What was known as _Graham's Church,_ associated Reformed, was
established by Robert Graham in 1799. A house of worship was erected
at once and it was opened for use in August of the same year. Mr.
Graham died a few weeks later, but he devised 100 acres of land to
this church organization for its pastor. This church was merely a
branch of the older organization at Neeleytown until 1802, when it
became independent, with Samuel Gillespie and Andrew Thompson as
elders. There were then only 28 regular members, and the Rev. John
McJimsey still served both this and the Neeleytown church. He left in
1809 but returned ten years later and remained until his death in
1854. Robert Graham, the founder of this church, was a staunch
Scotch-Irish Presbyterian, and he left a lasting impress for good
upon this people.
_The Crawford Methodist Church_ is located at Bullville and it was
incorporated April 20, 1859. The trustees named were Jacob M.
Shorter, Robert Hill and Herman S. Shorter. The original church
structure was completed in the summer of 1861 at a cost of $8,000,
which was donated by Mrs. Mary Shorter. Rev. John Wardle was the
first pastor, being assigned there in response to a request of Mrs.
Shorter.
_The Methodist Church of Pine Bush_ was incorporated November 28,
1870. with the following trustees: William B. Barnes, John Walker,
Samuel Armstrong, William H. Cowley and Francis M. Bodine. But there
had been religious services there many years before this, especially
in the school house. The old Reformed Church over the river at
Shawangunk, in Ulster County, had many members in the Pine Bush
village, and there was preaching in the little school house nearly
every Sunday, either by the pastor of that church or by the Methodist
preacher from Bullville. But the Methodist people were not satisfied
with this arrangement and they finally built a church for themselves,
completing it in the spring of 1871 at a total cost of $8,000, of
which only half had been paid. But the balance was pledged at the
dedication ceremonies held on the night of April 24, 1871. This
building was repaired and improved some ten years later.
HISTORIC POINTS OF INTEREST.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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