Canterbury Presbyterian Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Canterbury Presbyterian Church
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Church in 2007
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| Location | Cornwall, NY |
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| Nearest city | Newburgh |
| Built | 1826 |
| Architectural style | Federal style |
| MPS | Town of Cornwall Historic and Architectural Resources |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000556 |
| Added to NRHP | 1996 |
Canterbury Presbyterian Church is an old church building in Cornwall, New York, United States. It's made of white stone and brick. The building shows off the Federal style, which was popular in the early 1800s. Later parts were added in a Colonial Revival style. This made them fit well with the older look. Since 1996, the church has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site.
The church stopped holding regular services in 2004. Its members joined with the Cornwall Presbyterian Church. This other church had actually been started by people who left Canterbury long ago. The building has since been used by different local groups. In 2018, it was bought and turned into a dance studio.
Exploring the Church Building
The church has a classic design with three sections across and four sections deep. It shows off special Federal style details. These include windows placed in a balanced way and half-circle windows above doors. The main part of the roof is shaped like a triangle. The building is one and a half stories tall. A tall bell tower was added later, reaching two stories high. Two big additions were built much later. But they were designed to match the original style perfectly.
Most of the church's inside is still original. The way the rooms are laid out hasn't changed much. The wooden benches (pews), furniture, and wall coverings are all from when it was first built.
Behind the church is an old churchyard. This graveyard is also an important part of the historic listing. About 50 gravestones of people who used to attend the church have been found. The oldest ones date back to the 1830s.
A Look at Church History
The first group of Presbyterian churchgoers in Cornwall started meeting in 1824. They were known as both Canterbury and the First Presbyterian Society. The church building itself was finished two years later, in 1826. Then, in 1827, 17 founding members officially formed the First Presbyterian Church in Canterbury. They described themselves as a "small and feeble band."
By 1829, the new church had grown a lot. In 1856, some members left to start the Cornwall Presbyterian Church. They disagreed with the strong feelings against slavery at the time. They also found their pastor, Jonathan Silliman, to be too strict. Nine years later, in 1865, the remaining members raised money. They used it to build the bell tower and new entrance areas. More updates happened in 1891. A local builder, H. R. Taylor, was hired. He built a new small chapel, named after Pastor Jonathan Silliman. Electric lights were also put into the main church area at that time.
The Cornwall Presbyterian Church joined with Canterbury again in 1925. But they separated once more in 1957 over other issues. Canterbury responded by adding to the building again. They built Hagen Hall, an addition to Silliman Chapel, in 1961. Its low roof was designed like the old carriage shed it replaced.
In the late 1900s, the church's group of members became smaller. It started letting other groups rent space, like the Arts Alliance. This group showed movies and held dances there on weekends. These events were popular. But in the end, it wasn't enough to save the church. By 2003, only 11 members remained. The church walls were so shaky they needed temporary metal supports.
On February 15, 2004, the last church services were held. This ended 178 years of the church's history. The remaining members joined with Cornwall Presbyterian Church. This church had become the main Presbyterian church in town. Since then, the Arts Alliance and other non-profit groups have continued to use the building. The church was sold to a couple. They plan to reopen it as the Canterbury Center. It will be a place for learning and well-being. They also plan to keep it open for community groups. Some items from the church have been saved. They will be shown at the Cornwall Historical Society's museum.
