The Philmont Methodist

Episcopal Church

Claverack,

Columbia County,

New York

By Captain Franklin Ellis³⁵

¹⁸⁷⁸

^{Page 248}

    This body was organized in 1842, as the Mellenville Methodist Episcopal church, with a board of trustees composed of Adam Miller, Jeremiah Jones, A. P. Whitney, John W. Knapp, and Daniel B. Stone.  The same year a frame meeting-house was erected in the village of Mellenville, which was used for worship until 1872, when it was demolished, and part of the material used in the construction of a very fine chapel in the village of Philmont.  The house is thirty-six by sixty-eight feet, and is surmounted by a shapely tower.  There are four hundred sittings.  The cost of the edifice complete was eight thousand four hundred dollars.  Impressive dedicatory services were held Dec. 19, 1872, by Bishop Harris, D.D.  At this time the corporate title of the trustees was changed from Mellenville to Philmont.  The trustees at present are L. B. Snyder, G. B. Nickerson, Edward Herrick, Marcus Sherwood, and J. S. Parks.  The members number one hundred and seven.

    The clergy of the church have been, since 1845, Revs. Adee Vail, George C. Bancroft, John Campbell, Denton Keeler, John Davies, David Hervey, Jr., Aaron Hunt, Jr., David Lyman, James G. Bates, De Loss Lull, Amos N. Mulnix, Oscar Haviland, E. Ashton, and David Gibson.  Until this period, 1868, the church was served in connection with the one at Harlemville as a circuit.  The circuits being re-adjusted, Philmont--then Mellenville--was connected with Claverack in forming a new circuit.  Since that time the pastors have been Revs. Quincy J. Collins, Thomas Lamont, G. W. Knapp, G. D. Townsend, and the present (1878), R. H. Travis.

    A good Sunday-school is maintained by the church.  John Philip is the superintendent, and there are one hundred and fifty scholars in attendance.