History of Churches in the Hamlet of Northville
Town of Genoa
Cayuga County, New York
The text information displayed on this site was acquired from the book:
HISTORY OF CAYUGA COUNTY, NY 1789 -1879, BY ELLIOT G.
STORKE
Thanks to Ronnie Aungst for typing the information on this page into
a digital format.
The First Presbyterian Church
of Genoa at Northville. We quote from a
published sermon preached August
10, 1873, by Rev. J. S. Jewell, the pastor
of this Church, on the occasion
of its 75th anniversary. "Quite a large proportion of the early inhabitants
here were decidedly friendly
to religious institutions; while many of them were professedly the
disciples of Christ, and members
of churches in the places from which they
came. In leaving the older
settlements and established churches, and coming
into the wilderness, they had
no idea of leaving their religion and the
benefits of the gospel behind.
And it would seem that in the settlement of
this part of the town, the hand
of God was plainly manifest, in bringing
together so many of similar faith,
so that they could so harmoniouly join
together in worshiping God."
We have already seen that Benjamin Close commenced holding religious meetings in his house soom after the removal of his family here in the spring of 1793. These meetings were doubtless the first regularly established for public worship in the County. The devotions consisted in reading sermons, singing hymns, and prayer, and frequently partook of the nature of a Bible class, questions being asked and answered as freely as in any family or social gathering.
They were occasionally visited and encouraged by missionaries, but apparently very irregularly and not often. The earlist of these of whom we have any record is Aaron Kinne, who visited this section as early as 1793. Others, though three or four years later, were Seth Williston, Jedediah Bushnell, Salmon King, Jacob Cram, David Avery and Ezra Woodworth, the latter of whom, it appears came in June 1798 and preached one-third of the time for five or six months. His labors seem to have prepared the way in some measure for the organization of a Church. The first meeting looking to this end was held at the house of Amos Lyon, who lived near Bell Corners, July 9, 1798. This meeting was attended by two missionaries, Rev. Ezra Woodworth, who acted as Moderator and Rev. Mr. Hillyer, who acted as clerk. About twenty persons present presented certificates of membership from various Eastern churches. A committee consisting of John Tillotson, Silas Hutchinson, Stephen Peet, William Bradley, David Wilcox and Enoch Merryman, was appointed to acquaint the professors of religion in the town of their designs and also to draw up a confession of faith. An adjourned meeting was held at the same place, August 13, 1798, when the Church was duly organized, and a confession of faith and covenant adopted. The ministers present and assisting were Reuben Parmlee, Ezra Woodworth and Jacob Cram.
The number who then entered into Church-fellowship was sixteen--ten males and six females--eight of whom were from Connecticut, and all of whom presented letters. Their names were Stephen Peet, Stephen Webb, Amos Lyon, Solomon Knapp, Silas Hutchinson, Benjamin Close, William Corwin, David Wilcox, William Bradley, Anna Corwin, Esther Peet, Jane Strong, Elizabeth Moe, Ann Chittenden and Elizabeth Webb. Two weeks after, nine others, whom arrear not to have been present at the former meeting, united by letter, among them John Tillotson and Annie, wife of Heman Bradley.
The Church was denominated the First Congregational Church in the town of Milton. and was the second one organized in the County, the first being the Baptist Church in Scipio, (now Venice) which was formed June 9, 1795. Rev. Mr. Scott supplied them a few Sabbaths after Mr. Woodworth closed his labors and in February 1799, a call was extended to him which as wellas one extended to Rev. Seth Williston in March 1800, appears to have been declined.
After the organization, as before, the Society continued to worship in private houses and barns till 1802, when a log meeting house was built, near the south-east corner of lot 14, a mile east and a mile south of Northville.
Some time in 1803, Rev. Jabez Chadwick commenced serving themas a stated supply, and continued about two years. During this period the rapid increase in population had made a larger and more commodious house of worship desirable; and out of the proposition to build a new edifice, grew a somewhat acrimonious controversy relative to its location, which ultimately resulted in a separartion and the formation of a new church. Pending this unhappy discussion a project was set on foot to perfect a legal organization, and a meeting was called for that purpose March 10, 1804, at which an agreement was drawn and subscibed to by ninety-one individuals, upon whom, for the most part, says Rev. Mr. Jewell, "the burdens of society rested for more than a generation." This organizaton was completed at the house of Jabez Bradley, in May of that year, under the name of Union Society, and John Atwater, Benjamin Close, Jabez Bradley, James Milliken, Johathan Brownell and Matthew Tillotson were the first trustees. At the same time a subscription for a meeting-house was drawn up, the heading to which is worthy of preservation. The following is a copy in part:
"We, the subscribers, do agree to pay the sums set opposite our names, in the time and manner following, viz: one-fourth part in neat cattle, by the 1st of October next; one-fourth in good wheart or pork, at market price, by the 1st of January next; one other fourth part in neat cattle, but the 1st of October 1805; and the remaining one-fourth in good wheat or pork, by the 1st of January 1806."
At a meeting of the society, May 20, 1805, it was decided to build on lot 4, within forty rods of the south-west corner. June 5, 1805, Jabez Bradley gave the society a lease of between three and four acres of land, as a site for the building, the lease to continue as long as the society wished to occupy the land for a house of worship. The house was raised in July of that year, and though it was occupied for worship the following season, was not completed till some years afterwards, the pulpit and galleries not until the fall of 1816.
"It was a fine and noble monument to the value of religion and religious teaching, here in a new country, where few spires could then have been seen pointing heavenward. Its dimensions were about 45 by 60 feet, built with such styke and finish as to attract the attention of strangers for many years." This building was their Sabbath home until 1846, when it was taken down, and a new one erected on the same ground, and dedicated July 8, 1847. This, in turn, underwent extensive repairs and was rebuilt, and dedicated in February 1872. A neat chapel adjacent to it was erected at the same time, the whole involveing an expense of $11,000.
When it was found to be impossible to harmonize the conflicting views in regard to the location of the church edifice, an amicable separation was mutually agreed upon. They accordingly procured the services of Rev. David Higgins, then pastor of the church in Aurelius, who administered to them the Lord's supper, December 22, 1805' after which twelve took letters of dismission to form a church in Lansingville, then called Teetertown. Those who withdrew were Caleb and Luther Lyon and their wives, Amos Lyon, Mrs. Charles Lyon, Caleb Lyon, Jr., Mrs. Rebecca Stives, Mrs. Ruth Conklin, and Israel Lyon. The membership of this church after this exodus was sixty-four.
Rev. Wm. Clark was ordained and installed pastor of this church June 18, 1806; the relation was dissolved in February 1808. After this Rev. Samuel Fuller preached for a time, and received a call to settle, but he ultimately declined the invitation. September 5, 1809, a resolution is recorded inviting Rev. Seth Smith to preach seven Sabbaths in addition to the five already supplied. Four weeks later, October 3d, a call was unanimously extended to him, at a salary of $450, which was then considered very liberal. The names appended to the subscription list to raise this amount were 135 in number, and the sums subscribed varied from fifty cents to thirty dollars. Mr Smith accepted this call and was installed January 24, 1810. Such was the importance attached to this event that the church voted to observe Wednesday, January 10th, as a day of fasting and prayer, preparatory to the solemnities of the occasion.
Mr. Smith's pastorate was a long and useful one. It continued till his death, January 30, 1849. Mr. Smith was succeeded by Rev. N. D. Graves, who was installed September 5, 1849, and served the church five years, resigning September 5, 1854. Rev. Amos Crocker followed in the spring of 1856, and remained till May 1867. The present pastor, Rev. J. S. Jewell, commenced his labors with this church July 1, 1868, having completed the tenth year of his ministry, which with the hopeful spiritual condition of the church, is evidence of his acceptability and efficiency. Thus the shepherd's staff has changed hands but four times in the period of nearly seventy years.
The church was originally organized on Congregational principles. In 1804, on the organization of the Middle Association, it was connected with it; but on the dissolution of that body in 1811, and the formation soon after of the Presbytery of Cayuga, it became a constituent member of the latter body, and has thus remained to the present time. In 1820, the church adopted the Presbyterian form of government, electing as ruling elders, Wm. Bradley, Benjamin Close, Beriah King, Roswell Franklin and Adonijah Tillotson, who continued to exercise the functions of that office till 1831, when it again voted to become Congregational. In November 1868, it once more, without a dissenting voice, became fully Presbyterian.
The present number of members is 140. The numbr of families in the congregation is about 100. The whole amount raised during the last ten years, including benevolent objects, is about $27,000. They have an interesting Sabbath school, at which the attendance is 150.
Calvary Church, (Episcopal) at Northville, was organized in May 1862, and at a meeting of the vestry, consisting of S. S. Mosher, D. K. Underhill, James Howell, George Jackson, M. D. King, John Tillotson, James Niblo and B. F. Coleman, held Tuesday, May 15, 1862, at the house of D. K. Underhill, Q. L. Beebe and Andrew Thorpe were elected wardens. Their church edifice was erected in 1862, at a cost of about $2,000, the land--about an acre--having been given by Mr. D. K. Underhill. It was consecrated in 1863.
The first rector was Rev. J. Leach, sho was called May 22, 1863, he having resigned the pastorate of St. Paul's Church of Aurora. June 29, 1863, a call was given to Rev. W. M. Beauchamp, who served them two years, and was succeeded by Rev. George G. Perrine, who remained about a year. For sometime after Mr. Perrine left the pulpit was unsupplied. Rev. W. A. Casey, who was then and is still rector of St. Paul's Church, Aurora, supplied the pulpit a year. After that the church had only occasional preaching till the summer of 1878. July 1st, of that year, Rev. J. Everist Cathell commenced his lavors with them, and continued them during that and the two succeeding months. Rev. DeWitt C. Loop, the present pastor, entered upon this charge about the 1st of November, 1878. The church is in feeble condition, but has a hopeful and useful prospective future. The membership does not exceed a dozen, but there are some twenty who have been baptized awaiting the coming of the Bishop to be confirmed.
St. Mary of the Lake Church, (Catholic) at Northville, was organized in 1866, by Father McCool, at the house of the widow of Hugh Fallon, about a mile west of the village. It then consisted of about twenty-five heads of families, the most prominent of whom were the widow Fallon, Daniel Fallon, Patrick and Edward Reilly, Thomas and Johm McCormick, Michael and Edward Burns, James Britt, Patrick Dullehan, Christopher Mulligan, Nicholas and Christopher Mulvany, John Mahony and John Kenny. Their church edifice was erected in 1868, at a cost of $2,400, through the efforts of Father McCool, who labored with them as pastor from 1866-70. He was succeeded in the pastorate by Father Schmeltzer, who served them ten months; Father Eugene Pagani, who remained one year; Father Archangel Paganini, who served them ten months; and Father Hugh Francis Rafferty, who has labored with them since June 15, 1873. The present membership is about 450.
The earlist meetings of this
denomination were held in the old red
school-house in the village of
Genoa, by Father Glennon, in 1852.
The text information displayed on this site was acquired from the book:
HISTORY OF CAYUGA COUNTY, NY 1789 -1879, BY ELLIOT G.
STORKE
Thanks to Ronnie Aungst for typing the information on this page into
a digital format.
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