The First Presbyterian Church of Chester is a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

church in Chester. It is located along NY 94 in the eponymous village in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

, New York, United States. The current church building, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1998, is the third in the history of the

congregation A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: * Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administr ...

, on as many locations. Two additions have been built but the building otherwise remains intact, a well-preserved example of a 19th-century rural American church.

Building

The church is a two-story, three-by-four- bay white timber

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

structure in the

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...

style. It has a moderately pitched

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

metal roof. Since its construction in

1854 Events January–March * January 4 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the ''Samarang''. * January 6 – The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is perhaps born. * January 9 – The ...

, it has been added onto twice: a small wood frame

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

in the rear in 1884, and a stone education center in 1967. The east facade of the church, facing Route 94, is a

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

ed portico with paneled corner

pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...

s and Ionic columns. An octagonal belfry sits atop the roof. Stained glass windows were installed within the church in 1898, and in 1925 an Estey pipe organ was added. Besides those changes the interior of the church has not been altered from its original design.

History

colonial times The ''Colonial Times'' was a newspaper in what is now the Australian state of Tasmania. It was established as the ''Colonial Times, and Tasmanian Advertiser'' in 1825 in Hobart, Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colon ...

there was no church in Chester, and residents traveled to nearby communities where services were held by itinerant ministers. In 1783 one resident, Abijan Yelverton, owner of the neighboring inn, donated an acre (3,920 m²) of land on a knoll about 1,500 feet (455 m) southeast of the present church to be used for a church. The site was cleared and timber cut, but only after the Revolutionary War was over could construction begin. The result was a small, rough cabin that opened for services in 1798 after a little over $3,000 had been spent. The first pastor, Simeon Jones, was hired three years later. In 1810 the congregation formally became part of the American Presbyterian Church. Nine years later, it had grown enough that a parsonage was necessary, and it was built on land purchased at what is now High Street and Hambletonian Avenue in the village. It would be used as a stop on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

in the years leading to the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. By 1829 the church itself had outgrown its original building, and built a new one at Oxford and Sugar Loaf roads. Today that site is Chester Cemetery. In 1851, that building had reached its capacity, and a committee chose the current site, part of Anthony Yelverton's estate. The building was dedicated on

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

1854. Six years later a friend of then-pastor James Wood gave the church a large

bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

, which would also be used to summon local

volunteer firefighter A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respond t ...

s. The original parsonage was replaced with a new one built on the north of the church in 1893. In 1950, the house on the south side was acquired for use as a manse, and the 1893 parsonage sold to a neighboring

funeral home A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the dead and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral. Services ...

References

External links

Church website
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Presbyterian Church Of Chester Presbyterian churches in New York (state) Churches in Orange County, New York National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, New York Greek Revival church buildings in New York (state) Churches completed in 1854 19th-century Presbyterian church buildings in the United States Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Churches on the Underground Railroad 1854 establishments in New York (state)