lots, also front- ing on the public square, to the Presbyterian Society for a site for a church. He then presented a proposition to the board that he would grant and convey to the Trustees of the Presby- terian Congregation of Honesdale for a site for a church for their society two lots fronting on the public square east of street No. 2, now Church street, or he would give a lot of ground to be selected by the trustees on the east side of street No. 2 ad- joining or not adjoining said street and fronting on the public square or such other place on the east side of street No. 2 as shall be preferred at the election and preference of the trustees. The lot not to be less than one hundred feet square unless dif- ferent dimensions shall be fixed by agreement, also that he would convey a lot of ground for a parsonage at the place where the parsonage stables are now building, which shall be of dimensions not less than one hundred feet front by two hundred and fifty feet deep, which propositions were unani- monsly accepted as satisfactory to the board, whereupon it was
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resolved that copies of this minute duly certified be furnished to the said Jason Torrey and to the president of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company.
In pursuance of the foregoing promise Jason Torrey, on the 7th of August, 1845, conveyed one hundred feet square on the corner of Tenth and Second streets, where the church now stands, to the society "as a site for a House of Public Divine worship."
A meeting of the congregation was held at the meeting house pursuant to public notice Tuesday evening, December 17, 1832. R. L. Seely was chosen chairman and I. P. Foster sec- retary. At this meeting it was resolved, "That it is important and desirable that measures be immediately taken to build a comfortable parsonage house and that the trustees be requested to take the necessary steps to raise funds to accomplish said object." On motion of E. T. Losey it was resolved, "That Mr. Campbell be requested to state the intentions of this society, of their arrangements to build a parsonage house, to the American Home Missionary Society and request a continuance of the same aid from that society another year, with an expression of gratitude on the part of the society for past aid." Russel F. Lord was elected a trustee at this meeting. Rev. Mr. Camp- bell informed them at that meeting that he had received a call from a church in New Jersey and he requested the views and advice of the society, whereupon it was unanimously resolved that it is the desire of this meeting that Mr. Campbell shall continue his pastoral charge over this church. If Mr. Camp- bell was desirous of testing his congregation he must have been greatly encouraged by this vote of confidence. At this same meeting S. Z. Lord, Stephen Torrey and Daniel P. Kirtland were appointed a committee of vigilance. Considering the old time severity in discipline, it may be inferred by the appoint- ment of this committee that the conduct of church members was to be watched.
Stephen North, Jr., and S. Z. Lord were elected trustees in 1833. At this meeting of the congregation the trustees were
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directed to settle the accounts with Mr. Blandin concerning the parsonage. They were to receive all the accounts that were brought against the society and settle them as might seem right and proper. This direction doubtless had reference to the fact that subscriptions towards building at that time were often to do a given amount of work, furnish lumber or material from a store, and all these agreements had to be adjusted fairly. At a sub- sequent meeting committees were appointed to get reports of the persons who had charge of enlarging the Tabernacle, re- specting the purchase of a parsonage, etc.
The Tabernacle is the place where the church was organ- ized, then religious services were held in a small school house a little back of the John Brown brick residence. This school house was built in 1828. Afterwards an upper room in the store house of Russell & Wilcox was fitted up and used for a time. This building then stood by the canal not far from where the Delaware & Hudson freight depot now is. This room was used but a short time however. The building on the point, at the confluence of the Dyberry and Lackawaxen rivers, which was erected in 1826 had been vacated, and in 1830 it was enlarged by doubling its size. It was originally built 16x48 feet with one roof and this was its condition, with Hiram Plum its occupant, when the church was organized. The building was enlarged by adding sixteen feet to the width, then they had a building 32x48 feet. When this building was enlarged and furnished it evidently impressed the builders as a temporary arrangement like the Tabernacle in the wilderness which pre- ceded the Temple, so they called it the Tabernacle, a name by which it has come down to us. This house, as fitted up, had double doors in the gable facing south towards the Lackawaxen river, and the pulpit was in the north end. There were two long windows, one each side of the entrance door and three or four windows on each side. Probably each sash had about thirty or thirty-six of those small 7x9 inch glass made up at the Water Company's First Pond. It was sided, but unpainted and had an almost square, box-like appearance, characteristic
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of those old time buildings. It was used by the Presbyterians for about six or seven years until the erection of the first church on the present site. John Torrey, who had been on the board of trustees since the organization of the church and was now secretary of the board, made the first exhaustive report of the financial condition of the church of which there is any record; in that report made November 11, 1834, the expense of enlarg- ing the meeting house, the Tabernacle, is given as $190.11 in- cluding stoves and fuel. Of this amount $104.75 had been paid leaving $85.36 due. The expense of building the barn was $85.30, and $18.53 was still due. The expense of the parson- age house and lot was $1,000 and there was a balance due Daniel Blandin on that of $37.50. The contingent expense for fuel and candles for the year was $36.04. Then followed a statement of the amount due from each man for the years 1830, 1831, 1832 and 1833, on subscriptions for salary, meeting house and barn. Judging from the amount due on salary, Mr. Campbell did not get his small salary any too soon after it was due.
March 3, 1836, the trustees contracted with S. & E. S. Rose, of Milford, for the erection of a church, 44x53 feet for $2,850, subsequently enlarged to 45x60 feet. September 6, 1848, John H. Crandall, of Honesdale, contracted with John F. Roe, president, and the board of trustees, to enlarge the church by adding twenty-three feet to the length, this was done, as Judge Hand states, by sawing the church in two and removing the rear gable back and filling in the space with new material. The new church, 45x83 feet according to the contract, but Dr. Dunning states 45x82 feet, was opened for worship in July, 1849. All this showed progress. The church was increasing in numbers, wealth and influence. The first Lecture Room or Chapel was built north of the church in the summer of 1847 and dedicated January 9, 1848.
The Honesdale Academy was erected about 1833 and the building was rented for district school purposes until 1838, when it became distinctively an academy. In this building,
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which occupied the site of the present Graded school building, there was evidently the first bell in town, and at the annual meeting in 1834 Rev. Mr. Campbell and Col. Seely were ap- pointed a committee to make arrangements with the other so- cieties to have the ringing of the school house bell at such times as to accommodate our time for meeting for worship on the Sabbath. It was also decided to take contributions once in two weeks until a sum sufficient be raised to pay arrears due for contingent expenses and to purchase a supply of fuel and candles, and two plates covered with flannel were ordered pur- chased for taking contributions. The Methodists at this time were worshipping in the school house.
The struggles of the pioneer churches cannot be fully ap- preciated by us now. Money was scarce and hard to get, hence subscriptions were largely in material. The trustees com- menced as early as 1834 to agitate the subject of building a church and a subscription was started with a view to raising $2,500 and Rev. Mr. Campbell, in 1835, was requested to go to New York and try and get aid there. The committee to pre- pare plans were I. P. Foster, S. Z. Lord, S. North, Jr., Daniel Blandin, trustees, and Rev. Joel Campbell, R. L. Seely and Jason Torrey. Finally the trustees felt justified in making a contract, and the church was erected as heretofore mentioned. The subscription to this fund dated Honesdale, January 1, 1835, is here given to show the amounts and kind of gifts that were made. John Torrey, $200; R. L. Seely, $200, payable in lum- ber; Jason Torrey, $300; Stephen North, Jr, $75, and $25 in lumber; Stephen Torrey, $100, payable in lumber; Ezra Hand, $50; David Cory, $50; Simeon S. Chamberlain, $40 in labor and material; David Beers, $30, payable in joiner work; Stephen Brush, $40, payable in material and labor; Rev. Joel Campbell, $50; Isaac P. Foster, $150, payable in work and material; Dan- iel P. Kirtland, $50, payable out of store; Andrew Crawford, $25; Daniel P. Fuller, $30; S. Z. Lord, $40, payable in lumber; T. N. Vail, $50, one-half out of my shop; N. B. Eldred, $10; Abram V. Kimble, in labor, $15; E. Kingsbury, Jr., $40; Hayes
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& Williams, $50, in goods, etc., when called for; R. F. Lord, $100; Thomas H. R. Tracy, $25; Jonathan Brink, $10, in pine lumber by his order; John Leonard, $25; Guilford Tracy, in carpenter work, $8; H. Baldwin, $5; H. H. Farnum, $30; Samuel S. Jessup, $30; Moses Ward, $15; Hiram Dibble, $15; Thomas L. Reese, $10; Abram I. Stryker, $30; (from New York, Philip Hone, $50; Cash, $5; A. Tappan, $20; Mr. Halkead, $25; Mrs. Cornish, $25); Mr. Williams, $5; A. H. Ives, $12, to be paid in carpenter work; E. Patmor, $20; Ambrose Wheeler, $12; D. St. John, $10; Calvin Earl, $5; Levi D. Stewart, $10; Russell & Farnham, $25, payable in goods out of our store; Chas. Forbes, $20; Tarbox & Brown, in work, $20; Lewis Merton, $5; James M. Keen, $5; Silas Stevens, $30, to be paid in lumber, work or material; George M. Keen, lumber, at cash price, $30; John F. Roe, $20, goods at my store; S. & E. S. Rose, $50; Alfred Bliss, $10; Charles Wuits, $20; Sarah McMullen, $10; Stephen G. Cory, $10; George Jenkins, $10, in lumber; Elisha S. Hand, $5; Mrs. Chapman, $15. Total amount, $2,532. This was the first great effort that was made to build a Presbyterian church in Honesdale and it was successful. It may be of interest to known who furnished the money to purchase the bell that still rings from our church tower. The bell was to cost $400 and it was purchased about 1839. It was sent in Mr. Graves' name which still is on the bell. The subscribers were R. L. Seely, R. F. Lord, John Torrey, H. H. Farnum, T. N. Vail, H. Bald- win, E. Kingsbury, Jr., Stephen North, Jr., I. P. Foster, Silas Stevens, George M. Keen, Hand & Kirtland, Daniel Blandin, Orren Townsend, Daniel Bolkcom, Andrew Crawford, Lewis Morton, David Tarbox, Rev. Joshua B. Graves, Stephen Brush, Elisha P. Hand, Daniel Edgar, I. N. Sanders, Eliakim Field, P. Carlen, Z. H. Russell, Charles Farnham, M. L. Delezenne, E. Patmor, E. S. Pope, E. T. Losey, J. Worter, Samuel B. Wait.
July 3, 1837, the trustees appointed Messrs. Seely, Tracy and North to procure a Bible, lamps and necessary trimmings for the new meeting house. On Thursday, September 20, 1837,
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the first pews in the new church were rented to R. F. Lord, Thomas H. R. Tracy, Ebenezer T. Losey, Daniel Blandin, John Torrey, George M. Keen, Richard L. Seely, Patmor & Stevens, Stephen Torrey, Samuel S. Jessup, Isaac P. Foster, Stephen North, Jr., E. Kingsbury, Jr., D. P. Fuller, Z. H. Russell, John Neal, Brush & Tarbox, William Rockwell, T. N. Vail, David Beers, Horace Baldwin, Andrew Crawford, Hand & Kirtland, David Cory, S. Z. Lord, E. S. Hand, James Pinkney, Lewis Merten, E. S. Rose, Harry Wheeler, George Cole, W. R. Mc- Laury. The pew rentals aggregated $442 and Rev. Joel Camp- bell's salary can be inferred from these figures. Rev. Walters Warren was stated supply when the church was completed and the congregation desired to engage him as their pastor, but he wrote a letter to the trustees refusing to be considered as a can- didate for the pastorate. Rev. J. B. Graves was elected pastor and the difficulties with him are treated elsewhere. In 1843, after Rev. H. A. Rowland had been elected pastor, the trustees concluded to sell the parsonage property up town but Dr. Row- land preferred to live there and he loaned the society $500 to repair the building. The building prior to that consisted of the main building without the wing and here Rev. Joel Camp- bell lived up stairs while Daniel Blandin lived on the first floor. About 1835 Blandin built on the flats where his son Henry now resides and moved there. Probably Graves occupied the entire building. January 15, 1843, the trustees let the con- tract to James B. Tillman to put on the wing for $525, and this enlarged house was occupied by Rev. Henry A. Rowland dur- ing his pastorate, which commenced at a salary of $750 which was raised to $1,100 before his pastorate ended. At the an- nual meeting in 1843 the rent of the parsonage was fixed at $125 a year and that amount was applied on the indebtedness on Rowland's salary; a good way to pay old debts certainly. In 1844 at a meeting of the congregation it was resolved that it was expedient to build a session room for the congregation and David Beers, C. C. Graves and Z. W. Arnold were ap- pointed a committee to act in concert with the trustees in the
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matter. At a meeting of the congregation in 1846 Stephen Torrey was appointed to request the ladies to place the funds raised by their late fair in the hands of the trustees to be ex- pended in painting the church. This is the first mention of any money received from the ladies of the church and it appears that about this time they began to take an active interest in the matter of erecting a lecture room, and it was through their ef- forts that this work was finally accomplished.
R. L. Seely reported $216 slip rents for 1843 which was all paid to Dr. Rowland. From the report of treasurer S. D. Ward May 4, 1844, $365.37 had been received from pew rents and $1,068 from subscription, and the weekly collections for six months were $43.42. November 11, 1844, completing the year, he made another report showing that he received on 1843 pew rents, $140.46, and on the balance of the year 1844, $277 pew rents, rent of parsonage $78.13, subscription to pay debts $30, penny collection $37.79. The total for the year 1844 for pew rents was $782.83. They paid Dr. Rowland that year $478.38, exclusive of the interest on the $500 which he loaned them. Dr. Rowland appears to have been very considerate of his con- gregation. He loaned money to the trustees to repair the par- sonage, then they charged him $125 a year for the use of it. He got his salary in payments of sums varying from $5 to $200, and his salary of $750 was in arrears. In 1845 the total re- ceipts from all sources were $954.17, of this amount Dr. Row- land received $694.70 in money and orders on stores. This condition of affairs went on until 1847 when at the annual meet- ing of the congregation, Z. W. Arnold in the chair, and C. P. Waller secretary, the chair presented for the consideration of the meeting the following paper drawn up by the pastor. The trustees propose to the society the adoption of the following resolutions, viz:
1. Resolved, that in renting the pews of the church hereafter it be on the condition that the pew rent shall be payable half yearly in advance.
2. Resolved, that the trustees be authorized and directed to settle with the pastor at the close of each half year; and for this purpose to raise by loan or otherwise the funds that may be necessary.
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3. Resolved, that inasmuch as we deem it improper that the pastor should be compelled to go to the bank to raise money for his household ex- penses while so large an amount of back salary is due from the society ; therefore, resolved, that the trustees be authorized and directed to raise the (winds) means and pay off the amount now due in the speediest manner possible.
These resolutions were to the point with a clever touch of Dr. Rowland's wit combined. The question being taken on the first resolution it was lost and on motion of S. D. Ward the other resolutions were laid on the table. Elder Horace Tracy, who was a conservative and considerate man, offered the follow- ing resolution which was adopted: Resolved, "that the trustees be instructed to raise by subscription a sum sufficient to pay up the back salary and the debt due the pastor, coming due next spring, if they can." At this meeting James R. Dickson and John F. Roe were elected trustees.
The last clause in Mr. Tracy's resolution shows that it might not be possible to pay all that was due the pastor at once, for the town was young and composed of young and middle aged men who had been attracted here in the expecta- tion of gaining a living. There was not much wealth in the town at this time and embarrassing as it may have been for Mr. Rowland not to receive his salary promptly, it was equally embarrassing for the trustees to secure the money to pay him; but more men kept coming into the village and the trustees not only circulated a subscription to pay the salary, but they also took a subscription to enlarge the church, and they suc- ceed in accomplishing both purposes. None succeed so well as those who have the faith to go forward when there is a real need for a forward movement.
In 1851 the trustees added a *premium bid for choice of pews and decided to add whatever was received for choice to the pastor's salary. This gave the admirers of Dr. Rowland an opportunity to increase his salary, and his salary was in- creased to $1,100 in 1852.
*Note. Paying a premium for choice of pew continues to this day.
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At the annual meeting in 1853 John Torrey offered a reso- lution reciting the fact that the trustees had used part of the money arising from slip rents for other purposes than the pay- ment of the pastor's salary without making arrangements to replace said funds. It was resolved, "that it is the duty of the trustees to apply all the receipts from slip rents to the pay- ment of the pastor's salary, and that hereafter no part of said slip rent shall be applied to any other purpose until after pro- vision is made for the payment of all arrears to the pastor, and for the residue of the year for which the slips shall have been rented." This just arrangement to first pay the pastor from pew rents is the law of the Honesdale Presbyterian church to this day, and the pastor's salary is paid promptly every month.
In 1856 a new barn was built on the parsonage lot for $315, Henry Heath contractor.
At the annual meeting in 1863 the subject of exchanging the old parsonage for one more centrally located was discussed and Miles L. Tracy, C. F. Young and H. C. Hand were ap- pointed a committee to look after that matter. At the same meeting F. B. Penniman, Elias T. Beers and David Beers were appointed to examine the steeple of the church and report the condition at the next meeting, which was held November 17, 1863, R. L. Seely chairman and George G. Waller secretary. At this meeting, after hearing the report of the committee on the condition of the steeple, it was decided to take the initiative steps towards building a new church, and R. L. Seely and M. L. Tracy were appointed a committee to circulate a subscrip- tion to that end. R. L. Seely died and C. F. Young and E. F. Torrey were appointed to act with Mr. Tracy on this commit- tee. The committee secured pledges for $21,075, and John Torrey, C. F. Young, I. Snyder, S. D. Ward and E. T. Beers were appointed a committee to procure plans. March 18, 1864 the trustees were authorized to sell the old parsonage property to E. W. Hamlin for $1,500. The committee on plans decided to build with brick and after reporting a plan were discharged and John Torrey, C. F. Young, H. M. Seely, W. H. Foster and
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David Beers were appointed a building committee *; they also decided to purchase a strip of land 20x110 feet east of the church lot for $300.
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