Some Reminiscences + Records of J Harvey Hanford
Church association been in existence about 80 years
+ has had 17 ministers + pastors of whom I remember 11.
Has had over 600 members, since 1876 = 130 of them
came from the Sunday School.
Record Books show in 1879-109 members in Church
1880=103 :: 1881=100, 1883=100 :: 1886=100 :: 1902=107
1903=11 :: 1904=113 :: 1908=104 :: 1909=101:: Mar 1910=118::
Nov 1910=133:: which is the largest number on record.
No record of number of members before 1879=32 have
united since Rev J Mac Innes came.
Over 400 have united since I did. Only 3
Persons living who united before myself, viz
Mrs Sarah Vanfleet Grover Apr 29th 1847 = Mrs Eliza
Ann Christie Haye May 4th 1850 + Mrs Catherine
Christie Bodle May 4th 1850 = 20 united with the
church when I did + only 3 are known to be
living now, viz Mrs Harrriet Scidmore Titsworth,
Miss Mary A Scidmore, + myself. 70 years I have
been an attendant in this Church. 57 years a
member of its choir + my sister Hattie + I are the
only persons living, who were members of it from
1859 to the present time. 56 years I have been
a member of the Church as Private, Sexton, Trustee,
Solicitor, Collector + Treas. 34 years Parish Clerk.
31 years an Elder. 26 years clerk of Session +
only missed being at 6 of its meetings.
Only 5 parish Clerks in my members. Viz
S M Coykendall 4 years;; J L Whitaker 5 years
Wilbur Vanfleet 1 year :: Lester Schooley 1 year.
J H Hanford 34 years :: 54 years and only 3
Clerks of Session, viz Rev N E Pierson 3 years, Rev H F
Wadsworth 25 years + J H Hanford 26 years.
The original church was built only 14 years
before I became identified with it.
We now have connected with the church a
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good Sunday School, Christian Endeavor, Jr C.E.
Boys Club, Ladies mission + Ladies Aid societies.
Some of our Choir Leaders + Members. Leaders
Mr Doukley, Peter Hayne, Jesse Vanfleet, Father of
Miss Alive Vanfleet, + the following I remember, Chs Vanfleet
played Bass viol + was the Father of our prized present
Organist Albert Vanfleet, Dennis Clark Melodeon,
N B. Russell, Ida Casterlin David, Emma Hanford,
Eva + Blanche Vanfleet, Hattie Casterlin, Mrs Wilkie
Edith Christie Mrs E A Nugent organist + others,
Bass Singers, Richard Whitaker, David R Elston, Father of
Mrs Joshua Case Jr, and the balance of them it is
impossible to call them to mind just now. My brother
Corwin had the first Melodeon, or instrument of that
kind in Union Ville + that was small, but it was
carried back + forth to Church each Sunday, until we
got an Organ, + then another larger one, + then again
a still larger one which we are using bought 7
years ago for $250.00. The 1st melodeon is now in usable
condition + kept by N D Hanford. At different times we
have had Violines + other musical instruments, for a
time Corwin payed a flute + so did Jas L Carepenter.
S. School. For 66 years I have been a member as Scholar
Teacher, Librarian, Sec. Organist, Treas, + Supt 17 years.
Since 1876 I have a list of over 900 names of members.
Where are they? What are they doing? 130 of them have
joined the Church. Since 1876 I have records for each
Sunday + they say only 4 Sundays without School, once
Sept 1876 the death of Supt P C Hanford. Feb 10. 1895 Blizzard,
+ the other two, no reasons given. S. S. Been in existence
longer than I can remember, + I only call to mind
5 Supts. P. C. Hanford, Isaac Swift, J L Whitaker, J H
Hanford, + Wm A Rutan.
Not long since our village was presented with a
Town Clock by Mr T J Dunn with the request that it
be placed in our Church steeple, as perhaps being
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the best place to accommodate the Public, + it is still
there, to add to beauty + usefulness of our Church,
although our Pastor says its striking often reminds
him to close his discourse before he gets through.
Through the instrumentality of Elder Benjamin
Vanfleet and his daughter Emily, we are in a
great measure indebted for the repairs on our Church.
He was born Oct 6th 1797 Died Sept 15th 1855
Married Sarah Robertson Born Mar 7th 1807 Died Mar 11th 1843
Emily, their daughter, Born Mar 19th 1834, Died Dec 29 1905.
Married J Smith Hulse Dec 17th 1863. To them were
born 1 son + 3 daughters all dying before reaching
1 year of age. When Benj Vanfleet died, he left to
the Church, the income of $500.00 for I think 15
years. After which, it was to go to Emily direct.
For a number of years after it came into her
possession, she continued giving the amount
to the Church, and at various times, would give
to the S. S. Library Books + Cash for keeping up the
Library. Some of the Books now in Library were
given by her. Her will may be found on Page 119
of these records. She united with this Church
Apr 4th 1952. You all know of here Legacies to
us now. I lived with, + worked for Mr
Vanfleet for some time, and to Miss Emily,
I owe a great deal of my Church life, she
had such a sweet, clam, disposition, all
loved her, We always, attended Prayer meetings,
and afterward at home, at Family worship,
all would united in prayer, + hers always
so simple, full of faith + love, would touch
my heart very deeply.
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Revs Seward + Pierson preached both in Westtown + U Ville
But the now Pres Church at Westtown is not the one in which
they preached, but it was what is now the M E Church. Rev
Pierson lived part of the time in Westtown, + part in U Ville.
I remember the Church here, as having the centre part in
front as projecting form the sides, so that the whole steeple
was the same size square from the top of Dome to the ground,
and had 2 doors as now, for entrance, + steps from those
doors up into the Gallery was was on 2 sides of the
Church + back end, that is, where the Pulpit now is. Seats
in Gallery were as steps, up from one to the others, + they
were the same in body of church under Gallery as back end,
then there was an entrance door on each side of the
steeple, + they opened direct in the audience Room, +
steps from close to the doors went up into the pulpit, which
was high up. My parents were strict church goers,
+ their children were very small when first taken to
church. In those days, the men sat on one side of
the church, + women on the others, but Father + Mother
found it difficult to keep up children quiet, so they
said, we will sit in the same seat, + that was the
beginning of men + women sitting together in this
church. Outside the church the ground sloped
from the church, direct to the road, but the road
was higher than now nearly to top part of the wall
+ we use to ride down Hill direct from the Church doors.
Under Mr Piersons ministry the church was changed, the
gallery taken out. Pulpit put in back end, front sides
of Church built out even with steeple. Doors from Steeple
put in sides, + now the same doors are put back in the
centre where they were in 1825. In 1871 the Lecture Room
was built as a memorial of the union of the Old + New
School Pres denominations + a good part of the woodworks
doors, windows, etc were a part of the Westtown Old School Pres
Church which was then being remodeled.
Rev Ralph Bull was its Pastor.
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In 1891 our church again had a renovation,
when walls were decorated, new carpet + new cushions
all alike, prior to this, what cushions there were,
were of all descriptions, makes, + patterns, some
made of bedquilts, doubled + sewed together,
a regular kaleidoscope set of them. Repairs then
cost $500.00 + over. Among old papers, there is
a Bill of N E Pierson for $182.00 for communion
set, Pulpit, Bible, Trimmings, etc.
Bill of Painting outside of church by John Youngs
1887 cost $106.00. Dead of Abraham Clark for
Church Grounds 1825.
Deed of Jonathan Clark to Trustees of Church for
an Academy (1832) which was built where the M E
Church now stands, but must have been built much
later, as I remember walking on the foundation
while it was building. Deed of Robert Carr (1871)
in rear of Church for Lecture Room.
Present Parsonage bought 1902. Under Rev.
Mr Yeomans 100 New Singing Books were
bought for audience Rooms.
And now I think I voice the thought + feeling
of this church + community, that we have a
beautiful building in which to worship God.
Will we do it? I think too we are under great
obligation to our Pastor. Our Building Committee
of Ladies + Trustees, + what about our mechanics?
Only those who have seen them work from day to day
realizes, what they have done, and what hindrances
they have met with, night + day have they thought +
worked for what they have thought was for the best,
and they have done well indeed, I think it is but
just + right to thank them, + I will include with
them our Choir, and our ambitious, energetic,
Pastor, the various Pastors + Laymen, ye in fact
everybody that has in the last done what they
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could to make this a nice, comfortable place in
which to worship God, + receive his blessing, as he
has promised to give to those who love him + do
not forget the assembling of themselves together.
Now while everything has not been done, and arranged,
just as I would like to have it, yet I know every
body can’t be suited, and as I bid good bye to the
Old Church, and its many associations, I realized
as never before, what I have been permitted to enjoy
these many years. I have had my day, + now that I
must decrease, you must increase, + my wish
is that you may all live long to enjoy the fruit of
your labor and live in Harmony, Peace, + Love.
I can’t help but thank you all for the way in which
you have stood by me, + helped me in my various
duties in the past. I have tried to do what I could,
+ if our Pastor wants this for a text – at the close
of my life, be sure + say, tried to do, that that I have
done all I could. For the first time, I think my
life, last night I refused to offer Prayer, when
requested by our Pastor, my Heart was too full of
past memories, now you have heard excellent
+ finished singing. Excellent + finished speeches
oratory etc, and my speech is at last finished.
J Harvey Hanford