The Stockport Methodist

Episcopal Church

Stockport,

Columbia County,

New York

Capt. Franklin Ellis³⁹⁷

1878      

     In August, 1828, Benjamin Marshall conveyed to John Broadhead, Thomas Harleigh, and Andrew Gregg, trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church, at the "Hudson Print-Works," a building lot on which was erected the following year a plain meeting-house, costing $1200.  At this period the church was connected with other Methodist appointments, and was served by the Revs. Cyrus Foss and Cook, with John Bellamy and John Broadhead as local preachers.  Years after, the meeting-house was enlarged and repaired, and used as a place of worship, until 1866, when a dispute arose concerning the ownership of the lot on which the house stood, which caused its removal to its present location.  The house has been further enlarged and improved, and is now generally known as the "Centenary Church."  The changes in the building were made by Cornelius Welch, builder, and the trustees being John Van Buren, Peter I. Stupplebeem, William Harder, Adolphus Prinder, James E. Kent, and Richard Hiscox.

     A very comfortable parsonage was afterwards erected on a lot donated for this purpose by H. S. Van De Carr.  the church and parsonage are estimated to be worth $7000.

     In 1877 the church enjoyed a notable revival, which resulted in forty-three additions to the membership, making the present number one hundred and sixty, who are under the pastoral care of the Rev. James Birch.  The other pastors, in the order of succession, were Revs. Russell Little, Humphrey Humphries, J. Carley, Wm. Thacher, C. Fuller, K. Hatfield, S. L. Stillman, J. B. Wakely, Wm. Gothard, Hiram Lamont, Asa Bushnell, Loyal B. Andrus, John Campbell, Goodrich Horton Wm. G. Browning, Richard Hiscox, William Brush, Aaron Hunt, Jr., James G. Bates, James N. Shaffer, Charles W. Lyon, W. S. Bouton, W. E. Clark, W. Stevens, C. B. Langdon, J. G. Slater, W. C. Fowler, Aaron Hunt, S. P. Galloway, and J. Ackerman.

     A good Sunday-school has been maintained by the church for the past thirty years, which is at present superintended by F. Truax, and has thirty-five members.