West Gallatin

Methodist  Episcopal

Church

Gallatin,

Columbia County,

New York.

By Capt. Franklin Ellis²⁶⁰

1878

     During the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Ellis at West Taghkanic, a class was formed at Weaver Hollow, in Gallatin, consisting of the following persons, viz., John L., Angelina, Abigail E., Catharine, Eli, and Delia Duntz; Peter J., John E., and Rachael Phillips, Levina Benton; Philip R. Wagoner; Deborah, Henry, Robert, and Catharine Younghance; Catherine M. Kellerhouse; David and Elizabeth Cole; Jane Stott; Jeremiah P. Decker; John Lawrence; William J. Dykeman; and David Ham.  The year in which this class was formed is not definitely known, but it was probably in 1857.

     In 1858 the first and present church was erected by Henry Younghance, and, together with the church lot, including about an acre of ground, by him presented to the society.  It was built by Captain Hezekiah Smith, of Hudson, and is a frame building, painted brown.  Its first cost was about $7000.  It was dedicated by Rev. Joseph B. Wakely, in October, 1868.  Nothing more than incidental repairs have been made since then, and the church is now in rather poor condition. It is valued at about $3000.  It stands on a gentle elevation, on the south side of the road, about a mile east of Weaver Hollow.

     The first officers of the church were Henry Younghance, John E. Phillips, Eli Duntz, John Leonard, trustees; Henry Younghance, steward; Andrew Lawrence, class-leader.  Rev. Joseph Elliott was the first pastor, and he has been succeeded by the following in their regular order, viz., Revs. William S. Boughton, Edward Ashton, J. W. Macomber, Henry H. Birkins, Abram Davis, Aaron Coons, J. Chester Hoyt, H. C. Masten, William Green, N. H. Bangs, and Charles Gorse, the present incumbent, who is now serving his second year in this charge, which includes at present Jackson Corners, Union Corners, and West Gallatin.  A portion of the time this charge has been attached to the one at West Taghkanic.

     The present membership consists of some thirty or forty persons.  The present officers are Friend Smith, Henry Rockefeller, Henry Younghance, trustees; Henry Younghance, Marks Duntz, John E. Phillips, stewards; Henry Rockefeller, class-leader.  The first Sabbath-school was organized about May 1, 1857, with Henry Younghance as superintendent.  the present superintendent is Marks Duntz, with Elizabeth Duntz as assistant.  The school has an average attendance of about twenty, and has a library of forty or fifty volumes.