CHURCHES AND PASTORS.
The first house of worship was erected in Blooming Grove, 1759. The old church stood until 1823, when the present building was erected. The first pastor was Rev. Enos Ayres, who stood first on the roll of the first class graduated at Princeton College. He died in 1762 and was buried in the old burial ground, a part of which, including his grave and the graves of Rev. Samuel Parkhurst and Rev. Benoni Bradner, was covered by the new church building. In 1764 he was succeeded by Rev. Abner Reeve, father of the celebrated Judge Reeve, who founded the law school at Litchfield, Conn. Rev. Abner Reeve resigned about 1786. In 1786, Rev. Samuel Parkhurst came as a supply and soon died here, and his grave is also under the present church. Then followed, in 1770, Rev. Anasiah Lewis, Rev. Case, Rev. Green and Rev. Silas Constant, as stated supplies for a time. Rev. Benoni Bradner filled the pulpit from 1786 until 1892, dying in 1804. He was buried here, his stone still standing erect under the church. After his retirement Rev. Joel T. Benedict preached a few months, Rev. Noah Crane, 1803 to 1811. He was succeeded by Rev. William Rafferty, who married a daughter of John Chandler and resigned in 1815, to become president of St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland. Returning on a visit in 1830, he died here, and is buried in the old Chandler family burial ground on the old homestead now occupied by B. C. Sears. August 7, 1816, Rev. Luther Halsey was installed as pastor. The church was admitted under the care of the Presbytery, with the reservation of its form of government, and remained in the Presbytery of Hudson until 1833, but has always been in fact Congregational. Rev. Luther Halsey served the church with great acceptance. Great revivals blessed his ministry, at one time nearly one hundred being added to the church. The present church building was erected under his ministry, and frequently filled. He resigned in 1824 to accept a professorship in Nassau Hall; later became professor of theology in Allegheny, in Auburn, and in Union Seminaries. He died in Pittsburgh on November 2, 1880, aged eighty-seven years. He was succeeded at Blooming Grove by James Arbuckle, then pastor of the Eighth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, who was pastor of the church until his death, July, 1847. In 1847, Rev. Ebenezer Mason, son of the celebrated John M. Mason, D.D., of New York City, became pastor, who died here the next year. After his death the pulpit was supplied until April, 1851, when Rev. Austin Craig was called, and served this church for fourteen years, when he resigned to accept the presidency of Antioch College, Ohio, and later was president of the Biblical School at Stanfordville, Dutchess County, N. Y., where he died, but is still held in loving remembrance by many of the congregation and in the town. He was succeeded in April, 1866, by Rev. Warren Hathaway, D.D., who still occupies the pulpit. Although he has had frequent calls to what seems to have been more attractive fields of labor, he still remains loyal to his old congregation and they to him. Both Eager and Ruttenber, to whom we are indebted for part of the facts herein stated, excuse a lengthy report of this old church, because of its being one of the landmarks of the town, and it still stands for righteousness, temperance, and charity toward all those laboring for the good of their fellowmen, but the congregation is greatly changed. In the place of the Marvins, and Seelys, Moffatts and Roes, who came in large loads containing the whole families, come very few of those still left of the Woodhulls and Marvins. Although the Tuthills and the Shons, who represent the old Moffatt family, the Hulses and Hudsons, Gerows and Sears, and Howells and Brewsters, still contribute their quotas toward the congregation, there are many vacant pews, and very many who trooped up the long aisles, and listened attentively to the instructive and eloquent sermons, and visited upon the old door stones, are seen there no more. In place of the tall form of David H. Moffatt, Jr., who used to lead the choir in the old gallery, stands the handsome pipe organ erected to his father's memory by David H. Moffatt, of Denver. And the church has a fund in memory of David Wright, given by his daughter Susan Wright.
In 1830, an effort was made to start an Episcopal church in Washingtonville, but met with no success. August 21, 1851, under the leadership of Rev. Henry Belden, a Congregational church was organized, and a building erected, which was afterward sold to the Methodist congregation, incorporated 1855. The First Presbyterian Church of Washingtonville was organized 1841. Connected with the Hudson Presbytery under the charge of Rev. Henry Belden the church grew to a membership of 121, when Rev. Henry Belden was succeeded by Rev. Phineas Robinson. A church building was erected in 1847, and Rev. Luther Halsey was called to succeed him and occupied the pulpit until October, 1856. Rev. Daniel Higbee served the church from August, 1858, until his death, October, 1867. He was succeeded by John Griswold, who served until April, 1871, when he was succeeded by Rev. James B. Beaumont, 1871 to 1881, George W. Morrill from 1882 to 1884, when an effort to unite the congregations of the First and Second Churches was made, but failed. In 1886, Rev. Joseph Greenleaf was called, and died in 1888. William M. Yeoman was pastor from 1898 to October, 1902. John A. McCallum, installed 1903, resigned June 20, 1907, leaving the church without a pastor at this date. Their church property has been increased by a new parsonage, 1872, and a handsome chapel and Sunday schoolroom, to the memory of Mary Scott Denniston, the widow of Hon. Robert Denniston, erected by her children.
In 1855, Dr. Luther Halsey, having a matter of difference with the New School Assembly, did not feel he could any longer remain under its care, and many of his congregation joining with him, they formed the Old School Presbyterian Church of Washingtonville. The church was organized in 1857, a house of worship built in 1858, and a parsonage added in 1871. Dr. Luther Halsey occupied the pulpit until April, 1862, when Rev. Arthur Harlow was called and ordained and installed, September, 1863; resigned in October, 1871, and died June 19, 1883. In 1872, B. G. Benedict became stated supply until 1875, when on account of ill health he resigned and was succeeded by Rev. N. M. Sherwood, who served the church ten years, resigning in 1885 in order that his occupying the pulpit might not embarrass the effort to unite the two Presbyterian churches. This effort failing, Rev. Eugene L. Mapes was called, April, 1886; installed 1887, and resigned a year later, having received a call to the Presbyterian church of Carlisle, Pa. The church was then supplied for some time, and then sold its property, and divided the proceeds between the Foreign and Home Mission Boards of the Presbyterian Church, part of the congregation giving to the First Presbyterian Church and part to the old Blooming Grove Church, and part to Bethlehem and Little Britain.
The Blooming Grove Methodist Episcopal Church was incorporated December 3, 1855. This is now the Washingtonville Methodist Church. It was for a long time on the circuit of Monroe, Oxford, Craigville and Highland Mills, but now is associated with the church at Salisbury Mills, has a fine church property, kept in very good repair, and has recently installed electric lights in connection with other improvements.
The Catholic Church of St. Mary is near Washingtonville on the State road, the first building erected in 1872, has been of late much enlarged and beautified under the direction and by the effort of Rev. Father Tetrau, and now has a fine property consisting of the enlarged church and rectory.
The Methodist Church of Salisbury Mills was incorporated in 1854, was connected with the New Windsor circuit until 1898, when it was connected with Washingtonville. It has a convenient and finely located building.
In Salisbury, largely through the efforts of Richard Caldwell and his wife, Sarah Beattie Caldwell, the Hope Chapel, connected with the Bethlehem Presbyterian Congregation, was built, and has been an active organization ever since, and its Sunday school, supported by its founders, is large and active, and Sunday evening and other services well attended.
The Satterly Town Methodist Church was organized in 1855, a house built and services held for some time, but its supporters, withdrawing or moving from the neighborhood, the building was removed. Also about 1850 a church was erected at Craigville, for the use of that village and neighborhood, which soon passed into the hands of the Methodist organization, and was on the circuit with Washingtonville for many years, but service has for a long time been discontinued, though the building still stands in fair repair and is beautifully situated. Still another Methodist church was built about one mile south of Oxford Depot and used for the purpose of worship, but now has been turned to secular use; also near this was the Friends meeting house, now used as a dwelling.