CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Main at Center Street, Hornell, NY 14843

Telephone: 607.324.3620 Email: Triparish

A History of Christ Episcopal Church

    The cornerstone of Christ Episcopal Church was laid on May 2, 1860. On Christmas Day, December 25, 1860, the first service was held. Although not consecrated until April 10, 1862, the Church was in continous use after that first service. The real beginning of Christ Church, however, was many years earlier with the completion of the New York and Erie Railroad branch from Hornellsville to Buffalo, New York.

    The first effort to establish an Episcopal Church in the area was made in 1850 or 1851, when a missionary named Asa Griswold divided his service between what was then known as Hornellsville and Dublin, a small town to the east. Due to the small number of inhabitants (approximately 500) who had any attachment or acquaintance with the Church, the arrangement  was not continued for any length of time. Rev. Griswold remained in the area for only a year.

    At the end of December, 1853, the Rev. James A. Robinson first visited to determine interest in establishing an Episcopal Church. By this time, the inhabitants had increased to about 3,000 and Rev. Robinson found a number of people interested in the object of his visit. Mr. Robinson was also serving as a missionary in Nunda, and the arrangement was made to divide his time between Hornellsville and Nunda, holding services every other week in each town. On the first Sunday in January, 1854, Mr. Robinson officiated for the first time with a large congregation, which met in Washington Hall, built by Rufus Tuttle and Walter Rose. Due to the unexpected size of the congregation, Washington Hall was immediately enlarged to accommodate the parishioners.

    On March 1, 1854, William H. Delancey, then Bishop of the Diocese of Western New York, gave his canonical approval of consent to the organization of a Protestant Episcopal Congregation at Hornellsville, Steuben County, New York. The formal organization of the Parish was done on March 6, 1854, with the election of two Church wardens (Aaron Morris and Charles L. Prindle) and eight vestrymen (Peter C. Ward, Martin Adsit, William H. Chandler, Charles Strawn, Nirom M. Crane, George Huckett, Thomas J. Magee and Thomas Snell). On March 18, 1854, William H. Chandler appeared before Justice Thomas A. Johnson of the Supreme Court to prove the execution of the Certificate of Incorporation and to have the Certificate recorded. Bishop Delancey issued his approval on April 3, 1854.

    The Rev. James A. Robinson was elected Rector at a salary of $500 per year, beginning April 1, 1854. At the organization of the Parish, there were twelve Communicants; the last survivor of these original communicants, Mrs. Caroline Morris, died on September 1, 1899. The first Confirmation Class was confirmed on May 24, by Bishop Delancey. The Rev. Robinson, organizer and first Rector of this Parish, resigned as Rector of Christ Church, on September 2, 1858. He was born at Oxford, New York in 1827, and died on December 17, 1897, in Cortland at the age of 70 years, and was buried in Hope Cemetery, Hornellsville.

    The newly formed Church continued to meet in Washington Hall for approximately seven years, until the building of the present Christ Church. In December, 1858, the Rev. Lloyd Windsor was called by the Vestry as Rector, again at a salary of $500. He began his ministry with Christ Church on January 1, 1859, at the age of 46 years. Rev. Windsor had an extensive career as missionary and priest, serving in Churches as far away as Indiana and Ohio, and returning to the Diocese of Western New York in 1856. He acted as missionary to Whitney's Point (now Canaseraga, where he organized Trinity Parish (a part of the Episcopal Tri-Parish Ministry with St. Peter's, Dansville, and Christ Church, Hornell).

    After a failed attempt to purchase a lot owned by “Mr. Cameron”, on April 30, 1859, the Vestry purchased a lot owned by Judge Hawley, for the sum of “one thousand dollars, two hundred dollars off as a donation.” This lot was subsequently exchanged with Martin Adsit for the one on which Christ Church now stands, at the corner of Main and Center Streets. At a Vestry meeting held August 19, 1859, Morris Smith, L. B. Benton and Martin Adsit were named as the Building Committee to superintend the erection of a new church. In addition, the Vestry instructed to Committee to obtain a plan, specifications and estimates from Henry A. Dudley, a New York City architect. Mr. Dudley was one of the most prominent Church architects of the day, and it is to him that the Church owes a debt of gratitude for the splendid example of early English Gothic architecture. The Builder was Washington Cleveland of Hornellesville, and the original dimensions were 43 x 90 feet; the top of the tower from the ground rose 60 feet.

    The cornerstone was laid on May 2, 1860, and construction was completed in time for Christmas Day services that year. The Church was consecrated on April 10, 1862.  The Church cost $6,200 to build, and the lot was $1,000, making a total cost of $7,200. An entry in the Parish records notes:

“Cost of Church complete with two furnaces, carpets, cushions for chancel and pews, lamps, chancel furniture, font, etc., about $6,200. We have no bell or organ. The lot cost $800, making $7,000 total, all of which is paid except about $300. The ladies have yet to pay besides $70 on cushions. There is no parsonage. The Church lot is yet to be fenced in.”

    Mrs. Esther Adsit, wife of Martin Adsit, gave to the Church the Baptismal font as a thank offering in 1860. This font, crafted of maple, is still in use one hundred and forty-six years later. The pipe organ was purchased in 1865. The bell was purchased in 1869, at a cost of nearly $1,000. At some point, the Chapel was built; however, parish records are silent as to when this occurred. We do know that at the building of the Parish House, opened on September 12, 1899, the chapel was reduced in size. The only references found in the Parish records is an item under Disbursements: “Debt on Chapel, $100,” in the Treasurer's Report of the Ladies' Aid Society , March 13, 1877.

    On June 30, 1889, while addressing the Presbyterian congregation on the departure of their pastor, and a valued friend of the Rector, the Rev. Lloyd Windor suffered “apoplexy” and died. He was 76 years and 9 months old, and had served Christ Church as Rector for more than 30 years.

    One of the first acts of the new Rector, the Rev. Edwin S. Hoffman (1890-1907) was the insitution of the “Lloyd Windsor Memorial Fund” for the procurement of a suitable memorial to Rev. Windsor. The selection for the memorial was made by Charles Adsit and the widow of Rev. Windsor: the beautiful Tiffany stained glass window which now graces the Altar.

    In the summer of 1894, extensive interior changes and improvements were made to the Church. The chancel was extended into the nave beyond the chancel arch, the organ was moved from the rear of the church and placed in its present location, choir stalls were put in place, among other changes. The cost of the improvements, including a new cedar roof, was approximately $1,000. The pulpit was placed at this time by Mr. Martin Adsit as a memorial to his son, Harry. The pulpit is made after designs created by the architect, Henry Dudley, at the time the church was built.

    During the year 1895, the envelope system of offerings was begun, supplementing the pew rental system. In November, 1898, ground was broken for the foundation of the Parish House; it was finished in the summer of 1899. The parish house was opened Tuesday evening, September 12, with hymn, prayers and an address by the Rector, and refreshments served by the ladies of the Church.

    Also in 1899, The Esther Adsit stained glass window was given to the church in memory of the woman many consider a leader at the beginning of Christ Church. Esther Adsit was the head of many of the committees which raised money to purchase the first organ, the bells of the church and the construction of the original parish hall. This window was orginally placed where two lancet windows nearest the belltower now reside.

    On October 6, 1902, the Vestry authorized the Organ Fund; the second organ was purchased in 1906. In 1907, the Rev. Asa Sprague Ashley succeeded Dr. Hoffman. Shortly thereafter, the renting of pews were discontinued and all pews were made free. On June 30, 1919, fire broke out in the Parish House and extensive to the roof and water damage occurred. Rev. Ashley remained as Rector of Christ Church until 1920.

    In 1909, the Girls Friendly Society donated The Angel of the Field (Blue Angel) stained glass window to the church in memory of Evelyn Hakes Brown, a leader of the Girls' Friendly Society on the local, diocesan and national level.

    The Red Angel window was a gift to the Church from Donald Sharp in memory of his wife, Mrs. Jessie Rawson Sharp, in 1917.

    Under the new Rector of Christ Church, the Rev. Mart Gary Smith, guild groups were organized. Rev. Smith resigned as Rector to accept a call to the Church in Paris, Texas. The Rev. John Gilbert Spencer followed as rector in 1926 and served until his death in 1942. The stained glass window, The Adoration of the Shepherds (commonly called The Nativity Window) was given to the Church in 1929 by Mrs. Olive Buisch, in memory of her mother, Mrs. Helen M. S. Greenhow. Rev. Spencer was active in civic and welfare projects in the City and was Red Cross Director until his death. During his pastorage, extensive repairs to the church property were made necessary by the Flood of 1935.

    It was during the Flood of 1935 that the foundation of the Church was damaged, and it is thought the cornerstone was washed away at that time. In 1942, the Rev. Ross Morrell was called and served as Rector untl 1946. While Christ Church was deeply in debt due to extensive flood repairs, when Rev. Morrell left, the Parish was debt free and plans were underway for a new parish house and church improvements.

    In January 1950, The Rev. John Furlong came to Christ Church. During his tenure as rector, the exterior of the Church was stoned with Portageville limestone with funds from the estate of Don L. Sharp, Vestryman and Warden for 68 years. At this time, the Adsit window was moved to its present location. A new tower and spire were also erected during this period. In 1954, Christ Church celebrated a century of service to God and the community.  In 1955, the Women's Auxillary Memorial Fund donated the grillwork which graces the entrance to the Chapel.

    On Tuesday, July 16, 1957, fire swept through the interior of the Church. While initially expected to be almost a total loss, efforts of the fire departments to save the Church paid off. Firefighters broke through the roof of the Church, rather than breaking the stained glass windows to pour water on the fire. As early as the following day, the Building Committee was meeting with architects to prepare a program of reconstruction. Services continued in the Parish Hall during the summer.