The oldest church now standing in
Suffolk county, or in fact on Long Island, is the Caroline Episcopal
church at Setauket on the north side of the Green around which the
first settlement of Brookhaven was made in 1655.
This ancient
building lifts heaven ward its grand old tower, while its windows
look silently out upon the graves of generations of the former
worshipers who have come to rest within shadow.
The earliest notice
on the books of the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts," is of the appointment of the Rev James Wetmore as
missionary in the Town of Brookhaven in 1723. It is supposed that
services of the church of England were conducted here before that
date, but it is not known that the church had a building of its own
before the present one was erected in 1729.
The
Rev. Alexander Campbell
was appointed rector at Setauket in 1729, and it was his leadership
that inspired the building of the present church. The original name
was Christ church but this was changed to the present one in honor
of Queen Caroline, Queen of George II of England, who had presented
to the parish in 1730 a silver communion service and embroidered alter
cloths. The communion service is still in possession of the church.
On the east side of the
"Green," stands the Presbyterian church, adjoining the site of the Old
Town Church, which was erected
in 1671. During the early years of the history of Brookhaven town
the church was supported by the town, and in the divisions of land to
the early settlers a share was reserved in many cases for the
support of the church. As the Episcopal denomination had been gaining
ground for several years in 1741 a committee was appointed by the
town to arrange a division of the property reserved for church
purposes. This committee consisted of Isaac Brown, William Smith,
James Tuthill and Richard Woodhull, who on October 5, 1741 decided
that the various parcels of land and property that had from time to
time been set apart by the town for religious purposes should be
divided between the Presbyterian and Episcopal churches, and thus
the matter was settled.
In 1938 the interior of the church was
restored to its original Colonial design as a gift by Mrs. Frank
Melville and Ward Melville, in memory of the late Frank Melville Jr.
who was a vestryman in this church, Through their efforts this
historic old church takes its place in historic beauty and interest
with the foremost Colonial churches of our country.
In the work of
restoration every efforts was made to save such Colonial features as
were left and to restore the church as it might have been. The huge
hand hewn timbers as solid as the day they were put in were restored
to their original exposed position. Wide pine boards covered the
floor. In the vestibule, columns and beams were uncovered as were
"ships knees" in the corners a reminder of the days when Setauket was
famous for its ship building.
The gallery at the rear was the only
visible part of the old interior before the restoration. This gallery
added in 1744, furnished pews for the slaves. The narrow benches and
forward slanting backs of the seats were not made for comfort. This
still retains the name of "slave gallery."
The old organ, now in the
parish house, was in service in the church for many years, and came
from St. Ann's church in Brooklyn. It was probably brought over from
England before the Revolution.
The exterior of the church is much as
it was originally, to which the warped walls and the bullet holes in
the belfry bear testimony. The shingles, cut out by hands that have
long since gone to rest, were fastened with huge, roughly fashioned
nails, hammered out by the village blacksmith long years ago.
During
the revolution the Caroline church must have been officially favored
by the British troops of occupation, and it was during this period
that tradition has handed down the following incident.
One hot July
Sunday the church was full of British officers, and the Rev. James
Lyons was preaching. In the midst of his sermon he happened to look
out of the window and saw a sight that caused him to inject some
remarks not in his sermon, which he addressed to the British
officers.
"Here am I preaching the famed gospel to you and there are
your d.......... redcoats in my garden stealing my potatoes." Having
thus relieved his mind he returned to his sermon.
Among the relics
of the church is the original subscription list that was circulated
over two hundred years ago to raise the money for building a gallery. The document yellow with age, reads as follows;
"We, the
subscribers, do promise to pay the sum annexed to our respective
names for the building and furnishing a gallery at the west end of
Caroline church in Brookhaven," It was dated March 26, 1744, and bears
the signatures of 36 men. The Rev. Isaac Brown heads the list with 14
shillings.