THE FIRST
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA
after Growth of a Century by John A. Haddock, 1895. Transcribed by Holice Youngs
The first Presbyterian church of Alexandria was formed at Plessis, August 11, 1824, by the Rev. Nathaniel Dutton, and consisted o the following named members: Aaron Goddard, James Carnegie, Lydia Carnegie, Elizabeth Carnegie, Cynthia Merrill, Polly Young, and Sally Hoadley. The Lord’s Supper was first administered to this little band August 12, 1821, by the pastor. David J. Weeks and Aaron Goddard were ordained elders, the former on July 4, 1824, the latter on September 5 of the same year. The succession of pastors and supplies of the church, from its organization to the present, has been as follows: Revs. William B. Stowe, G. A. Boardman, John Sessions, William Chittenden, Phineas Camp, Lewis M. Shepard, L. Wilcox, Henry Smith, C. W. Treadwell, who served the church faithfully and well for twelve years, Samuel L. Merrill, Alexander smith, Alexander B. Williams, M. E. Grant, and the Rev. J. A. Canfield, present incumbent.Jason Clark was ordained an elder and appointed clerk of the board in 1833, and occupied those offices until his death in 1871. And we may here be allowed, with all due reverence, to remark that the admirable manner in which he kept the records of the church during the thirty-eight years of his clerkship, entitles him, in our opinion, to the position of secretary to the recording angel in the celestial mansions above.
In 1861 the society erected a fine church building of wood, with a spiral tower, at a cost of $1000. The sacred edifice was dedicated to the service of Almighty God in 1862, during the pastorate of Rev. C. W. Treadwell. It is capable of seating about 400 persons, and is perhaps the finest house of worship in the town. The present membership is 39; present elders, Egbert, Ball, Benjamin, Joy, Elnathan, Plato, and Lyman Corlis; the latter is also clerk.
Prior to 1832 a Sunday-school was organized, of which Jason Clark was the first superintendent and remained such until his death, a period of nearly forty years. The present superintendent is Egbert Ball; number of teachers, 8, scholars, 30.
The church, during its fifty-six years’ existence, has experienced the usual vicissitudes and trials of the church militant. But it has never succumbed, and has always maintained its organization despite an impoverished treasury or a numerically small membership. It is now comparatively prosperous, and bids fair to so continue.
.Nan Dixon
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