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The History of Otsego County, New York
1740-1878
D. Hamilton Hurd
Published by Everts & Fariss, Philadelphia
Church Histories
EDMESTON
The FIRST BAPTIST church of Edmeston, located on what is
known as Taylor Hill, was organized March 8, 1794, by Rev.
Stephen TAYLOR, who came from Rhode Island and settled
in the town in 1790. He donated the land on which to erect
the church, and assisted in the construction of the edifice. He
died in 1841, aged seventy-one years.
Among those who joined at date of organization were
Jonathan PETTIT, Timothy TAYLOR, Jacob TALBOT,
Thomas TERRY, Thos. TAYLOR, Daniel GREEN, Nehemiah
BILLINGS, Robert FULLER, Stephen COLEGROVE, William
SCRANTON, Hugh SMITH, Jos. CASE, Lydia TAYLOR,
Dorcas SCRANTON, Seviah BILLINGS, Agnes PETTIT,
Hannah GREEN, Sarah TERRY, Freelove TAYLOR, Rosannah
TAYLOR, and Marcy PHINNEY. The church building was
erected in 1822.
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The UNIVERSALIST church of Edmeston was organized at
Edmeston Centre, Nov. 25, 1843, with thirty-nine members.
Rev. A. COOK was the first officiating pastor. The church
building was erected in the year following the organization,
at a cost of about $2500, Only occasional services are now held.
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The FREE METHODIST church of Edmeston was organized
April 17, 1871, by William SOUTHWORTH. The following
were the first trustees: Artemus WELCH, Wilber F. WALLING,
Ezra WHEELER, Daniel COLEGROVE, Stephen WINSOR,
Warren COLEGROVE, and Darling STEPHENS. The name
of the first minister was William SOUTHWORTH. The names
of the first members were Daniel COLEGROVE, D. COLEGROVE,
Wilber WALLING, Lorenda WALLING, Esther PRESTON,
Mary YORK, Phoebe HOPKINS, Paulina MITCHELL, Ezra
WHEELER, Darling STEPHENS, Rhoda STEPHENS, David
WALLING, Esther BABCOCK, Stephen WINSOR, Henrietta
WINSOR, Warren COLEGROVE, Mary COLEGROVE, S. S.
WEBER. The first church building was erected in 1871, at a
cost of $1000. The present trustees are Daniel COLEGROVE,
Albert DENISON, Warren COLEGROVE.
The present minister is S. W. CRONK. The name and
time employed of each minister was - David DEMPSEY,
one year; Daniel COLEGROVE, one year; S. B .McVAY,
one year; Daniel COLEGROVE, one year; S. W. PERKINS,
one year; J. B. STACY, one year; S. W. CRONK, one year.
Number of present members, sixteen.
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The SECOND BAPTIST church. This church was organized
in Edmeston Centre, May 30, and recognized by council,
June 11, 1846. It first officers were L. B. GREGORY,
deacon, and Stanton TEFFT, clerk. Rev. Justus H. Wells
was the first pastor. Its constituent members were Silas
COATS, Stanton TEFFT, Perry POPE, L. B. GREGORY,
D. O. CHURCH, Nelson GREENE, Stephen CARD,
Harvey PASCO, with sisters COATS, TEFFT, POPE,
GREGORY, CARD, Caleb PERKINS and Sarah his wife,
Sally BROWN, Emeline POTTER, Hannah SPAFFORD,
Freelove KENNEDY. and two or three others, making
twenty-one or twenty-two in all.
The first and only meeting-house was erected of wood
in 1853. It cost about $2500, and is 34 by 48 feet in
size, and has a tower and a fine-toned bell. Previous to
this time religious services were held in school-houses and
in the Universalist house. The house was begun in May,
1853, and was dedicated to the worship of Almighty God
in November, 1853. Its present deacons are S. A. COATS,
J. T. RICHARDS, and C. W. HOPKINS; Eli CHAMBERLAIN
is church clerk. The Rev. Lawson MUZZY was chosen pastor
in April, 1874, and still continues to fill that office. Rev.
J. H. WELLS served the church as pastor nearly five years;
Rev. Hewett FITCH, nine years; Rev. J. C. FOSTER, two
years; Rev. S. N. WESTCOTT, four years; Rev. G. H.
HOGEBOOM, two years; Rev. G. E. FLINT, three years;
Rev. J. H CHAMBERLAIN, one year. The present
membership is one hundred and thirty.
This church has been blessed with an unusual degree of
peace and harmony, and has for the most of the time
enjoyed a good degree of prosperity Three of its number
have been called of God, as we believe, to preach the gospel
to the perishing. The Rev. J. D. POPE is worthily serving
the Master in St. John's, Nova Scotia; his brother, Rev.
D. B. POPE, is a faithful pastor in this State, and the third
brother, John GREENE, is pursuing his preparatory studies
in the theological seminary at Hamilton.
The meeting-house was built during the pastorate of
Rev. H. FITCH, who served the church acceptably and
faithfully. The most remarkable and extended revival
known in the congregation, or in this town, was enjoyed
in the winter and spring of 1875, under the labors of their
present pastor, Rev. L. MUZZY. Meetings were continued
daily for three months, and were characterized by unusual
solemnity, and striking exhibitions of divine power and
grace. Over one hundred were hopefully converted. Some
fifty were added to the church during that year. Their
Sunday-school is at present as well organized and as
prosperous as any school in the county.
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The SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST church at West Edmeston, N.Y.*
* By Rev. J. Bennett CLARKE
This church is the only one of the kind in Otsego County.
There are three in Madison, two in Chenango, and others
in Oneida, Cortland, and several more counties of the State.
They differ from the regular Baptists only in respect to
keeping the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath.
They believe that there has been no change of the day by
divine authority, as the Scriptures contain no proof of any,
and accepting the Ten Commandments as God's moral and
immutable law, they observe the day which he has blessed,
sanctified, and commanded as the Sabbath to be kept holy
by all mankind. In this view they feel confirmed because
those passages in the New Testament which refer to the
first day of the week do not seem to them to imply either
the substitution of that day for the seventh as the Sabbath,
or its appointment at all as a day for religious worship.
their practice, therefore, does not arise from any capricious
or bigoted spirit, but from the conviction that it is their
duty to strictly regard what God has definitely enjoined,
until he definitely abrogates his law, or absolves them
plainly from its requirements.
The church at West Edmeston was organized Sept. 28,
1823. It first took the name of the THIRD CHURCH OF
BROOKFIELD. the meeting-house, which was built some
time before, was located about half a mile north of Babcock's
mills, in the Beaver Creek valley. The first members
were connected with churches at Leonardsville and
Clarkville, in the same town. Believing that their
convenience, as well as the interests of the cause of God
required the formation of the new church, a council was called
consisting of Elders William B. MAXSON and Henry CLARKE,
Deacons William UTTER and Ethan CLARKE, of the First
Church of Brookfield, and Elder Eli S. BAILEY, Deacons
Saunders LANGWORTHY and Silas SPENCER, of the
Second Church. Elder Matthew STILLMAN, from Rhode
Island, being present, was invited to a seat in the council.
Eli S. BAILEY was made moderator, and Silas SPENCER
clerk. After hearing the reasons, and the Articles of Faith and
the Covenant, the council approved the movement, and
proceeded with the organization, Elder Henry CLARK giving
the hand of fellowship for the council, and Elder Daniel
COON receiving the same on behalf of the new church.
The first officers were as follows: Daniel COON, pastor;
Samuel P. BURDICK and Joshua MAXSON, deacons;
Adin BURDICK, clerk.
Eighty names were enrolled at the organization, as shown
by the following list of members: Daniel COON, Joshua
MAXSON, Samuel P. BURDICK, Elias BURDICK, Lydia
BURDICK (widow of Elisha), Adin BURDICK, Benjamin
BURDICK, Desire BURDICK (daughter of Elisha),
Thankful MAXSON (wife of Joshua), David MAXSON, Lydia
CHAMPLIN (wife of George C.), Martha BURDICK (wife of
Rowse B.), Sarah BURDICK (wife of Robert), Prudence
STILLMAN (wife of Benjamin), Nathan STILLMAN,
Isaac W. BROWN, Ethan P. CRANDALL, James CRANDALL,
Augustus CRANDALL, Joel MAXSON, Nathan BURCH,
Peleg BABCOCK, Samuel B. CRANDALL, John MAXSON,
Ephraim MAXSON, Darius CHAPIN, Henry M. CRANDALL,
Franklin COON, Sanders CRANDALL, Rowland COON,
Joseph S. CRANDALL, Thankful CRANDALL (wife of
James), Rachel MAXSON (wife of Joel), Polly CRANDALL
(wife of Sanders), Betsy CRUMB (wife of Silias), Fanny
STILLMAN (wife of Nathan), Sarah BURDICK (wife of
Charles), Olive CRANDALL (wife of James S.), Hannah
BURDICK (wife of David), Nancy CLARKE (daughter of
Luke), Prudence CLARKE (daughter of Luke), Phebe
BABCOCK (daughter of Jonathan), Clarissa MAXSON
(wife of Ephraim), Thankful CRANDALL (wife of
Aldrich), Polly BURDICK (wife of Samuel P.), Lavina
MAXSON (daughter of Joel), Damaris BURCH (wife
of Nathan), Nancy BABCOCK (daughter of Jonathan),
Fanny COON (wife of Daniel), Lucy GRISWOLD, Sally
COON, (wife of Rowland), Benjamin EDWARDS, Mary
EDWARDS (wife of Benjamin), Abram COON, Amy COON
(wife of Abram), Anna COON (daughter of Abram), Elizabeth
BROWN (wife of J. W.), Philecta CRANDALL (wife of
Ethan), Almira MAXSON (wife of John), Daniel BROWN,
Charles POTTER, Samuel H. COON, Olive COON (wife of
Samuel H.), Joshua MAXSON, Jr., Ezra COON, Mary
BURDICK (daughter of Samuel P.), Eliza POTTER (wife
of Charles), Fanny WILBER, Kinyon CRANDALL, Mary
CRANDALL (wife of Kinyon), Caleb CHURCH, Esther
CHURCH, Ethan STILLMAN, Weeden WITTER, Betsy
NYE (wife of B. B. NYE), Mary CRANDALL (daughter
of James), Luke CLARK, Cyrene COON (wife of Ezra),
Patty BABCOCK (wife of Chas. B., Jr.), Ephraim CLARK.
After fifteen years it was found that a majority of the
members had become located in and near West Edmeston,
and for their accommodation they built a meeting-house in
1843, which cost $800. Subsequently it was enlarged so
as to seat two hundred an fifty persons. Its present value
is $1200. For ten years after its erection the meetings
were held alternately between the two chapels. They were
all removed to West Edmeston in 1854, and soon after the
name of the church was changed. Up to this date the
terms of ministerial service only in part can be accurately
ascertained. Daniel COON, the first pastor, was employed
several years. Samuel B. CRANDALL, his successor, also
served for several years. He was followed by Varnum
HULL, who preached for them only one year, during g1841.
Eli S. DAILEY, a resident minister and physician of Brookfield,
preached during the time to 1844, when Giles M. LANGWORTHY
served one year. Samuel B. CRANDALL was
re-employed, and continued his labors until 1850, the year
of his death, which took place at South Brookfield. Eli
S. BAILEY was again secured, and labored five years, to 1855.
He was succeeded b Libbeus M. COTTRELL for three years,
to 1858. Eli S. BAILEY again served two years, to 1860.
John P. HUNTING from April 1, 1860 to 1863. Alexander
CAMPBELL three years, to 1866, from which time the
present pastor has had the care of the church.
The following are the present officers: J. Bennett CLARKE,
pastor; Ransom T. STILLMAN, Ethan STILLMAN, and William
H. BURDICK, deacons; Amos S. STILLMAN, clerk. The
present membership is one hundred and eleven.
It will be seen that this sketch covers a little more than
half a century. Revival seasons from time to time have
been enjoyed, and in the list of members for that period
nearly five hundred different names have been enrolled.
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