| Text |
The Florida Reformed Church is located in Minaville, in the Town of Florida, from which the church derives its name. It was known as the "Chukonot" church in 1800, when the Montgomery Classis was formed. "Chukonot" is said to be a corruption of the Indian term, "Chuctanunda" which means "Stone House." The Indian term "Chukonot" means "Place of the Tamerack." In those early days, Minaville was known as "Yankee Street," and not far away was Remsen's Bush, where a Reformed church had been established before the Chukonot church was organized. In 1769, Lawrence Shuler settled about a mile east of the present village. On part of his farm of three hundred acres the first church was built. The district in which the church was situated was called Caughnawaga, and was one of the eight districts of Tryon county, which in 1784 became Montgomery county. When the Montgomery Classis was formed in1800, two churches in what is now Minaville, were included among the twenty-four organizations, namely - Chukonot and Remsen's Bush, the latter being the first congregation, whose house of worship was near the old burying ground. The cemetery still stands, and one of its stones bears the burial date of 1786. The church building stood until 1846, an unpainted, barn-like structure, with galleries, high pulpit and sounding board. Some of the timbers of this church were placed in the barn which still stands on the farm of Mr. William Staley.
In its incorporation, dated February 9, 1789, the title of the church was "The Remsen's Bush Reformed Protestant Dutch Church." It was very likely organized soon after the settlement of Lawrence Shuler. The date usually assigned to it is 1784, although perhaps an earlier date should be given to it. In the record of the County Clerk's office, the incorporation of the Florida Reformed Dutch Church is recorded January 22, 1807. This record follows that of the Remsen's Bush Church.
The oldest consistorial record extant bears the date of June 2, 1808, which states the action whereby the Remsen's Bush and Florida churches were united into one body. This body was incorporated on June 6, 1808, and put on file January 13, 1810. The elders were: Christian Servoss, Isaac Vedder, and John Sharpentine; the deacons: Ruloff Covenhoven, Jacob Staley, John Davenpeck, and John Van Derveer, with Winslow Paige as minister.
The first church of this united congregation was erected in 1808. It had a tall spire, galleries around three sides, square pews, and a high pulpit with a sounding board. In 1836, the church was changed considerably and extensively repaired. The pulpit and pews were reversed, the tall steeple taken down, the box pews were done away with, the pulpit was lowered and the audience room was lengthened. It served the congregation for seventy-two years.
|
RNT Family History