Kendrew United Methodist Church

HISTORY OF KENDREW CHURCH
On January 5th 1859, a group of people from the community known as Kendrew met together for the purpose of organizing a church and planning the erection of a place for worship.
One acre of land was given by Thomas Kendrew, a local lay preacher and farmer, as the site for the church to be built.
Thomas Kendrew, Benjamin Burton, Henry Sayer, and William Morrey were chosen as a committee to canvas the neighborhood to raise funds with which to build the church.
The early records show that the residents responded generously with not only gifts of money but also gifts of substance. Some gave timbers while others cut and hewed them. Some gave produce. One person gave a lamb.
The newly organized church was known as “The Kendrew Community M.E. Church”. It was under the jurisdiction of the Northern New York Methodist Conference. If, however, it ever failed to be used by the Methodist Conference, it was to be op to any orthodox denomination for devein worship.
The committee chosen to oversee the actual construction was Thomas Kendrew, Benjamin Burton, and Benjamin Gage. As these devout men and all the other good Christian people planned and worked and built the church, they did so with the fond hope that their children, grandchildren, and all who follow after might have a place in which to worship God at Kendrew Corners.
A frame studded building with the main entrance at the south end was erected. At the north end or rear of the sanctuary a class room for the Sunday school was built. It was sometimes arranged with long tables covered with white linen and laden with home baked food when the ladies of the church held a church supper or the young people had Sunday school party.
The sanctuary had rows of seats on each side of a center aisle with no side aisles. Just inside the main entrance was an oblong box stove capable of taking 4’ lengths of logs for firewood. This stove heated the sanctuary. A similar stove was placed in the class room.
The mid-week prayer service was held on Wednesday evenings. On this and other occasions when the church was used at night it was lighted by kerosene oil lamps that hung from wall brackets Behind each lamp was a swinging reflector to increase and direct the light.
The church was built during the summer of1859 at a cost of $767.73. It was insured for $600.00.
The firs pastor was Rev. Walter C. Lent. It is recorded that Rev C.L. Dunning assisted Rev. Len during 1859-1860 and that Rev. Mr. Whiteman held revival services sometimes during these years.
The first trustees were Thomas Kendrew Sr. elected for 3 years, Edmund Gray for 2 years, and Benjamin Burton for 1 year.
At a special meeting January 11th, 1882 plans were presented to erect a church steeple. The contract for building this steeple was let to Thomas Madill of Rensselaer Falls. He also redecorated the interior of the church and class room and repainted the exterior. The contract was let for $340.00. The committee in charge of the work was David Jenkins, Dorr Stone, and Charles Kendrew.
At a Wednesday evening prayer service in 1896 a discussion took place as to the need for a larger church building. It was 37 years since the first church had been built and due to limited space was now becoming over crowded. Rev Mr. Tisdale, Noah walker, and Newton Stone were appointed as a committee to canvas the neighborhood for pledges toward the building of a new church. A goal of $1000 was set before attempting to build.
On September 2nd, the committee reported $960 had been pledged. Mr. Harry Sunderland had already drawn up plans for the new church and it was decided to begin construction at once. The building committee appointed was Rev Mr. Tisdale, Newton Stone, and Walter Seaman.
The new church was planned to seat any more people that the church erected in 1859. This church is 34’ wide, 54’ long with a session room at the south end 14’x34’. It has 16’ studding and has a roof with a square pitch.
On August 8th 1896 it was decided to contract a stone mason to build the church wall for $40 plus his board while working. The steeple and main entrance from the first church were reserved and the entrance in now on the west side. This same steeple is still standing after more than 90 years.
The sanctuary is at the north. There are large folding doors between the sanctuary and session room which, when open, make it into one room.
The interior is finished with Georgia pine the wainscoting around the sides comes up to the bottom of the windows. The ceiling and alter rail are also of Georgia pine. In each corner of the ceiling is a triangular emblem.
A large brick furnace was put in the cellar to heat the church. This later proved unsatisfactory. The large windows were fitted with frosted glass upstairs in a large unfinished room.
The entire cost of the new church was $1700.63 of which $1612.93 was paid by gifts from the people living in the Kendrew area and others interested in building a church. The new church was dedicated on January 13th 1897.
On September 2, 1896 Ladies Aid Society found may things needed to be done. The church walls had been plastered and then papered but the plaster had cracked and the paper faded so they had it covered with metal siding. This work was done by John Connelly and George Tann. They also put new seat cushions in the pews and laid linoleum on the floors. In 1909 carpeting was lain on the Sanctuary floor to replace the linoleum.
The first sheds that had been built became too small to hold all the horses and buggies. In 1907 the church trustees and the grange trustees planned and constructed a larger shed to be used jointly. With the advent of the automobile and the passing of the horse and buggy days the shed was no longer needed. It was sold and torn down in 1938.
Only minor repairs were made on the church with the exception of a steel roof, until 1940 during the pastorate of Rev Frank Mindham. He organized an “Old Home Day” event to which residents, former residents, and friends of the community were invited. On Saturday a dinner was served in the Grange hall followed by music and games for young and old. On Sunday the former pastors were invited to speak at the services held in the church. The profits from this event together with many generous gifts provided funds to repaint the church, install electric lights, and purchase new hymn books.
At this time twelve memorial windows replaced the original ones. There are three memorial windows on each side of the sanctuary, three in the class room, one on each side of the vestibule and one over the stairway.
During the pastorate of W.S. Dobbie and Epworth League was formed. Regular meetings were held each Sunday evening under the leadership of John Childs, Eldena Ross and Sarah Kinney. The Epworth League became inactive but was revived for short periods during the pastorates of Rev Mindham and Rev Oliver Barker.
Rev and Mrs. Frank Mindham organized a group known as the Excelsior Class. It met monthly and its purpose was to help the pastor. It also contributed clothing to needy families, remembered the sick, presented newlyweds with a Bible, and cleaned and renovated the church. It placed the memorial window over the stairway.
The church organ was presented by Mrs. Etta Stone. Mrs. Marion Bush and Miss Mattie Woodcock were among the early church organists. Mrs. Eva Ginn served many years.. Others have een Mrs Daisy stiles, Mrs Betty (McMartin) Masters Mrs. Leona Childs, Mrs. Hollis Burke, Charles Anderson, Angie Pike, and Vicky Bartholomew is the present organist.
In 1958 , Wilbur Harirington gave the church a used wood and coal furnace which was installed by Ralph Childs.
New linoleum was purchased by Elmer Deneshea in 1954 to replace the linoleum in the class room and vestibule. In 1967 carpeting was laid in the sanctuary and vestibule to replace the carpet purchased by the Ladies aid nearly sixty years before.
The Ladies Aid also recovered the church pew cushions in 1967. Materials were purchased from Mr. Charles Hill who also helped to cut out the corners and gave us much help on sewing and fitting.
Tin 1969 the roof was repainted at a cost of $500.
Donald Simmons replaced the church wall under the sanctuary in 1970 and installed an oil furnace in the cellar.
In July 1911 the church along with the Grange organized a 150 Anniversary “Old Home Days” with a service including former pastors at the church followed by a brunch at the Grange. All donations were put towards repairs on the church.
In the summer of 2012 the church was repainted by Richard Bartholomew and Gerald Peck. It was decided by Merlin and Jean Childs (long standing members) to paint the trim work around the windows red rather than the original existing black.
In September 2012 the Ladies Aid Society was dissolved due to a falling decline in attendance.