History of The Wesley Community Church
Compiled by descendent of the founding Fathers - Catherine Allen Butters
Proofing and additional information - Merrill and Jane Prince Allen
The history of a house doesn't begin when the front doors are opened for the first time, nor does it begin when the plans are on the table. lt begins with two people who meet, fall in-love and have a dream to build a home. The raising of a church edifice begins in much the same way, a group of people who meet, share a common interest and then have a dream. ln the early 1800's, all over Cattaraugus County, people with common beliefs were meeting in homes and in barns, taverns, school houses and in the open air just to listen to the traveling ministers who worked this area. These ministers were filling basic human needs; first, to know that "life" wasn't just by chance, that God does exist and watches over the human family, and second, the need to come together and associate and enjoy the company of other human beings.
The history of the Wesley Community Church started in the same way. A group of early settlers met on Snyder Hill in the homes of several of the Snyder families, to worship and listen to the traveling ministers. As close as history books can establish, organizing the meetings began in about 1827 in New Albion and lasted for over twenty years. “The name of the first itinerant preacher who found his way to New Albion’s little pioneer settlement on Snyder Hill is not known, but it is recorded that "in 1827 a Methodist class was formed on Snyder Hill by Rev. Joseph S. Barria, a preacher on the Forestville Circuit." This class included the families of Horace Snyder, Silas Kellogg, Rufus Pierce, Samuel Kendall and others, and the log cabin home of Horace Snyder became the first Methodist meeting house.”
Another group of families were meeting in Rich Valley, between Snyder Hill and Cattaraugus. The Prince's, Hall's, Payne's, Parke's, Calvin Rich and the Allen's were among this group.
From here our story jumps to another part of Cattaraugus County, the Town of Dayton. ln the History of Cattaraugus County, New York, published in 1879 under the section on Dayton, there is a short piece of history on The Second Methodist Episcopal Church in Dayton. lt says that it "was constituted of members living in the eastern part of the town, (and) was duly incorporated March 8, 1848. A board of trustees was chosen, composed of Avery Park, Nelson Hillibert, Norman L. Bacon, Esek B. Nash, Aaron P. Knowles, Jonathan Prince, and Benjamin J. Allen, to attend to the temporal affairs of this body; but no church building was erected, and after a few years the society was allowed to disorganize. A class of Methodists continued to exist, and meetings were held statedly, the preaching being supplied by the pastors of the neighboring churches "
During the 1840's and 50's, Cattaraugus County was growing fast. The railroad had come through the area in 1851 and soon stores, hotels, and industrial buildings dotted the landscape. This created the need for more schools, teachers and other community type businesses. Hamlets, Townships and Towns began to officially organize and soon the need for a place of worship grew too. Part of the group from Snyder Hill joined with groups in Cattaraugus and New Albion Center and in January, 1857, the Cattaraugus Methodist Episcopal Church was organized. Listed as some of the prominent members of this early church are the Gibbs, Lockes, Nashes and Paynes, names of people living in the Snyder Hill and Howard’s Corners area.
Families from the Rich Valley and Snyder Hill's groups continued to meet regularly. On the roll books, of the New Albion area for 1865 and 66, which included Rich Valley and Snyder Hill, are a number of local names, Benjamin and Sally Allen were there, along with the Avery Park family, Harrison Payne family, E.B. Nash family, Emeline Ackley and John Prince with his family, plus many others.
“On the 21st of April, 1875, a meeting of (the original East Dayton group) was held in the school-house at Howard’s Corners, over which Rev. J.H. Whallon, presided. A new organization was formed, to be known as the East Dayton Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and B.J. Allen, O.J. Nash, Ansel A. Nash, Esek K. Park, Charles W. Hall, L.O. Hall and A.G. Park were elected Trustees.”
On the 24th of May, 1875, Andrew G. (A.G.) Park and Mary D. Park started the paperwork for the selling of a parcel of land, containing about a half acre, to be used for the building of a church. The Indenture states “that said premises shall be used, kept, maintained and disposed of as a place of divine worship for the use of the ministry and membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United State of America…
“..ln the summer and fall of 1875 a very attractive church edifice was erected by this society at Howard's Corners. lt is a frame, 30 by 45 feet, with a well-proportioned front tower, and cost two thousand dollars. ln January 1876, the church was dedicated with appropriate services, conducted by the Rev. J.T. Edwards, of the Chamberlain lnstitute. Members....are under the ministrations of the clergy of the East Leon Circuit, which embraces this as one of its appointments. A Sunday-school.....is conducted under the superintendence of Ansel A. Nash.”
ln 1897 the Methodist Episcopal Church of Dayton and the Methodist Episcopal Church of Wesley were made one charge and the first pastor under this charge was Rev. J.K. Whippo of Riversburg, Clarion County, PA.
The church at Wesley retained the name of the East Dayton Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church until the late 1890’s and then the East Dayton Society was dropped. In 1868 the Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Brethren Church held a General Conference, and as a result of a vote, these two denominations united and the name was changed to The United Methodist Church. This changed the title of the little church at Wesley to The Wesley United Methodist Church.
In September 1945, the pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Cattaraugus was authorized to accept the church at Wesley as part of the Cattaraugus charge. From as early as 1923, several of the Pastors from Cattaraugus had cared for the congregation of Wesley, including the Rev.’s Cook, Marriott and Middaugh, but now the charge was official. Over the years, the church was also supplied by clergymen from Leon and Salamanca, with Versailles and South Dayton.
For many years the early church had a social hall adjacent to the building. Many parties and gatherings were held there. Roy Raecher had his barber shop there too! This hall was removed in the late 1930's. ln the early days there was a carriage house behind the church for the horses and buggies. Also, next to the church was a wood shed, which contained an outhouse in the back corner.
Many renovation proiects have been undertaken over the last half a century. The first I remember was the two old pot belly stoves being removed in 1962, to make way for modern floor furnaces. Money was donated by Ben and Effie Allen. The wood shed was removed about the time the gas furnaces where installed. The late 1950's saw a major upgrade in the inside of the building. Carpeting, donated by Marion and Carrie Prince, covered the old wooden floors, Jane and Merrill Allen donated the light chandeliers, and new gold wall paper was put up. Marion Prince, Merris case and Roy Raecher dug a well and running water was now available to the church. A rest room was added to the "anti-room” of the building.
Two of the grand daughters of Zalmon Rich left money to the church in the late 60's and so did Fenton Parke. This money, along with the money the children of the church earned at a road side fruit and vegetable stand, went to purchasing the first electric organ in August of 1970.
The pews were refinished, headed by Dorothy Allen; the stained glass windows removed, repaired and replaced, headed by Jane and Merrill Allen. Curtis Colburn donated the Baptismal font and Jenny Koelzow gave money in memory of her brother George Sipple, to purchase the lamp on the piano. Darrell Allen fixed the ceiling, hung new wall paper and painted the woodwork in 1991. Richard and Wilberta Raecher Eastman and family replaced the picture of Christ that hangs at the front of the chapel. Parke and Wesley Allen laid cement for front steps. Ceiling fans were donated by Marie Colburn and Florence Warren in memory of Gerald Warren. Later, new front doors were donated in memory of Marie Colburn. ln 2005, a handicap accessible ramp and railing were installed by Robert and Rich Mardino. On August 24,2001, in loving memory of Olin Kimball and Mercy Jewel Hall, funds were given by Wendell and Mary Hall Butler, “to support longevity and maintenance of the stained glass windows" and the list goes on and on.
Mrs. Mercy Hall, Bernice Allen Raecher and Dorothy Colburn Allen each put in many years of devoted service of playing the piano and organ. Dorothy played the piano and organ for over 50 years. Dorothy also lead the choir, starting back when her children were small. Judy Allen Brooks is now the pianist and David Allen plays the guitar.
Over the last 148 years, each person that has ever walked into this sacred edifice, dedicated to the worship of a loving Heavenly Father, has had their lives touched in some way.
It always amazes me to look at old buildings in the area and see the way they stand over time. I see the Fair Plains Road Church, built around the same time as the Wesley Church, and the way it has fallen into disrepair. The roof is collapsing, walls are falling down, windows broken and brush growing along the outside foundation. The Wesley church would look like that, if the early members descendant's had not lovingly cared for it all these years. The seventh generation of some of the founding fathers, still attend church services there each Sunday.
Sixty years ago, as you entered the small chapel at Wesley, the furnishings would have looked much the same as they did in the late 1800's. Wooden pews, stained the traditional dark brown color, faced a slightly raised stage bordered by a dark brown railing. A neat dark brown podium, an alter table and three ornately carved chairs adorned the stage. Later a tall upright piano joined the stage. Did an old foot pedal organ once belong there? Along three of the walls stood many beautiful, stained glass windows. Zalmon Rich, an early farmer and preacher, and his wife, Julia Rich, are forever memorialized therein. An old church bell, donated in 1898 by the Fair Plains Church, hung in the tower and enthusiastically rang every Sunday morning to announce the start of meetings. All of these furnishings were lovingly donated to adorn the chapel. Names can still be found on some pieces, as founding members wanted to be remembered by their posterity, down through the generations. Jonathan Prince, Zalmon Rich and Charles Hall donated the then still used chancel furniture, their names placed underneath some of the pieces. Grandma's of the congregation lovingly made cushions for the pews, each made from the material of her choice and delicately embroidered with her name on the bottom. When the chairs and cushions needed to be redone in 1949, they were done by Bernice Allen Raecher and Glades Schuttz Dermont to match the original color scheme.
Today when you walk into the chapel you see the pews are gone, the podium has changed and the stage railings are removed. New carpet, chairs, wallpaper and trimmings take their place.
In October 2022, the Wesley Church disaffiliated from The United Methodist Conference and changed the name to The Wesley Community Church. Times change and we must change with them. But it is a God given gift to have memories of the way people, places and things used to be, especially the good memories. May we never forget.....
Resources used to write this history:
- History of Cattaraugus Co. New York Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers Philadelphia: L.H. Everts 1879
- A Hundred Year and More of Cattaraugus - New Albion Happenings Cattaraugus Area Historical Society 1979
- Historical and Biographical History of the Township of Dayton, Cattaraugus County, New York - published by Chas J. Shults April 1901
- One Hundred Thirty Years of Methodism in The Town of New Albion and the Village of Cattaraugus, New York by Mrs. lda M. Sager Centennial Year 1957
5. Land Sale lndenture of the property sold to and for the purpose of building the East Dayton Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church edifice
6. Personal knowledge of writer, Merrill and Jane Allen, Wesley and Dorothy Allen and other family and church members
7. United Methodist Church records of New Albion, Cattaraugus County 1863 - 1882
