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An Overview St. Paul's in Kinderhook grew from a small mission church,
supported by the diocese and a generous New York City
congregation, to today's thriving and self-sufficient parish.
St. Paul's grew as the
Village
of Kinderhook, the surrounding area, and the county grew.
The Episcopal Church has deep roots in New York State,
before and after the American Revolution. Many residents
of the area were members of the Church of England before
the revolution, loyal to king and crown.
In 1789, when America became independent they became
members of the newly established Protestant Episcopal
Church. Many local Episcopalians attended services
in Hudson and Stockport, and held early services in the
Dutch Reformed Church in Kinderhook. About 1840, Bishop Onderdonk
of New York baptized the first Episcopalian locally,
and in 1850, regular services began in Kinderhook in borrowed
quarters.
On January 18, 1851, our parish was incorporated under
the name, "The Rector, Church Wardens and Vestrymen of
St. Paul's Church in the town of Kinderhook in the
County of Columbia." The Rev. Frederick T. Tiffany was
elected rector, along with two wardens and nine
vestrymen. There were twenty-nine other members,
forty-one members in all. Some of the first parishioners had
broken away from the Dutch Reformed Church of Kinderhook. The
first parishioners were a diverse group, representing Dutch,
English, and French Huguenot ancestry.
The new congregation made plans for a church building on a lot
donated by vestryman David Van Schaack, a site on present
Chatham Street (Route 9) located just north of the present
village hall. The congregation selected Richard Upjohn to design
the new church. Upjohn was the leading church architect of his
day, the architect of the new
Trinity Church at Broadway and Wall Street in New York City,
and a promoter of the Gothic Revival architectural style. The
design of St. Paul's followed closely the drawings in Upjohn's
book of plans, Upjohn's Rural Architecture (1852). Upjohn's
designs for Episcopal churches in Columbia County include
edifices in Clermont and Copake Falls.
The new church was completed at a cost of approximately $8,000,
and consecrated on June 22, 1852, by Bishop Carlton Chase of New
Hampshire, acting for the Bishop of New York.
Trinity Church loaned the new parish $1,000 in 1852 toward
building expenses, and renewed the mortgage in 1870, 1889 and
1909, until that congregation generously forgave the mortgage in
1910. St. Paul's was considered a mission church during its
early years. Its annual offering was not great, and the parish
depended on gifts from generous members and aid from the
Diocese.
In 1857, a house and land on Sylvester Street were purchased for
$3,000, and this house today serves as the rectory. A bell for
the belfry was purchased and installed in 1857, and oil lamps to
illuminate the interior of the church were donated by the women
of the church in 1859.
The village business district in the 1860s was a crowded place;
the church lot was small, and expensive foundation work had to
be done. In 1868-69, it was decided to dismantle and reconstruct
the church at a cost of $2,200 on the newly purchased land on
Sylvester Street. Upjohn advised the parish on the
reconstruction. The church as rebuilt is somewhat different from
the original 1852 design. The tower was relocated symmetrically
on the front end of the church, rather than on the side. Wood
paneling and wainscoting were added inside, although Upjohn's
stated preference for his churches had been plain, white
plastered interior walls.
In 1868, the
Diocese of Albany was set off from the Diocese of New York.
In 1870, all pews in the church were made free (the previous
custom, prevailing in most churches, was to rent the front pews
to individual families or parishioners for their exclusive use).
In 1900-01, a two-story addition including a kitchen was added
to the rectory, with funds raised by the women of the church.
Additional property was purchased on the north side of the
church in 1904 for $900, including the present sexton's house.
In that year, also, electricity was installed in the church.
In October 1912, the Rev. John Carl Jager became rector and
remained a beloved pastor for nearly twenty years. He conceived
the idea of the parish house to accommodate the activities of
the growing congregation. The parish house was a busy and active
community center. As originally built, it included a rector's
study, Sunday school classrooms, a library, choir room,
gymnasium and a bowling alley! During this period from
1915-1931, the church was the beneficiary of many gifts in
legacies and memorials. The Rev. Jager was granted a six months
leave of absence to serve in the Y.M.C.A. for foreign service in
World War One. This leave was extended, and it was not until
July 1919 that he returned from France. The period from 1919 to
1931 was a readjustment following the war. In 1928, a gift made
it possible to renew the church's foundations, build the
entrance steps of permanent flagstone, and paint the church. In
burning off the old paint, a fire broke out under the roof, but
prompt action by the village Fire Company saved the building. In
cleaning and repairing the interior after the fire, an
interesting old blue painted board ceiling was hidden by the
present plaster board ceiling. The Reverend Jager passed away on
July 5,1931, having given St. Paul's Parish its longest
rectorship to that time. He is buried under the altar of St.
Paul's.
In October 1931, the Rev. John Lee Roney became rector. During
his rectorship, the Altar Guild and a long hoped for vested
Choir was established. He resigned in 1937, and the Very
Reverend Charles Smith Lewis, Dean Emeritus of
Cathedral of All Saints, Albany who lived in Kinderhook, was
asked to temporarily take over the duties of rector. He finally
agreed to stay permanently and was rector until his death in
April 1942. On November 12, 1939, the vestry passed the
resolution which changed the qualifications so that women "of
full age, belonging to the parish, who have been regular
attendants at its worship and contributors to its support for at
least twelve months prior to such election or special meeting,
shall also be qualified to vote at the Annual election or
Special Meeting of the said St. Paul's Church in the Village of
Kinderhook."
Canon Glyn Thomas became rector in September 1942, and his third
daughter Bridget was born in 1944. His health was not good and
he was given a year's leave of absence in 1947 and another leave
in 1951. On Palm Sunday, April 11, 1954, Canon Thomas suffered a
heart attack and died on April 23. A bronze plaque was installed
in the church in his memory. He was succeeded by Rev. Harold F.
Hohly, Rector of Christ Church, Bronxville, New York. In 1961
land south of the Rectory was purchased, which is today used as
a parking area and lawn. In 1964, the Rev. Hohly donated the
columbarium and its landscaping and planting as a memorial to
his wife, Helen Wade Hohly. He retired in 1964 and remained in
Kinderhook until his death in 1968, when he was interred in the
Garden of the Resurrection. The Rev. Alselm Broburg became
rector in June 1964 and served St. Paul's until September 1966.
In February 1967, the Rev. Edward John Fiebke, from St. Marks,
Malone, N.Y. accepted the rectorship of St. Paul's. He remained
rector until his retirement January 1, 1996. Extensive repairs
were made to the organ in 1967. In 1968, Carolyn Davie Lloyd
died, leaving a generous trust bequest to St. Paul's in memory
of her parents, Amalia and George Henry Davie and her aunt
Carrie Dummig. Income from the trust is for the general use of
St. Paul's Church.
In 1988-89, the old parish house was demolished and the present
McNary Center was built, accompanied by a major fund raising
effort and aided by the generous bequest of Lucy McNary. The
McNary Center serves both the parish and the entire community as
a modern meeting place. |
