Footnotes to Long Island History
Yaphank Church is 100
by
Thomas R. Bayles
A
one-hundred anniversary service, commemorating the building of the
Yaphank Presbyterian church, was held at the church on December 23. The
anniversary address was given by the Rev. Herbert Moyer, pastor of the
Bridgehampton Presbyterian church, and remarks were made by the Rev.
John R. Vaughn, the only living ex-pastor of the church, who was
minister of the church in 1926.
A number of
older people, former residents of Yaphank, were present. Among them was
Mrs. Richard M. Bayles of Middle Island, granddaughter of the Rev. Ezra
King, who helped conduct the dedication ceremony of the church 100 years
ago.
As we look
back, we find the first church in Brookhaven town was at Setauket and
was formed soon after the first settlement in 1655. This was called
“The Old Town Church.” As settlement was made on the south side, around
Mastic, the need for a church was voted. About 1740, the South Haven
Presbyterian church was organized. Then, in 1766, the Middle Island
church was built, and the parish took in the surrounding villages,
including Millville (Yaphank).
The
earliest reference to religious activities seems to be a clipping from
an old newspaper which quotes “Aunt Nancy” Hawkins as saying that she
remembered well when she attended Sunday school in 1817 in the old
schoolhouse in Yaphank, or Millville. The Middle Island church records
show that a “monthly concert” was regularly held in the “River District”
(Yaphank) in 1841.
As the
village grew, the need for a church nearer than Middle Island was felt.
So, in 1850, a movement was started to obtain a building, and in 1851
two subscription lists were circulated which produced $1,104 towards a
building fund. On March 4, 1851, a business meeting was held to form a
corporation and elect trustees. The trustees elected were Tunis
Whitbeck, Samuel F. Norton, Robert H. Gerard, Nathaniel Tuttle, Simmons
Laws and John P. Mills.
The newly
elected trustees purchased from James H. Weeks one acre of ground for
$50, the deed bearing the date March 31, 1851. Soon after, a contract
was executed with Charles Woodhull of Sayville to erect the building for
the sum of $1,066. Hauling materials, digging the basement, mason work
and painting were extra and cost $68, with another $18 for stoves to
heat the building.
The new
building was ready for use and was dedicated on Christmas day, 1851, by
the Rev. Mr. King and the Rev. Winthrop Bailey. The Rev. Mr. Bailey was
pastor of the Middle Island church at that time, and the Rev. Mr. King
had been pastor for 34 years until his health failed him in 1844 and he
resigned and moved to Miller Place. Because of his previous
association, he was called upon to help with the dedication.
The new
church was governed by the Middle Island church session, with a separate
board of trustees. Services were held every other Sunday afternoon by
the minister from Middle Island.
The Middle
Island church records state that Simmons Laws, Elder, of Yaphank died on
February 4, 1867 at the age of 87 and that “the graces of the Spirit
shown out in all his life.” On February 7, 1867, Rev. Mr. King died at
Miller Place at the age of 83, and “his life truly exemplified the
dignity and the true Christian manhood of the minister of the Gospel.”
The records further state, “So the aged Elder and the minister who had
so long served together in the same church were separated from each
other a little over two days.”
In the
early part of 1871, a petition was circulated by the Yaphank people to
the Presbytery of Long Island for permission to organize themselves into
an independent church, and on October 18 of that year, the Presbytery
constituted the Yaphank church a separate church.
Sixty
members of the Middle Island church were dismissed to form the newly
organized Yaphank church.
The two
churches have been served by the same pastors for many years, although
some of the time the Yaphank church has had a separate pastor. At
present, they are both under the leadership of the Rev. Robert J.
Sargent, who came as joint pastor at the beginning of 1951.
During the
past year, many improvements have been made to the church, including
painting the inside and outside, renewing the foundations and putting a
new floor in the basement and the installation of a new organ.