Cape Vincent, Jefferson, NY

Churches, Part II

RELIGIOUS SERVICES

The first religious services were conducted by Mr. Richard M. Esselstyn in his own house. The meetings were held each Sabbath, when the Episcopal service and a sermon were read by him, followed by an extempore prayer from Deacon Kindall, who was a Baptist. Previous to 1820, missionaries came into the settlement, and the names of a Mr. Avery and a Mr. Flint are still remembered. There is still preserved the original draft of a paper stating that the first Sabbath school was started on July 30, 1820, with J. B. Esselstyn and Buel Fuller as managers, R. M. Esselstyn superintendent, and Mr. Ellis teacher. There is also the draft of the first ? that formed the "Auxiliary Female Missionary Society of Cape Vincent." This organization was before that of any church, and not far from the date of starting the first town Bible society.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The Presbyterian church began its formal existence on march 2, 1823, at the house of Oliver Lynch. Rev. Noah M. Wells, of Brownville, moderated the meeting, and probably drew up the confession of faith and the covenant, which were then adopted. The following eight person constituted the original membership: Oliver Lynch, Abraham Morrow, Matilda Lynch, Jane Forsyth, Mary Forsyth, Cynthia Rogers, Hezekiah H. Smith, and Amarilla Mills. At this meeting Jedediah Mills was received on profession, and Oliver Lynch and Abraham Morrow were chosen elders and deacons. On the 25^th of the next June the church was received into the presbytery of St. Lawrence; the same day Charles G. Finney, who became the eminent revivalist, was taken under its care as a candidate for the gospel ministry.

In 1824 a large meeting of this ecclesiastical body was held in our village. The first services were begun in a school-house that stood near the old cemetery; afterwards in a hatter's shop on Broadway; then in the ball-room of the Rathbun house; next in a wheel-wright's shop; and later still, in the upper room of a store at the foot of James street, that was burned many years ago. On the 13^th of February, 1823, the "First Presbyterian Society" was organized, with Simon Howard, Henry Ainsworth, Michael Myers, R. T. Lee, and James Buckley as trustees. The church building was commenced the same year, $400 and the lot having been given by Mr. Le Ray towards the project. It was occupied the next year by the use of temporary seats, and continued in an unfinished state till about 1840, when the inside was completed.

Rev. Jedediah Burchard was the first minister, who came in 1824, and during the two years of his ministry increased the membership to more than 50 person. There were large accessions in 1850. In 1852, the year when the bell was purchased, the church numbered 135 members.

The wheelwright-shop, where the early services were held, was without much underpinning, and stood two or three feet above the ground. One Sabbath, while Mr. Burchard was preaching very earnestly on the willingness of doing whatever God calls upon us to do, he was greatly annoyed by half a dozen pigs that grunted and rooted around beneath the shop floor. Neither did it please the congregation. Suddenly grace and patience gave way, when Mr. Burchard stopped short in his discourse and called out, "Rudolph shepherd, drive out those hogs."

The pastors of the Presbyterian church have been as follows: Jedediah Burchard, 1824-25; services for several years after depended upon uncertain finances; David Smith and Lucius Foote were her before 1830, Revs Chittendon, Robins, and Leonard preached before 1839; T. C. Hill, 1840; H. H. Morgan, 1842; Hugh Carlisle, 1845; F. J. Jackson, 1849; A. Crocker,Jr, 1854; George Richie, 1856; Samuel L. Merrell, 1857. Rev. S. L. Merrell resigned his charge of the Presbyterian church in June, 1861, and entered the 35^th Infantry as chaplain. He served his full term of enlistment. H. H. Hill, 1863; J. B. Preston, 1865; E. H. Pratt, January, 1871. The present pastor, M. E. Grant, commenced his labors in 1877. The present elders are R. T. Lee, Austin Rogers, James Howard, and Edgar Vincent; the first two are also deacons. The trustees are Willard Ainsworth, W. O. Horton, William Grant, James Howard, and Edgar Vincent. The Sabbath school is in a flourishing condition.

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

As already indicated, the first religious services were Episcopalian, and conducted by Richard Esselstyn. These services were continued with more or less frequency, some times at Cape Vincent, and sometimes at Millen's Bay, till St. John's parish was organized, January 25, 1841, while rev. John Noble was rector. John B. Esselstyn and Nelson B. Williams were then chosen wardens; and Nelson Potter, Otis P. Starkey, Robert Bartlett, Calvin Pool, Judah T. Ainsworth, Robert Moore, Rice parish, and Wm. Esselstyn , vestrymen. The lot upon which the church building stands was the gift of Mr. Starkey, and contained an acre of land. The first interment in the parish cemetery was the body of Jonathon Howland, who died the same year of the organization, at the age of sixty years. The building was erected in 1841, and consecrated on the second day of June, 1842, with the approbation of Bishop De Lancey. A neat parsonage was built not long after the church edifice. At the present time, and this has been the case for several years past, the rector of St. John's parish holds preaching services, every other Sabbath afternoon, at Millen's Bay. There is a good building at the Bay, which was completed in 1872 by the union efforts of the Episcopalians and the Methodists of that place. The Methodist class there is connected with the charge of St. Lawrence, and has a regular service on alternate Sabbaths. The clergymen of St. John's parish have been N. Watkins, 1841; Samuel H. Norton, 1846; Richard S. Adams, 1850; John Abercrombie, 1852; Edward Moyses, 1855; Edward Kennedy, 1857; A. M. Lewis, 1860; W. H. Lord, 1864; N. F. Whiting, D.D., 1865; J. B. Linn, 1869. The present rector is Rev. G. G. Perrine; W. M. Johnson and E. C. Kelsey, wardens; Judah T. Ainsworth, E. K. Burnham, C. C. Brown, G. A. Ainsworth, L. O. Woodruff, John Armstrong, J. A. Scobel, and G. R., Starkey, vestrymen. (Jefferson County History, by L. H. Everts, 1878)

Transcribed by Holice B. Young

Html by Debbie

December 27, 1999

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