Town of Prattsville Churches
As Identified in J.B. Beers' History of Greene County, published in 1884
Retyped by Arlene Goodwin
Reformed Dutch Church
This church (the oldest organized in town) was established early in 1802 by
Rev. Mr. Lopaugh, who began by preaching in houses and barns. He remained here
but a short time, and his place was filled by Rev. Cornelius D. Schermerhorn. He
labored faithfully among his small congregation, and was instrumental in
erecting (1804) a house of worship at the lower end of the village, almost
opposite the present iron bridge.
Among the founders are the names of a number of the pioneers—notably among the list are the Deckers, Brandows, and Laraway, whose descendants are still prominent in this community.
The present church edifice was built in 1834. The pastor at the time was Rev. Hamilton Van Dyck. He was a man of fervent piety and force of character, and under his teachings the society prospered. He labored with this congregation for several years, and died at his post of duty. A marble monument, erected by his congregation, marks his grave in the village cemetery.
Under the supervision of the present pastor, Rev. N. F. Rickerson, the church has been thoroughly repaired, and now ranks with the best of our county churches.
The following is a list of the pastors who have ministered to
the wants of the congregation of this church: 1800, Rev. Mr. Lopaugh; 1803, Rev.
Cornelius D. Schermerhorn; 1818, Rev. Winslow Page; 1830, Rev. Henry B. Simpson;
1833, Rev. Hamilton Van Dyck; 1838, Rev. T. B. Gregory; 1841, Rev. E. Du Puy;
1846, Rev. A. V. Wyckoff; 1852, Rev. E. S. Hammond; 1855, Rev. William Johns;
1861, Rev. A. F. Gilberts (died while carrying on a protracted meeting at this
place); 1867, Rev. Thomas E. Dusenbury; 1870, Rev. W. H. Carr; 1875, Rev. James
C. Garretson; 1878, Rev. E. N. Sebring; 1881, Rev. Norman F. Rickerson.
Methodist Episcopal Church
This church was connected with the Durham circuit from 1823 to 1834. The
church edifice was built about 1834 the site having been given by Colonel Pratt,
who also contributed one-third of the cost of the building. The first pastor was
Rev. Thomas S. Barrett. In 1834 the Windham and Prattsville circuit was
organized; at this time Rev. J. Broadhead was pastor. In 1836 Prattsville
circuit appears in the conference minutes. The following are the appointments
down to 1883: 1836, William S. Collins, Reuben H. Bloomer; 1837 William S.
Collins, Andrew C. Fields; 1838, Sanford Washburn, Goodrich Horton, 1839,
Sanford Washburn; 1840 William H. Smith; 1841, 1842, Arad Lakin, Charles Grose;
1843, Orlif G. Hedstrom; 1844, Orlif G. Hedstrom, Lucius H. King; 1845, 1846,
William Bloomer, W. C. Smith; 1847, William F. Gould, Charles T. Mallory; 1848,
William F. Gould, Abram Davis; 1849 Addi Lee, M. M. Curtis; 1850, Addie Lee,
William M. Spickerman; 1851, W. B. Mitchell, William Goss; 1852, William B.
Mitchell, A. M. Hugh, Addie Lee; 1853, William C. Smith, George Daniel, Addie
Lee; 1854, James Birch, C. M. Eggleston; 1855, James Birch, Edwin Clement; 1856,
1866, Richard Decker; 1867-69, L. R. Vandewater; 1870, O. P. Dales; 1871-73,
James P. Burgar; 1874-76, Sheldon Merchant; 1877-79, Henry W. Ackerly; 1880-82,
Lyman S. Brown; 1883, William Green.
Roxbury, Delaware county was taken from the Prattsville circuit in 1859.
Rev. Lucius H. King is the presiding elder of the Prattsville
circuit and resides in the village of Prattsville.
Protestant Episcopal Church
Prior to 1843, the services of this church was occasionally held in
Prattsville by clergymen of the adjacent parishes of Windham and Hobart. In that
year the committee on diocesan missions, of the diocese of New York, granted a
stipend of $125 per annum, and the Rev. Thomas S. Judd, rector of the Trinity
church, Windham, was placed in charge of the Prattsville mission. The services
of the church were held regularly on alternate Sundays, and the holy communion
administered once in each month. The number of persons attending these services
was small at first, but increased with each successive service.
In May 1844, at an informal meeting of the male members of the congregation, it was decided to organize the parish and build a church edifice. Due notice was given of a meeting of the congregation, to be held at the academy in the village of Prattsville, June 10th 1844, for the purpose of incorporating the parish under the laws of the State. At this meeting, the Rev. Thomas S. Judd was called to the chair, and William H. Jackson, and Asa W. Lee, were appointed to certify, with the chairman, the proceedings of the meeting. Thomas Montgomery and Abraham Chatfield, were elected church wardens, and Zadock Pratt, John Watson, Henry D. H. Snyder, Daniel C. Scudder, John W. Brackney, Edwin H. Sheldon, Robert P. More, and Smith H. Shaw, vestrymen: and the name, “The Rector, church wardens and vestrymen, of Grace Church in the village of Prattsville,” was fixed upon as the corporate title of the church.
The certificate of incorporation was signed and sealed by Thomas S. Judd, William H. Jackson, and Asa W. Lee, and witnessed by F. James Fitch (since county judge of the county, then in this first years practice as a lawyer), and John Hopkins—(then Cashier of the Prattsville Bank, and subsequently of the First National Bank of Saugerties). The proof of the execution of the instrument was made before Frederick A. Fenn, then judge of the Court of Common Pleas of this county. The instrument was drawn by F. James Fitch, and recorded in the county clerk’s office, in Book A. of Miscellaneous Records, page 147, June 13th 1844.
Many of the persons whose names appear upon that certificate were, or have since become, honored, wealthy and well known in the communities in which they severally resided. Of the 17 names appearing thereon, but four, viz., John Watson and John W. Brackney, both of New York city; Edwin H. Sheldon, of Chicago; and F. James Fitch, now a resident of Prattsville, survive.
Immediately after the incorporation of the church, steps were taken by the vestry for erection of a church building. A subscription paper was circulated. Colonel Pratt headed the paper with the donation of a church lot; his wife, Mary E. Pratt, followed with a subscription of $500; then came subscriptions for smaller amounts, but all liberal, considering the circumstances of the donors at the time, until about $2,000 was subscribed, exclusive of the lot. A building committee was appointed. Nelson Fitch, a skillful mechanic and honest man, was entrusted with the construction of the building, and Rev. Mr. Judd, and Messrs. Fitch & Sheldon, with the design, or plan, of the same. So vigorously was the work prosecuted, that before the ensuing Christmas a handsome Gothic church was opened” for the worship and service of Almighty God.” It was consecrated September 25th 1846, by the Right Rev. William Heathcote Delancy, bishop of the diocese of Western New York. The little church still stands, and ornament to the village.
The total cost of the building the church was $1,991,15.
For ten years or thereabouts the church was prosperous and flourishing. At one time it its history the number of its communicants exceeded 50, and every seat was leased and occupied. Between the years 1850 and 1855 Pratt & Watson’s tannery (at one time the largest in the world), the Smedberg Tanner, one mile below the village, and Burton G. Morss’, two miles above, were closed by reason of the giving out of the hemlock bark. Other manufactories of woolen cloths and cassimers, of oil cloths, gloves, and mittens, iron foundries and machine shops were forced to succumb, because of the high cost of transportation, and the exodus that followed took to places more favorable to enterprise and thrift nearly all connected with the church, who had the pecuniary ability to maintain the service. Most of the few remaining have been by death. Of the generations succeeding, few care or will take the place in the church’s work of those who lived here 40 years ago. Hence Grace church, Prattsville, though still in existence as a corporation, has lapsed to its “first and former estate;” and the few churchmen here are dependent upon a missionary stipend, augmented some what by voluntary contributions, for services during four or five of the summer months.
The following clergymen, and in the order named, have been rectors, or have officiated as missionaries in the church: Revs. Thomas S. Judd, James W. Stewart, Horace L. Edgar Pratt, William W. Olssen, James P. F. Clarke, Daniel G. Wright, J. W. Bradin, E. Webster, William Wardlaw, Edward N. Goddard, H. H. Prout, E. Augustus Edgerton, H. C. Hutchins, and the present missionary, Rev. Aubrey F. Todrig.
The present officers of the church are: Dr. Thomas Fitch, warden; M. G. Marsh, J. H. Chatfield, Charles Platner, Willis Stewart, I. Houghtaling, and Hiram White, vestrymen.