Church and Family History Research Assistance for Delaware County, New York
CHURCHES:
FIRST ROXBURY (VEGA)(1796)
The First Roxbury Church was constituted on the 27th day of May, 1796, with the number of seven brethren, the pastor, and one sister, who felt moved by the Spirit of the Lord to lodge their experiences of the Lord's work in their hearts toward each other in this constitution. Their names were: Elder William Warren, Shubal Dimmick, David Robinson, Elizabeth Robinson, Abner Bangs, Isaac Hodgkins, Samuel Mosher and John Avery. Elder William Warren was pastor from 1796 to February 28th, 1811, when Elder James Mead was ordained. He was succeeded January 6th, 1813, by Elder John Warren, and he by Elder Orlando Mack, December 10th, 1813. The ordination of Elder David Mead took place on September 24, 1823, after which he served the church faithfully for over twenty years, until near the time of his death, which occurred November 30, 1844; after which Elder Isaac Hewitt served the church for twenty years or more, since which time the church has been served by Elder J. D. Hubbell and others. The present meeting house of this church was constructed in 1856.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Avery, Ballard, Bangs, Bardsley, Bouton, Burroughs, Carroll, Dimmick, Every, Faulkner, Green, Harrington, Hitt, Hodgkins, Jenkins, Keator, Kelley (Kelly), Knickerbocker, Mead, Morse, Mosher, Peet, Robinson, Scudder, Slauson, Slawson, Streeter, Underwood, Vermilyea, Walker, Warren, Weld, Woodheater (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
COLCHESTER (COLCHESTER)
This church was organized through the labors of Elder William Warren.
PINE-HILL CLOVE
SECOND ROXBURY (STRATTON FALLS) (1816)
The Second Old School Baptist Church of Roxbury was formed at Roxbury from the First Church at Batavia-Kill on May 1, 1816. The first officers were Jotham W. Scudder, Deacon, and J. Root, Clerk. The first pastor was Elder William Warren, also pastor of the First Church. There were 53 members at its organization. These had previously been members of the First Church. The reason for the larger charter membership was that the territory was much larger. Worshippers came from Rose's Brook, Relay, Halcottsville, Hubbell Hill, Bragg Hollow. It was the leading Roxbury church in membership for years. For seventeen years the Second Old School Baptist Church met at the "Scudder's Schoolhouse." Then it was decided to build a meeting house, and on January 7, 1832, Deacon Scudder, Reuben Every and Ezra Stratton, were appointed trustees to superintend the building. Elder William Warren, the first pastor, was followed by Elder Platt in 1821, and Elder David Mead was pastor from 1823 to 1844. He was pastor at the building of the "Yellow Meeting House." Elder Isaac Hewitt, ordained in 1840, served in the absence of the pastor, and followed him in 1845. The Yellow Church, begun in 1832, was completed and the first services were held there in April, 1833. The building, made with handmade nails, is the oldest church in town still used occasionally as a place of worship, though it has been quite a while now since services have actually been held there. It has always been painted the original shade of yellow and is in an excellent state of preservation. The site of the building is near Stratton's Falls. At one time the congregation was so large it was necessary to use the galleries. When yearly meetings of Association gatherings were held, there have been occasions when one minister spoke to a large congregation inside the church while another minister addressed a large congregation outside, using the horse block as a pulpit. Ministers from Canada to Kentucky, from Maine to North Carolina, have occupied the pulpit. The large cemetery, one of the oldest in town, where many pioneers and Revolutionary soldiers are buried, including Goulds and Burroughs and others, is incorporated and kept in good condition. In 1881, the membership was 101. The First and Second Baptist churches of Roxbury, which had been organized as part of the Lexington Association, were still a part of it in 1881. Some years later the Association divided into two parts, known as the Roxbury and the Lexington Associations. In 1922, the two parts merged into one body, the Lexington- Roxbury Association. Pastors who served this Church: 1796-1821 Eld. William Warren 1821-; Eld. Platt 1832-1845; Eld. David Mead 1845-; Eld. Isaac Hewitt -1906; Eld. John D. Hubbell 1905-1914; Eld. John B. Slauson 1914-1916; Eld. D. M. Vail 1916-1930; Eld. George Ruston 1930-1957; Eld. Arnold H. Bellows 1957-1973; Eld. Amasa J. Slauson 1975-; Eld. Johnny Ray Gardner.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Ackley, Avery, Bailey, Bellows, Bouton, Bronson, Burroughs, Carrol, Cator, Clark, Cower, Crosby, Dart, Earl, Every, Faulkner, Fuller, Gilbert, Griffin, Hewitt, Hinkley, Hubbell, Keator, Kelley, Kilpatrick, Leonard, Mackey, Mead, Morse, Moyes, Powell, Redmond, Robinson, Root, Sanford, Scudder, Stratton, Tomkins, Travis, Underwood, Van Black, Vermilyea, Weckel (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
HALCOTTSVILLE (1816)
As shown above, the Second Roxbury Church, was organized in 1816. The church divided in the early or mid-1880's, both parts claiming the name of Second Roxbury. One part of the church continued to meet in the "Yellow Church," the other part erected a new building at Halcottsville. Eventually, in the 1920's, the two parts of the church came back together, and meetings at the Halcottsville location were called the Halcottsville Church.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Surnames are shown in the list of surnames above, for Second Roxbury Church.
MIDDLETOWN & ROXBURY/&HALCOTT/HALCOTT (1822)
Letters of dismission from the First Baptist Church of Roxbury were granted to seventy-two members, March 30th, 1822, for the purpose of forming a church nearer Middletown. Steps were immediately taken for the organization of such a church, and a meeting called on the 1st of May following at the house of Noah Dimmick, where the feasibility of organizing this new church was discussed. The meeting adjourned to the 29th of the same month, when the church was organized by a council composed of delegates from Marbletown, Lexington and Roxbury churches. It is recorded that "the Middletown and Roxbury Church was organized at the house of Noah Dimmick, of Middletown, on the 29th of May, 1822, with Elder James Mead as pastor. The members to be those who had taken letters from the First Baptist Church of Roxbury for this purpose."
Elder Mead continued as pastor until his death, which occurred May 17th, 1856. On the 18th of March, 1841, Daniel Morrison, of Halcott, was ordained. He occasionally supplied the pulpit for Elder Mead. In June, 1856, he became the pastor, and continued in that relation until his death, October 30th, 1859. Elder Hewitt and Elder Alling supplied the society occasionally, and in 1861 arrangements were made for preaching once a month, Elder Hewitt and Elder Fuller alternating. In 1870 Elder Buel Maben was ordained to preach, and he is now the resident pastor. The first deacon was Shubal Dimmick. The present deacon is David Earl, who is also a licensed preacher.
At first meetings were held in private houses. Mr. Noah Dimmick and Mr. James Blish being the earliest who operated their houses for religious services. In 1823, Mr. Dimmick built a school-house known as the Dimmick school-house, where meetings were held, and some are living who speak of the school-house, with the cushioned seat by the rostrum for Deacon Dimmick, who was a cripple. In 1847 a church was built in the town of Halcott, but the "old church" was long since abandoned, and the society now hold their meetings in what is known as the Fly school-house.
The church was known as the Middletown and Roxbury church until 1860, when the name was changed to Middletown and Halcott and still later to Halcott.
E. Kelly, Jr., was clerk of this church from 1831 to 1834; Ethiel Travis from 1834 to 1846; James T. Streeter from 1846 to 1861; the present clerk is James Miller, who is also a licensed preacher.
The above account was copied from an appendix in "The History of Delaware County," by W. W. Munsell, 1797-1880.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Ackley, Berdsil, Blish, Chapman, Demund, Dimmick, Dixon, Earl, Ellis, Faulkner, Green, Griffin, Hicks (Hix), Hubbard, Hull, Huntley, Kelley, Knickerbocker, Maben, Mead, Miller, Morrison, Morse, Muir, O'Connor, Peck, Rolfe, Sanford, Scudder, Streeter, Swart, Travis, Vermilyea, Wooden (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
ANDES (1844)
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Donaldson, Griffin, Hitt, Huntley, Jenkins, Sanford, Sweet, Van Steenburg, Washburn (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
TREMPER CLOVE (1844)
BEAVER DAM
BOVINA
BLENHEIM
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Beach, Beck, Choate, Ferris (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
HARPERSFIELD
DELPHI
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Coats, Howe, Shepherd (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
CLOVESVILLE (1886)
On May 26, 1886, pursuant to a call of a number of brethren and sisters of the several churches of the Lexington Association residing at this place, for a council to take into consideration the propriety of being organized into a church, the meeting was opened by Elder David Earl reading a hymn. Elder James Miller followed in prayer. Elder L. Gass preached from I. Pet. ii. 6.
The brethren then organized for business by appointing Elder Isaac Hewitt moderator, and John A. Morse clerk. The several churches of the Association were then called on, and the following messengers answered to the call, to wit: Lexington, Elder L. Gass, W. P. Kirk, Second Roxbury, Elder Isaac Hewitt, R. Kilpatrick, N. D. Vermylia; Halcott, Elders James Miller and David Earl, J. H. Scudder, C. W. Mead, William Hubbard; Olive & Hurley, W. Winn, Peter Elmendorf, J. D. Osborn; South Westerlo, none; Jefferson, Lic. Eber Hix; Middletown, William R. Sanford, R. W. Sanford, M. C. Sanford, R. Hull, John A. Morse; Gilboa, Lic. John Clark, D. M. Leonard; Andes, Anson Jenkins.
After a recess, sang a hymn. Prayer by Elder Isaac Hewitt. Resumed business by calling on the brethren and sistes for their letters of dismission. The following are the names of the charter members: Elder James Miller, Isacher Woolhiser, Russel Peck, Andrew Green, Orvil Ballard, Sarah Streeter, Polly Ann Miller, Emeline Scudder, Catharine Hanly, Rebecca J. Green, Mary Sanford.
After the constitution, Bro. Orvil Ballard was elected clerk.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Ballard, Davis, Green, Hanley, Miller, Morse, Peck, Sanford, Scudder, Stillwell, Streeter, Townsend, Woolhiser (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
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