First Presbyterian Church of Chester
Encyclopedia
The First Presbyterian Church of Chester is a Presbyterian church in Chester
. It is located along NY 94
in the eponymous village in Orange County
, New York
, United States
. The current church building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1998, is the third in the history of the congregation, on as many locations. Two additions have been built but the building otherwise remains intact, a well-preserved example of a 19th-century rural American church.
white timber frame
structure in the Greek Revival
style. It has a moderately pictched gable
metal roof. Since its construction in 1854
, it has been added onto twice: a small wood frame chapel
in the rear in 1884, and a stone education center in 1967.
The east facade
of the church, facing Route 94, is a pediment
ed portico with paneled corner pilaster
s and Ionic
column
s. An octagonal belfry
sits atop the roof. Stained glass
windows were installed within the church in 1898, and in 1925 an Estey
pipe organ
was added. Besides those changes the interior of the church has not been altered from its original design.
there was no church in Chester, and residents traveled to nearby communities where services were held by itinerant ministers. In 1783 one resident, Abijan Yelverton, owner of the neighboring inn
, donated an acre (3,920 m²) of land on a knoll about 1,500 feet (455 m) southeast of the present church to be used for a church. The site was cleared and timber cut, but only after the Revolutionary War
was over could construction begin. The result was a small, rough cabin that opened for services in 1798 after a little over $3,000 had been spent. The first pastor, Simeon Jones, was hired three years later.
In 1810 the congregation formally became part of the American Presbyterian Church
. Nine years later, it had grown enough that a parsonage was necessary, and it was built on land purchased at what is now High Street and Hambletonian Avenue in the village. It would be used as a stop on the Underground Railroad
in the years leading to the Civil War
.
By 1829 the church itself had outgrown its original building, and built a new one at Oxford and Sugar Loaf roads. Today that site is Chester Cemetery. In 1851, that building had reached its capacity, and a committee chose the current site, part of Anthony Yelverton's estate. The building was dedicated on Christmas Day 1854. Six years later a friend of then-pastor James Wood gave the church a large bell
, which would also be used to summon local volunteer firefighters.
The original parsonage was replaced with a new one built on the north of the church in 1893. In 1950, the house on the south side was acquired for use as a manse
, and the 1893 parsonage sold to a neighboring funeral home
.
Chester (village), New York
Chester is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,445 at the 2000 census. It was named after the City of Chester in England...
. It is located along NY 94
New York State Route 94
New York State Route 94 is a state highway entirely within Orange County in southern New York. The western terminus is at the New York-New Jersey state line, where it continues as NJ 94 for another to Columbia, New Jersey. Its eastern terminus is located at U.S. Route 9W in New Windsor....
in the eponymous village in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The current church building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1998, is the third in the history of the congregation, on as many locations. Two additions have been built but the building otherwise remains intact, a well-preserved example of a 19th-century rural American church.
Building
The church is a two-story, three-by-four-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
white timber frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
structure in the Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
style. It has a moderately pictched gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
metal roof. Since its construction in 1854
1854 in architecture
The year 1854 in architecture involved some significant events.-Awards:* Royal Gold Medal - Philip Hardwick* Grand Prix de Rome, architecture: .-Publications:...
, it has been added onto twice: a small wood frame chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
in the rear in 1884, and a stone education center in 1967.
The east facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the church, facing Route 94, is a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
ed portico with paneled corner pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s and Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s. An octagonal belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
sits atop the roof. Stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows were installed within the church in 1898, and in 1925 an Estey
Estey Organ
The Estey Organ Company was founded by Jacob Estey when he bought out a Brattleboro, Vermont manufacturing business in 1852. The company went on to become the largest manufacturer of organs in the United States. The original company had been founded in 1846...
pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
was added. Besides those changes the interior of the church has not been altered from its original design.
History
In colonial timesColonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
there was no church in Chester, and residents traveled to nearby communities where services were held by itinerant ministers. In 1783 one resident, Abijan Yelverton, owner of the neighboring inn
Yelverton Inn and Store
The Yelverton Inn and Store is located along NY 94, next to the First Presbyterian Church of Chester at the corner where the highway turns from Main to Academy Street, in Chester, New York, United States. It is a complex of four buildings: the original inn, built in 1765; its barn and a shed; and...
, donated an acre (3,920 m²) of land on a knoll about 1,500 feet (455 m) southeast of the present church to be used for a church. The site was cleared and timber cut, but only after the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
was over could construction begin. The result was a small, rough cabin that opened for services in 1798 after a little over $3,000 had been spent. The first pastor, Simeon Jones, was hired three years later.
In 1810 the congregation formally became part of the American Presbyterian Church
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
. Nine years later, it had grown enough that a parsonage was necessary, and it was built on land purchased at what is now High Street and Hambletonian Avenue in the village. It would be used as a stop on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
in the years leading to the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
By 1829 the church itself had outgrown its original building, and built a new one at Oxford and Sugar Loaf roads. Today that site is Chester Cemetery. In 1851, that building had reached its capacity, and a committee chose the current site, part of Anthony Yelverton's estate. The building was dedicated on Christmas Day 1854. Six years later a friend of then-pastor James Wood gave the church a large bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
, which would also be used to summon local volunteer firefighters.
The original parsonage was replaced with a new one built on the north of the church in 1893. In 1950, the house on the south side was acquired for use as a manse
Manse
A manse is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church...
, and the 1893 parsonage sold to a neighboring funeral home
Funeral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
.