Chapel Hill Bible Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chapel Hill Bible Church |
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South profile and east elevation, 2009
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Non-denominational |
| Leadership | Pastor Mike Hannigan |
| Year consecrated | 1860 |
| Location | |
| Location | Marlboro, NY, USA |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural style | Picturesque |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | east |
| Materials | Wood, stone, concrete, asphalt, glass and brick |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | January 7, 2005 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 04001450 |
| Website | |
| Chapel Hill Bible Church | |
The Chapel Hill Bible Church, once known as the Amity Baptist Church, is a Baptist church. It is located near Marlboro, New York, in the United States. This small wooden building was built in the mid-1800s. It shows a style called Picturesque Gothic Revival architecture.
In 2005, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a special historical building. It is the most southern building on this list in Ulster County.
The church building was not always in Marlboro. It was first built in what is now midtown Manhattan, New York City. Later, a person who had moved to Marlboro had the church taken apart. Then, it was moved and rebuilt on a hilltop overlooking the Hudson River. For about 20 years, it was used for spiritual retreats. After being unused for some time, the current church group started there in the 1970s.
About the Church Property
The church sits on a 12.5-acre piece of land. It is on the west side of a dirt road off Bingham Road. This area is in the southern part of the Town of Marlborough. It is about 1.5 miles (3 km) southwest of the main village of Marlboro. The church is near the top of a 500-foot hill.
The land around the church is mostly rural. You can see apple orchards or thick woodlots. A farmhouse is across the driveway from the church. The church's land is mostly wooded. There is a cleared area to the northeast. Here, you can find a sand volleyball court and playground equipment in warm weather. From these open spots, you can see amazing views of the Hudson Valley to the east. You can also see the Shawangunk Ridge to the west.
Outside the Church
The church building is made of wood and is one-and-a-half stories tall. It sits on a foundation of concrete and stone. Because the ground slopes, the basement shows on the sides and back. This makes it look like an extra story. The church is covered in brown-stained cedar shingles. It has a steep, pointed asphalt roof. Small gabled windows stick out from the roof on both sides. A short bell tower rises from the front of the church.
The main entrance is on the east side. It has pointed-arch windows on each side. A small wooden entry area covers the main door. This area has a pointed roof like the main church. Above the main entrance, there is a round window.
The sides of the church have three windows between the front and the middle section. Below these, the basement has three double-hung windows. The middle section of the church has more pointed windows. A small addition fills the corner on the south side. It has a pointed window on its south face. The back of the church has a basement entrance and a group of three windows.
Inside the Church
The main church room, called the sanctuary, is simply furnished. Wooden pews with curved armrests line the center aisle. They lead to the altar. The floor is now carpeted, and the walls have wooden panels. Above, you can see the wooden beams that support the roof. At the end of the aisle is the altar on a raised platform. A wooden stand for reading, called a lectern, is on the altar.
Smaller rooms are found in the middle and back sections of the church. These are small prayer rooms. In the north room, there is a beautiful stained glass window. Near the entrance to the south room, there is a finely carved wooden frame. It holds the organ pipes and has religious designs.
The basement has rooms for support functions. These include the kitchen, bathrooms, a Sunday school room, and a fellowship hall. A boiler from 1902, installed when the church was moved, is still there. The rest of the basement has modern floors, walls, and ceilings.
Church History
In the early 1830s, some members left the Oliver Street Baptist Church in Lower Manhattan. They rented a hall on Broadway in 1832. They wanted to build their own church.
Two years later, they leased land on Amity Street. They built the first Amity Street Baptist Church there in 1834. This building had a Greek Revival style with six columns on its front. The architect, Samuel Dunbar, may have copied his earlier design for another church. Neither of these original buildings still exists. The lectern in the current church might be the only part left from the first church.
Lower Manhattan was changing a lot. Many churches sold their old properties and moved further uptown. Amity Street Church sold its building. It was turned into stables. The church moved to 54th Street and became simply Amity Baptist Church.
The current church building was likely built around 1860. It was probably a smaller chapel or extra building on the 54th Street property. Its Picturesque style was popular for Protestant churches back then.
In 1885, William R. Williams, who had led the church for 50 years, passed away. He left a message for the church: "Pray and trust; love Him and serve Him, ardently and supremely. He will never forsake those who put their trust in him, never." This message is on a wooden plaque still owned by the church.
Leighton Williams, his son, took over. In 1893, he bought 200 acres of land in Marlborough for retreats. He started holding meetings there for a group called the Brotherhood of the Kingdom. The church in New York City became smaller and eventually sold its main building. The chapel remained. In 1905, Williams had it taken apart and moved to Ulster County. He started holding services there, calling it Amity Chapel. It soon had one of the largest Sunday schools in the area.
In 1914, Williams sold the building and land to the church trustees. The church then updated the building. They added the middle sections (transepts) outside and heating and electric lights inside. In 1915, the Brotherhood held its last retreat there. Sometime after 1919, the current shingled siding was added to the church.
In 1927, the trustees gave the church to a new group called the Amity Foundation. By 1961, many of the original members had passed away. The foundation became inactive, and the church was neglected again.
In 1962, members of another church helped restart the church and foundation. Services were held for a few years, then stopped again. In 1973, the foundation restarted the church once more. This time, it was called the Chapel Hill Community Church. In 1987, its name changed to the Chapel Hill Bible Church. In the 1990s, the church almost closed due to low attendance. However, it grew again and even thought about hiring an assistant pastor.
Today, the church holds Sunday school and services every Sunday morning. There is also a Bible study group on Wednesday evenings. The church has supported missionaries in Africa and Hungary.
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