Methodist Society, Buckville/Chemung, NY
Typed Verbatim by Mary Ellen Kunst Author - Rev. Ezra O. Morgan
The organization of the Methodist class at Buckville grew out of a religious revival, which swept through the whole Chemung Valley. This revival may, directly or indirectly, be traced to the efforts of that early Methodist, Thomas Webb, a Captain in the British Army. As a result of that revival a Methodist class was organized at Buckville in 1819. There were no church records kept before 1861, and as a result the names and details of those first years are, for the most part, lost. However, the names of a few who were converted in that revival over a hundred years ago have been found. The first class was only thirty in number, but it was the beginning of the Chemung M.E. Church of today. (Methodist-Episcopal) The few names I have are: Jerry Holland and his wife, James Ribble and wife, Epenetus Owen and wife, Philip McConnell and wife, William Kellogg. Stephen Vanderlip, Nancy Floyd, Julia Wynkoop, Katie Floyd, Betsey Swain and Treadway Kellogg. The names of Swain and Floyd are the only living names in our church today.
This first class of thirty converts held their first meeting in a little log meeting house that stood in the lower end of the village near Wynkoop Creek. In this little log meeting house the founders of Chemung Methodism continued to worship their God until 1838. In that year a modest frame church was built on a piece of ground just a little east of Wynkoop Creek. Here our forefathers worshipped for about ten years. In 1849 the Erie Railroad got its right of way through Chemung and it was found that the road bed would pass directly through the Methodist church property. So the trustees were compelled to sell the property to the railroad. It is claimed that this first frame church, at least in part, still stands today near its original location, and has been remodeled into a barn.
After the transaction with the railroad had been closed, the Methodist society moved up into the center of the village for a church site, and in 1850 our present church was built, at a cost of $1,500. This price is certainly low, as compared with prices today. It is estimated that the same church could not be built today for less than $12,000. Our church building stands today nearly as it was originally built in 1850. The few changes have been made on the interior. The heating system has been changed, and is still in need of change. There are those, particularly some janitors, still living who have a vivid recollection of the old oil lamps once used for light, before the present system of electric lights was installed a few years ago. There are those still living who can also remember the old style, family box pew, with the one center aisle.
The first presiding elder the Chemung charge ever had was the Rev. Horace Agard. One of the first pastors to serve the charge was an old time horseback circuit rider, the Rev. Sophronus Stocking. No doubt Chemung at that time was just one point on Rev. Stocking's circuit, which in point of territory may have been as large as the whole Elmira District of today. But in those days if the pastor was not seen but once in two months we had class leaders who were fully capable of taking his place, and in sheparding the flock during his absence. He may have served the charge along about 1840. The names of our first official board, after the church records came into use, were found, written by the Rev. E.H.Cranmer in 1863, on the fly-leaf of our oldest record book. They are: S.L. Congdon, presiding elder; E.H. Cranmer, pastor in charge; J.. Fausey, supply preacher; G.W. Buck, recording steward; stewards, C.H. Peppard, A.W. Smith, Owen Swain, J.M. Blauvelt, John Greatsinger, David Gardner, Charles Ruggles, J.S. McDowell, class leaders, John Joslin, Samuel Drake, Gordon Snell, M.V. Scott, Oak Hill; William Greatsinger, Francis H. Arnold, Orcutt Creek, now Wilawana.
The first recorded birth was that of Morris Catlin, to Mr. Israel and Ditha Catlin. The first death was that of William Bosworth, who died in 1790. He was an uncle to Elijah Buck. The first wedding was that of Guy Maxwell to Eleanor VanStienburg. The bride was a step-daughter to Major William Wynkoop. The oldest baptism, where exact dates can be found, was that of John Carner. He was baptized on November 24, 1861, by Rev. G. J. DuBois. The oldest exact date of reception into church membership, since that class of thirty in 1819, is June 24, 1864. On that date Rev. E. H. Cranmer received John Rogers from probatien, and he joined Brother John Joslin's class.
This first class of thirty converts held their first meeting in a little log meeting house that stood in the lower end of the village near Wynkoop Creek. In this little log meeting house the founders of Chemung Methodism continued to worship their God until 1838. In that year a modest frame church was built on a piece of ground just a little east of Wynkoop Creek. Here our forefathers worshipped for about ten years. In 1849 the Erie Railroad got its right of way through Chemung and it was found that the road bed would pass directly through the Methodist church property. So the trustees were compelled to sell the property to the railroad. It is claimed that this first frame church, at least in part, still stands today near its original location, and has been remodeled into a barn.
After the transaction with the railroad had been closed, the Methodist society moved up into the center of the village for a church site, and in 1850 our present church was built, at a cost of $1,500. This price is certainly low, as compared with prices today. It is estimated that the same church could not be built today for less than $12,000. Our church building stands today nearly as it was originally built in 1850. The few changes have been made on the interior. The heating system has been changed, and is still in need of change. There are those, particularly some janitors, still living who have a vivid recollection of the old oil lamps once used for light, before the present system of electric lights was installed a few years ago. There are those still living who can also remember the old style, family box pew, with the one center aisle.
The first presiding elder the Chemung charge ever had was the Rev. Horace Agard. One of the first pastors to serve the charge was an old time horseback circuit rider, the Rev. Sophronus Stocking. No doubt Chemung at that time was just one point on Rev. Stocking's circuit, which in point of territory may have been as large as the whole Elmira District of today. But in those days if the pastor was not seen but once in two months we had class leaders who were fully capable of taking his place, and in sheparding the flock during his absence. He may have served the charge along about 1840. The names of our first official board, after the church records came into use, were found, written by the Rev. E.H.Cranmer in 1863, on the fly-leaf of our oldest record book. They are: S.L. Congdon, presiding elder; E.H. Cranmer, pastor in charge; J.. Fausey, supply preacher; G.W. Buck, recording steward; stewards, C.H. Peppard, A.W. Smith, Owen Swain, J.M. Blauvelt, John Greatsinger, David Gardner, Charles Ruggles, J.S. McDowell, class leaders, John Joslin, Samuel Drake, Gordon Snell, M.V. Scott, Oak Hill; William Greatsinger, Francis H. Arnold, Orcutt Creek, now Wilawana.
The first recorded birth was that of Morris Catlin, to Mr. Israel and Ditha Catlin. The first death was that of William Bosworth, who died in 1790. He was an uncle to Elijah Buck. The first wedding was that of Guy Maxwell to Eleanor VanStienburg. The bride was a step-daughter to Major William Wynkoop. The oldest baptism, where exact dates can be found, was that of John Carner. He was baptized on November 24, 1861, by Rev. G. J. DuBois. The oldest exact date of reception into church membership, since that class of thirty in 1819, is June 24, 1864. On that date Rev. E. H. Cranmer received John Rogers from probatien, and he joined Brother John Joslin's class.