Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

The History of Montgomery Classis, R.C.A.
by W.N.P. Dailey,
Recorder Press, Amsterdam, NY 1916
To which is added sketches of Mohawk Valley men and events of early days, the Iroquois, Palatines, Indian Missions, Tryon County, committee of Safety, Sir Wm. Johnson, Joseph Brant, Arendt Van Curler, Gen. Herkimer, Reformed Church in America, Doctrine and Progress, Revolutionary Residences, Etc.

FULTONVILLE REFORMED CHURCH

In Revolutionary days the place was known as "Van Epps Swamp." From the establishment of the inn in 1795 by John Starin the place began to develop. The Reformed Dutch church of Fultonville (named after Robert Fulton) was organized November 24, 1838, eight members of the Caughnawaga church being among the charter members. The Rev. James B. Stevenson, at the time pastor of the Florida church, presided at the organization and installed the first officers. The first building was erected in 1839, Rev. Charles Jukes of the Glen church conducting the dedicatory exercises. This building was burned in 1852, and for four year the congregation had no place of worship. A solution of the problem was found in the election of a Board of Trustees, who set to work and built a structure, which was dedicated in 1856, Rev. Isaac N. Wyckoff of Albany preaching the sermon. The parsonage had been built in 1844, during the pastorate of John M. Van Buren. In 1882 it was enlarged. At the incorporation in 1838, the trustees were, Evert Yates, Isaiah DrPuy, Adam Bell, William A. Smith. The first pastor of the church was Rev. David Dyer (1841-1843), of whom nothing further is known. His successors were, Rev. John M. Van Buren (1842-1851), who next went to New Lots for a twenty years' service, afterwards retiring from the active ministry, he wrote for the religious press, and died at Nyack, N. Y., May 12, 1892. Mr. Van Buren united with the Kinderhook church in 1831. he aided Simms in the preparation of his Schoharie County History. He married a sister of Rev. J. C. F. Hoes (cf). (A son, Peter Van Buren, born at Fultonville, graduated from New York University of the same year). Rev. Ransford Wells (1857-1868), who had been Canajoharie's first pastor (cf); Rev. Henry L. Teller, a Presbyterian minister, who supplied for half of the year, 1868; Rev. Francis M. Kip who came in December, 1869, and remained twelve years, going to Harlingen, N. J., where he spent twenty years,and died at Neshanic, N. J. in 1911; Rev. Francis V. Van Vranken, the fifth pastor of the church who came in 1882 and remained thro 1892, and is now retired at Albany, N. Y.; Rev. Wm. Schmitz, who was pastor for nine years, or until 1901, and is now at work in Pennsylvania; Rev. Isaac Van Hee (1901-1905), who is at present doing social work in the Fort factories in Detroit, Mich.; Rev. James Edward Grant, who began work in 1906 and completed a pastorate of six years on January 1, 1913. Rev. Edward B. Irish came from the seminary to the church in the Spring of 1913, and was ordained and installed by the Classis of Montgomery.