[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 14 (Thursday, February 1, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TOMHANNOCK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

                                 ______


                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 31, 1996

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, the 22d district of New York is one of the 
most historic in the country. Our oldest churches, in particular, are 
virtual repositories of history.
  The growth of those churches paralleled that of the communities they 
served. And nearly every one of them has a wealth of interesting 
anecdotal information worth preserving. One of these churches is the 
Tomhannock United Methodist Church in the Rensselaer County community 
of Valley Falls.
  A constituent of mine, Mrs. Zillah S. Herrington of Johnsonville, was 
kind enough to forward a letter from the church's pastor, Rev. Gaylord 
Campbell. I'd like to share the letter with you, Mr. Speaker, and 
proudly place it in today's Record.

       Dear Gerry: We learn that the first sermon preached by a 
     Methodist minister near Tomhannock was in 1788. From that 
     small beginning, a service in Tomhannock that particular 
     Sabbath Day, Methodism has a start in June 1789. Tomhannock 
     had a preaching appointment is the erection of a church--it 
     was built the summer of 1811 at a cost of about $1000. This 
     church later burned and the present one was built on the same 
     site in 1845.
       Before continuing the appointments of 1832 an interesting 
     story of Christian adventure must be told. James Caughey, an 
     Irish lad, was licensed to preach by the Tomhannock Class. 
     For eight years he preached in our conference. Then on one 
     special occasion following a season for prayer, he felt a 
     call to return to Europe. On July 19, 1841, he set sail for 
     England. His ministry took him to Dublin Limerick, Cork in 
     Ireland and Liverpool, Sheffield in England. During those six 
     years of untiring ministry fully 20,000 were converted by his 
     preaching. While in England, he met a boy by the name of Wm. 
     Booth and led him to Christ. That boy became the famous 
     General Booth, head of the Salvation Army. Our interest is 
     intensified when we learn that a man from Tomhannock was 
     instrumental in leading this famous leader of a worldwide 
     known, religious organization to Christ. This is a great 
     heritage that comes down to us.
       In 1845, this present church building was erected on the 
     site of the old church. The total cost of the building was 
     $3300. Subscriptions of $300 and less made possible the 
     building of the church. Roswell Brown had the contract for 
     the mason work. This came to $1200. Two men from Cambridge 
     had the contract to the carpenters work. This bill totaled 
     $1400. This did not include the steeple which was extra. 
     While the church was being built, a committee was busy 
     raising funds to repair the parsonage. This also was done. In 
     1855, the Social Rooms in back of the church were added at 
     cost of $626.38. In 1859, the church bell was purchased at a 
     cost of $53,876. In 1866, the parsonage was rebuilt at a cost 
     of $2000. In 1871, the church was repaired and refurnished at 
     an expense of $1188.
       The period from 1870 to 1880 reveals that Tomhannock 
     Methodist Church was the outstanding rural church of the 
     Conference in points of membership, missionary zeal and local 
     activity.
       In 1896, a building committee raised $2100 which was used 
     to redecorate the interior of the church. Three Gothic Pulpit 
     Chairs (these are in the church today and used each Sunday) 
     and a Pulpit were presented to the church by the pastor, Rev. 
     Thomas Munro. The Rededication of the church occurred October 
     14, 1896. Dr. John H. Coleman preached the sermon.

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