The Old Dutch Church (Kingston, New York)

by Denyce Cribbs

In my last post, I talked about finding The Salisbury Newsletter in our library’s surname files.  It’s a great example of family history newsletters that were printed and distributed before websites took over.  In the issue I was looking at (Summer 1996) there were several articles featuring The Old Dutch Church in Kingston, New York, which was first organized in 1659.  I found the church’s current website (http://olddutchchurch.org) to learn more about its history:

Often referred to as “The Cathedral of Kingston,” the Old Dutch Church was a part of the Dutch Colonial village of Wiltwyck which was a trading outpost in the colony of New Netherland.  The original church structure, built on the present site in 1660, actually was one corner of the Stockade which Peter Stuyvesant ordered built as fortification.  Wiltwyck later became the village of Kingston after the British took over the colony and renamed it New York.  The original structure was largely destroyed by fire in the Esopus Indian raid of 1663.  Rebuilt and enlarged several times, the church was again burned during the American Revolution by British forces in October of 1777.

During the Revolution, the church, and its congregation, aligned itself with the rebel or patriot cause.  As a result, in November of 1782, Gen. George Washington visited the church.  A hand-written letter by Washington regarding his reception at the church is proudly on display in the Narthex of the church.  It is significant to note that during the entire eight years of the American Revolution, this was Washington’s only reference to a religious institution.

The present structure was designed by renowned architect Minard LaFever and was completed in 1852.  Constructed of massive cut, native bluestone, the imposing edifice is crowned with what was at one time the tallest steeple in New York State.  By city ordinance, no structure in Uptown Kingston can be constructed taller than the steeple of Old Dutch Church.  This has allowed for the unique historic character of Uptown Kingston to be preserved and our steeple stands a beacon which forms part of the skyline of the City of Kingston and can be seen, literally, for miles.

The church is the site of the Daughters of the American Revolution Memorial Day Ceremonies each year and is a focal point in the Annual George Clinton Recognition Day.  It also takes part in special events such as the re-enactment of the Burning of Kingston and Dutch Colonial Church Services.

In 2008, Old Dutch Church was declared a National Historic Landmark by the Federal government and in 2009 we celebrated our 350^th Anniversary!  We are an active and open congregation with Sunday School and services weekly at 10:30 am.  We also have Choir, fellowship, arts series and mission & outreach to the local and global community.  We hope to continue to serve for another 350 years!

The Old Dutch Church also has a website dedicated to genealogical records (http://olddutchchurch.org/history/genealogy).  Links lead to baptismal, marriage, and burial records, along with a Revolutionary Soldiers Burial list.  You may have ancestors tied to this church.  To aid your search, The Salisbury Newsletter I was looking at listed some of the first members of this church.  See if you are interested in any of these names:

Anthony Abrams, Nancy Abrams, Andries Bartel, Hendrick Breeze, William Buswell, Peter Dingman, Peter Fonda, Abraham Lansting, Dirick Hansen, Samuel Hitchcock, Hendrick Hollenbeck, John Holliday, Matthew Holliday, Thomas Mesick, Stephen Muller, Francis Ott, James Patten, Jacobus Salsbury, Jonathan Salsbury, Joseph Salsbury, John Schermerchon, Robert Scharp, Jeremiah Shane, Johannes Spoor, Christian Spring, Adam Tod, Benjamin Van deBerge, Cornelius Van Buren, Isaac Van der Poel, Jonathan T. Witbeck, Peter W. Witbeck, an Tobias Witbeck.

Happy Researching!!

The Salisbury Newsletter, Part I

by Denyce Cribbs

In looking through our library’s surnames files, I found many examples of family history newsletters.  Newsletters were a great way for people who had a common surname to keep in touch.  The newsletters all had similar features:  stories about ancestors, birth and death announcements, queries by readers who were trying to bust brick walls, old photos, and pedigree charts.  I pulled out one newsletter, in particular, called The Salisbury Newsletter, being published in Millville, MA, in 1996.  It caught my attention with its quotation under the family crest, “Old Genealogists Never Die, They Just Lose Their Census.”

This issue contained The Last Will and Testament of Augustus S. Salisbury, with a query by the contributor for more information.  According to her, there were no other death of cemetery records for this ancestor.  Another article described how the papers of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Harrison E. Salisbury had been donated to Columbia University.  There was an article about how to do tombstone rubbings (remember those) and an article about the Old Dutch Church in Kingston, New York, which I’ll talk about in my next post.  Especially interesting was a blurb called, Old Sarum, which I wondered if was published in every newsletter as it told the origins of the Salisbury name:

Salisbury’s history begins at Old Sarum, a desolate and uninhabited hill two miles north of the city (London) which was, up until the thirteenth century, a thriving town.  It was first settled in 300 B.C. by Iron Age tribesmen who built extensive earth works and developed it into a hill fort.  The town had a good strategic position with views over the sparsely vegetated plains down to the river Avon, and this obviously contributed to its development.  It is situated just eight miles south of Stonehenge which would also have made it attractive to early man. 

Old Sarum became a military town (Sorviodonum) during the Roman occupation but when this collapsed its development was temporarily halted and the town was abandoned.  It was reoccupied by the native Britons at this time. 

Soon after the Norman invasion of 1066 the town was renamed Salisberie and William I ordered the strengthening of the town’s defenses as well as the building of a wooden castle on the central mound.  In 1057 a cathedral was begun to the north of the castle.  Ultimatley, this forced the foundation of the modern city of Salisbury as there was insufficient acreage for the military and the clergy to share.

Of course, I was curious to find out what Old Sarum had to do with one of my favorite dishes, Salisbury steak.  According to Wikipedia, the term “Salisbury steak” has been in use in the United States since 1897.  The dish is named after an American physician, James H. Salisbury (1823-1905).  Salisbury served as a physician during the American Civil War, and became convinced that diarrhea suffered by the troops could be controlled with a diet of coffee and lean chopped beefsteak.  So there you have it.

Although you won’t find many family history newsletters that are printed and mailed out anymore, you will find many family websites, blogs, and forums that center around particular surnames, or regions of the world where family is from.  It’s a great way to keep in touch and add to your research!

Wordless Wednesday - Louisa Willden Pedigree Chart

For Wordless Wednesday, here is another Pedigree Chart that has been donated to the Lake Havasu Genealogical Society. Again, these charts were found at the old McCulloch Chainsaw Factory. A strange place to find such an item. As a way to help preserve this artifact, it is being posted here.

Therefore, what you see is what we got.

Since posting the previous Wordless Wednesday, I have discovered that Louisa Willden married William Burt. Louisa's Pedigree extended out so far that an additional page was created for those three branches.