![WHOLE No. ]5 TPE FIRST ST. PAUL's CHURCH ANO PARISH HOUSE and SCHOOL](http://data.docslib.org/img/9745d02db4b157fa4b75642bd8308f6b-1.webp)
VO l • 4 NO. 3 WHOLE No . ]5
TPE FIRST ST . PAUL'S CH URCH ANO PARISH HOUSE AND SCHOOL
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCHES Eli Wheeler became rector at a OF SENECA COUNTY salary ot $650 . He remained with the church until June 30, 1847. Episcopalians we~e not among the largest in church memberships in In 1849, the church purchased a Seneca County but members were cer brick schoolhouse n?.cr the church. tainly enthusiastic. In a period Many parents relished thi idea that of about 15 years, no less than they coul d have a choice in an educ s e ven Ep i s c o p a 1 c h u r c he s 1a n
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH,WATERLOO The church socie~y grew and it became apparant that a larger church This was the first Protestant was needed. In July 1859, the Rev . Episcopal Church in Seneca County . Robert N. Parke came and it was It was organized on Nov. 17, 1817. during his term as rector that the The meeting occured at the village present beautiful Gothic church was schoolhouse, just four months and built. ten days following the organization of _the First P~esbyterian Church of The wardens at that time were Waterloo. The Rev. Orrin Clark Calvin w. Cook and Thomas Fatzinger; of ficiated at this first meeting. the vest rymen were : Sterling G. Benjamin Hendricks and Dr. Gardner Hadley, Levi Fatzinger, George Co ok, Welles were eie::ted ilarcens; John Be njamin Bac on, Daniel S. Kendig , Watkins, Daniel Rhoad~s, Enoch Eno s Laney, John C. Watkins and Chamberlain, ~artin Ker.dig, Jr. Sidney Warner . Miss Serene Birdsall Jesse Clark, John Kr.ox, Charies was organ ist . Swi f t and William H. Stewart were named vestrym?n. The cost of the building including a fence and the organ was $28,780.5~. For the first seven and a half Many of the needed and valuable years the services were he ld in furn i shings were provided as gifts the school house or court house. by the various members and organiz A resolution was made in March ati ons of th~ church society . 1820 to uerect a house of ~ublic worsh i p" • but it was n ' t u n i:i 1 The Rev. Mr. Parke remained until January 1825 that a contract was February l 3 71 and he was rep I a c e d i n made with a mason to iaY the Aori 1 of the same year by the Rev . foundation of the chu~ch. The cost William D'Orville Doty . During his of $3,300 was raised through rent term of service, the parsonage on als of the slips and pews of the Main St. was purchased. St. John's church. Chapel was built in the north eastern section of the vill age on The first sale of the pe~s was land dorated by Miss Jane M. Hunt. on Apri I 3. 1826 and th@ fol lowing It was built to provide educational May, the Rev . William Weber was and religious services to children offered $250 as rector for the and adults in other sections of the year. The church was ccnsfr rated village. Sept. 16, 1826 by the Rt. Rev. John Henry Hobart, bishop of New The clergym~n who perhaps r emainec York. On May 6, 1839, the Rev. the lo~gest period of time at
39
40 installed in May, 1855 , ~nd re John Fi tch , appointed a vestry mained as rector ur1ti l il l health ma n in 1835, became a warden in forced him to resign in May 1876 . 1844 . He remained a warden until he moved to the west in 1884 . Work started on the first Trinity church on Nov. 18, 1833 . The Rev. In 1859 the church was enlarged Jesse Pound was rector at the time and improved. A rectory ~ a s built The cornerstone was laid by the on Cayuga St . on land donated by Rev . J . C. Rudd , D. D. of ~uburn. th= junior warden, Frederick J . t Swahy . The building fund was sta r~e d Services were in a l arge room with a bequest from Mrs. Ruth M. over the post office, in a building Ford. on the northeast corner of Bayard and Ovid Streets. The new cl.urch OnP of the hist ories of the opened on Sunday July 27, 1834 an d church was written by George M. on September 10 , the same year, it Guion, son of the rector , for the was consecrated by Bishop Onderdonk . historical soci ety. In his manu A class of 15 persons were con script he recalled the time when firmed by the bishop that evening. the young men of the church answered Mr . Pound only remai ned until the call of President Abraham 1835. Lincoln and enlisted in the Civil War Three full compan ies were quickly According to a his~orical article si gned up at Sen eca Falls and many on the church, printed for the came f rom Trinity Church . Seneca Falls Historical Scoety, Dexter C. Bloomer was elected Guion recalled a special · day when warden in 1841, replacing Anthony these young men attended a special Dey who resigned. Al~o Josiah T. service in the!r honor. He no~ed, Miller became a vestrvman . He "The earnest scld ierly looking held the office until 1883 wren he company, with full ranks and even transferred to St. Pau l's Ctlurch tread filedslowly into the sacred in Waterloo. edifice. Placi ng their banner upon the steps OT :he altar, they re According to the record s of the v~rPnt.1 v bent the knee before the Wa terloo Presbyterian Church . eternal.God of battles. The white Dexter C. Bloomer and Amelia Jenks robed priest invoked His blessing daughter of Anancsias Jenks were upon them and upon their fla y . ~ Married at the Waterloo Presbyterian Church Oct . 9, I 839 . Some records Two of the young men, George M. give the date April 15, 1840 but the and J. Mars hall Guion were sons of first da t e was cop i ed from the the rector. The Rev . Dr . John Guion church 1·ecords . retired in 187G after 50 yearsof mini>teriel labor. Trinity church records show that Dexter C. Bloomer was bap tised at The parishoners outgrew the church Tri nity Church on April 8, 1843, w and in 1883, whi le celebrating its with Anthony Dey as sponsor. Amelia 50 ~h anniv~r~ary , a movem ent was Bloomer was baptised the same day ~ade for a ne w building. The corner with Malvina Seymour as sponsor. stcnp far the present church on a It is doubtful that he would have Fall Street was laid June 2, 1885 been ~amed a vestrym3n before he ' and the firs t service was on Easter was an official member of the church. Sunday. April 25 , 1886.
41
42 George Eastman, a student at Hobart was appointed lay reader. The first service was on April 20, 1873 at the Vincent M. Halsey home at Willowdale on East Lake Road. Twenty - two persons attend ed the first service . For a special Christmas servi~e. Thomas Berryman offered his ho~e. About 100 attended this service . Wit h the encouragement of his family, Vincent Halsey gave of portion of his farm to build a church. The deed recorded Sept. 9 1874, noted that one-half acre of Lot 24 in Fayette, formerly Romulus. It was to go to the trustees of the Parochial Fund of the Protestant Episcopal Church, for one dollar. The land, sur veyed by Prof. J. Fowler was to be used to erect a church or chapel for those who resided in the vicinity. On Oct. 2, 1874 a cornerstone for the new church Consecrated on J . i~e 22, 1880 by was laid by Bishop Huntington. Bishop Hun~ing~on. Tha church ontlnued tor s~v~ra: years but While the church was being it was extre~ely d '. 7F!cu:~ to built Mr. Halsey invited the keep c le rgymsn ~nd I~ ~as closed b Pc a use t ner t-: '~ e" ~ 0 t ~;er churches workmen to stay at his horn~ . The church was consecrated as nea~by tJ ~cr19 th~ ~em~ers . Grace Church, Willowd~;e ~n April 1, 1875. In the early years Grace Church also provided serv ices at the Jerusa~em brick church .
ST. ANDREW'S, DEY'S LANDING On Sept. 8, 1878, th<:! Rev. Charles W. MacNish, then chap lain at Willard Asylum. began services in a schoolhouse at Dey's Landing, along Seneca Lake. It was an immediate and successful endeavor and by summer. ground was br0ken for a new church. The church was
43 EPISCOPA~ CHAPEL, GLENWOOD resident ~rom ~stor!e, NY who own ed a home in that vicinity.
Soon the c~apel became toe small to hold a:l t hos e who attended ~h~ church se- vic~s and other act1v1t1E and a go od - s'.z~d hcss ~as built to accommoda:e ~ : l these who attended, church se~ v !ces, Sunday School and other pro;~ a ~ s sr~n~ored·by the church .
T~o Episcopal chuches were built at K~dder 1 s and Sheldrake. Al though they were refer 1ed to as chapels, church services were conducted et both of them.
I~ reading about these two church es in "Churcnes and P2stors of Sen&ca Countyu , one has the feel - ing that they were built for a speci fic purpose.
Grace Chu:ch at Willowdale ~as organized ir. i87~ a ~d mueh of the credit cf jts orga~ization has always be~n given to the effort of Miss Mary Emeline Ha i sey . About that time, Miss Mary L. Drake, a summ~r guest at Coie's Hotel The ' 1 r~~ serv 1 ce of Calvary at Kidder's Ferry broJght up the Protes te~~ ~o ! ~L0~a! Church of idea of establ.shing a \hurch at Hayts :: ... ~e· s 1!as· at :he school ~he ~esor t . Ot~ers continu~d with house ~.., .ia · . : e.. ; ~s:; . The Pev. the id?a end On AL1 . 17 . JSeo . Charle; r. ~~:N~s~ conducted the t~e corner stone of All Saints s er v 5!:: e . ~ ;- <1 u r e 3 , ; 8 8 3 • B i s hop p '! i w i 2 t i '> , Ch a a s : a d K doe r an d o n Hunting: J 'i · : !: : ~ec to perform the 29, 1882, flaS Sept. the chapel sacremeri o· co~fir~ation . consecr~ted by the Rt. Rev. F.D. Huntington, 8ishop of Centr~l The s~h~ G. was used for sever al New York. years b ~t tne memberh ip i ncreased and a cie~::icn w.es made early in The Glenwood chapel. also at 1889 t 0 •·u.lc 3 cl1urcn . The corner Cayuga L~ke, between Kidde1s and stone w~~ !aid t1 Ju~e 12, 1889 Sheldrake, w~s built in 1879, and wor k ~n the ch;rch progressed4 of mainly throJgh the generos ity with su~ h :P~ed ~nat the first Mr. Cornelius Rapelye, a summer service ~e~ c0ncucted in the churc
44 on oec. 8, 1889 and again on June 3, G r a~e Church Wij3 appol~ted as Jay 1891, the ~ishop was invited for reader . Jus-:: '"ive r.nnths later, Mr. the consecration or the ~nurch . Stacey died b~t the rector from Trumansburg was appointed as miss ionary and with~n cive months , the de\Jt of the cht:rci1 ~•as pa i
\./lllARO
In 1882 ~~~re w~re three Episccp i ans 1 i vi r. g i n the ha 1.1~ i:> t o 4' Romulus . An in\~t~t 1 c~ ~as sent to Rev. Allan at St . An~re·~ and he ·~en t to ~om u 1 u s to <:>Jr: 11 u .: t. a senice . \o!ork w~s st;ir.;<>c .. n ·the chu~ch in 1883 an~ t~e c1·ner stone was lai~ ~ovem~er 7, that year by the bishop . T~e ~9~bers 0f the building Clwmit~Pq w2re : ~'.chard M. Steeie, Ch~rl~s H. Sayre , Eug~ne S. Ke~~ JP.sse Yerkes a~d George Gwans . Uor k stopped fo~ a ti~~ be~a-~e the funas were de~1e:e1 bu~ ~he Ti;!.; c1•1~c · \o/ i,s .::!:;:; started by members decided ~o cc~::nue and the~?~ . Ch:~.es W. MarNish while the churcll w.u como l etec . h~ chaplain a•. 't'i t iard . The first meetings were Ir t~e homes of mem In November i885, the Rev . Mr . bers, the fi~~t on Jan. 13,1878 at Allen resigned rn1 wi I item w. the hone 0£ ThJMas ~atimer . A new Stacey of Genevd, a me~b~r of school was bu.lt c.t W il~ crd, the
45 hamlet, and starting on Nov . .- 7, - ~ -·- businesses havP hP.en the Menzer •• 1880 tne services were held there Barber Shop , the law office of Har low Hartwell and the photograph studio of His work at the Asylum caused Ellis Strat ford . t ~ e Rev . Mr . MacNish to give up hi s church work at Willard and The principal purpose of telling Rev . William Allen took over. the story of the EpiscopaJ churches In 1885 MacNish resigned as of Seneca County was two=foij. First chaplain and took over the church was to demonstrate the fervor of tne again. members o' the c~urch and their gen erosity in establishing and building ln 1988 only St. Paul's at so many ch urches in the county. The waterloo; Trinity at Seneca second p~rpose was to relate the Falls, Grace Church at Willow sincerliy and empathy of the various dale and Christ Church at Willard rectors and church members . are still in use. All Saint's · Chapel at Kidders was struck In researching through va r ious I by lightning and burned on sources, trying to collect the nistorf June 14, 1911. Also long gone are of Seneca County, it is amazing how the churches at Gl~nwood , Hayts often one learns about the good deeds Corners and Dey's LarCing. of these people. To mention just a few: When it was decided to build MISS MARY EMELINE HALSEY: As has been a new Episcopal Churc"I in rec~lled earlier in this article, it Waterloo, the bui I ding shown was through her effort that Grace I on the cover of this issue was Church wcs started. Through the annu moved to the downtown section reports of ~he Seneca County Board of of t he vi JI age. It was to be Supervisors, one comes across the used as an annex to the lowsley name of Miss Halsey. She never ceased Youse. in her efforts to make life a little better for the pat\ents at the alm' ~ it was moved from its original house and she also often visited the foundation, put on roliers and jail to see if the prisoners needed rolled down Williams St. to anything. SomPtlAes she would per- I Virginia . It was to be placed suade tile ~ect or of either St. Paul's ;ust around the corner but or Tririty to accompany her to the when the movers attempted to meeting of t~e board of supervisors. 1 turn the corner with this good -sized building, it be - She would ~ncou rage the supervisors came stuck. Acc ording to t he to give the patients more blankets account related in the news and warm clothing. She also spent paper, it remained stuck for many hours visiting the sick and wh~rever b~ quite so~e time ~efore it was helping she could . She successfully turned. came godmother to hundreds of childre wh en they ~er e confirmed. Mrs . In later years ii was the Flossie Derr, a retired ~aterloo home of the Rose Hill Grange~ teacher who died recently was one of the two stores en the lower her godchilCren. floor have been used for many THE REV. CHARLES MACNISH: He was businesses.some long term
46 born in Orange County in 1844. When deceased were buried at Restvale ne was a boy his family moved to or Maple Grove Cemeteries. Horseheads where he grew up. In early manhood he pursued a career THE REV . WILLIAM SOURS CLARKE: He in business but later decided to was born in Belvidere, N. J . in work in the church . His first 1860 . His father, the Rev . Hugh position was as assistant rector L.M. Clarke, also a rector of the at St. Paul's Ch urch in Wate r loo Protestant Episcopa l Church acc in 1877 when he was a deacon. epted a call to the Zion Church in Rome, NY . The younger Clarke was One of his duties was to serve as ordained in 1886 and after s e rving chaplain at Willard. He saw a need in several churches in Central for a church in the area and in New York he accepted a ca 11 to short order he was able to organize Trinity Church in 1893. He died in three churches; the one at Willard 1931 and had served as rector of in 1878, at Dey's Landing, the Trinity Church for over 30 yea rs. same year and another at Hayts Corn ers in 1883. During the fall of 1918-19 and 20 the influenza epidemic was the REV . ROBERT DUFF . The rectors of scourge of tne nation . Seneca County both Trinity and St. Paut's churches was equally affected. According to often visited the alms house in the newspapers of 1918, soldiers Fayette to conduct services for the passing through the area on the patients or clients. It is quite railroad wore gas masks· as a prevent possible and probable that other ative. From Octob er l to October 29, ci·ergymen also visited there. the newspaper reported 278 cases of influenza just in Fayette, and They also offici ated at burial ser during that month , 70 people died vices which were conduct~d at the in Seneca Falls during the epidemi c . poor house cemetery. On one occ Churches were closed and conditi ons asion, the Rev . Mr. Duff, while were severe until the cold weather visiting the patients learned that settled in and destroyed the virus Someone had died and was buried but or bacteria. no clergyman was called to offici ate . There was less men~i on of the Mr. Duff's anger was n0t appeased by pl~gue i n 1919, possibly the sick merely informing the board of super- ness was not as prevelant, but in visors of this neglect. One hundred Septembe~ 1920, the papers were years since the event, the angry again wri ting about another epidem!c. words can still be seen in the records of St. Paul's Church. It was at this time that the American Red Cross wa s initiated He wrote, "When I learned of this in the r.ounty and the village of neglect , I gathered a number of Seneca Falls, primarily through clients together and we prayed at t1e the efforts of the Rev. Mr. Clarke. grave of this poor man." On Sept. 10, 1920, Mr . Clarke Apparantly his words were heard for opened the parish house and a generally, from that time on, the bospital was established there by
47
48 'rhe waterloo Village Board Apparantly the co~pany did not get granted perm1ss1on to the tele- tne franc1se for lh June 1900, phone company to set poles in Webster Parry of Richmond, Ind . october 1880. In November a was granted a franchise to start a switch board was placed in John new telephone service in Seneca casterlin's office with 25 Falls . The maximum rate was still wires . Twelve business firms and listed at $18 a year. The company two residences were connected to agreed to put in six free phones the f:rst office. The first res for the village, install and main idential phone was installed in tain police and fire alarm systems. the Richard P. Kendig house on the corner of Center St. and That deal must have also fell North Road. through for on Sept. 2~. 1901 a franchise was granted to Rawson By May 1881, Waterloo and Geneva Construction Co. by the Seneca Falls were connected by telephone and vil lage trustees. The company was by April 1832 the telephone line to construct, operate and maintain between Seneca Fal l s and Auburn a telephone line in the village. was completed by way of Mud Lock. The local company was known as The first telephone south of the Home Telephone Company and on the river in Weterloo was installed May 10, 1904 it published a list of on Jan. 2, 1882 in th~ office of subscribers. There were then 125 Reamer and Halstead. Mrs. Herman telephones in Waterloo ~nd 197 in Brehm cf Waterloo was one cf the Seneca Falls. By 1900 the telephone first woman operators . r n 1904 had reached Ovid although the lines she worked mornings in Seneca were still not connected between Falls and afternoons in Waterloo . north and south Seneca County. John Brady of Seneca Falls was wire chief for both villages for The October 1900 Ovid newspaper more than 40 years . noted that among the first in Ovid to get a telephone were: Peter Flynn, In the ear i y days of audio Fayette C. Allen, Benjamin Franklin, communication there was no "Ma Kinne Brothers, the Franklin Bell ." Teleohane como3nies were Hotei, L.C. Pitcher, E.C. Pomeroy organi:e~ ~~ 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56