Methodist congregation gathered for final service
In 1867, the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church of the Highlands purchased a piece of land on Main St., Highland Falls for $3000 from the W.B. Cozzens estate. Then, a church was designed by Vaux Withers & Co., architects, and in September 1868, a cornerstone — containing only an American Bible Society Bible — was laid. In April 1894, electric lights were added to the building., and the manse was built next to the church.
With that history in their hands, about three dozen Highland Falls and Fort Montgomery residents, and other interested parties, gathered in the church this past Sunday afternoon as a final church service was held in the building.
The church has been in constant use since it opened over 150 years ago. Most recently it served as home for the United Methodist Church of the Highlands, and it was the most recent and final, pastor of that congregation, Reverend Karina Feliz, who presided over Sunday’s ‘leave taking’ service. Officially, it was called a ‘Service of Thanksgiving’.
The church is in the final stages of being sold, to developer Rick Minicozzi, who plans to turn the building into a restaurant.
In addition to several hymns that were sung and prayers that were recited, the service was highlighted by the memories of about a half-dozen community residents, most of whom grew up in the church. They fondly recalled everything from church dinners that were held there to the beautiful music made by generations of choirs.
They spoke about the hundreds of children who grew up in the church’s Sunday School programs; about the children who were baptized there and weddings and funerals that were held.
Richard Parry, who has been a church member his entire life, sat in the pew where he always sat as a child, with his father, Hank Parry, and his mother Alice.
“When I walked up the steps to this service today, I half expected to look up and see my mom standing in the doorway, handing out bulletins and greeting people,” he said.
Many at the service recalled Mrs. Parry’s delicious food offerings at monthly potluck lunches.
And about the meals that were shared in the church’s Social Hall, Ruthie Marcolina, also a lifelong member, noted that the church provided spiritual food, while the Methodist ladies provided food for our bodies. She wished the new owner of the building luck: “May there continue to be food for the body that feeds the soul within this building”, she said.
In her remarks, Rev. Feliz reflected on the changing of the seasons, both in nature and in church life. She noted that while the church was about to be re-purposed, it was never the building that made “the church” special, it was the people who spent time in it. Feliz, who was reappointed to another congregation last summer, said she fully expects the congregation of the church — which merged with the congregation of the Fort Montgomery United Methodist Church in 2019 — to continue to do important work in the town.
The Hudson Highlands United Methodist Church congregation meets weekly at ‘The Little Brown Church’ at 770 Rt. 9W in Fort Montgomery, as well as operates a mission center at 316 Main St. … fittingly nearly across the street from the church family’s former home.
(Editor’s note: The author of this story has many very fond memories of the last 32 years worth of Sundays sitting in her favorite pew inside this church. It was noted in the service that feeling sad to leave the building is fine, but that those memories will remain within us, and she was encouraged by all the beautiful words at the service. However, she also recalls being absolutely mortified — more than once — when her rambunctious young daughters crawled underneath every single seat, through legs and all, from the very back pew of the sanctuary to the front, during Sunday services. She is glad the church housed a congregation that was — and is! — tolerant of all who entered its doors! MJP)
