Wolcott Presbyterian Church History

 

The original church was formed in July 1813. This Presbyterian split into two churches in 1827; some congregants going to Wolcott and some staying with Huron.

The church in Wolcott was first housed on the corner of West Main and Draper Streets. In 1852 a new edifice was built on East Main Street, this building is now the Gallo’s store..

I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where my parents still live. I only had one brother, though he unfortunately passed many years ago. I graduated class of ‘94 from Macalester College, in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a B.A. in Anthropology and International Studies. I spent a year in the Philippines with the Presbyterian Volunteers in Mission program, where I worked as an English and Bible teacher at Christian high schools. I graduated from Princeton Seminary in 1998, and I was ordained at my first church in Dayton, Ohio in 1999.

As the Village of Wolcott developed into a thriving commercial center, the trustees of the Presbyterian Church decided to go forward with a new building, to be built on land left “for schools and religious buildings”, by John Melvin an early land owner in Wolcott..Many prominent business leaders were members of the church and they determined under their leadership to build a new church. A New York City architect was hired, who designed a Renaissance Revival building with many interesting features

In 1883 the new building was ready for worship. A great deal of hard work was done by the trustees and stewards to bring this about. The sanctuary had the same basic footprint as now, but there was a balcony and additional pews at the front so it could hold about 100 people

A Moeller organ was installed in 1912 with a pipe façade. Later the stained glass windows were installed; the first was on right front and the second at the left. Both memorial windows are in the Tiffany style.

In 1925 the basement of the church was developed into a more useable space, with a full kitchen and a large dining room, which was also used for Sunday school. The women of the church kept the kitchen in good order and worked constantly to keep things going over the years of the depression and wars.

The demographics of the village began to change in the 1950’s, as did the societal habits of the church going. While times have continued to change, the Presbyterian Church has remained a constant in the community. We were able to survive a devastating fire in 1999, after which the old building was brought back to restored life. The congregation was able to have a new pipe organ built. It remains the only pipe organ on the ridge west to Rochester..

Last, but not least I love to go to lunch or coffee with parishioners, so please give me a call about that.

Our pledge to serve as a Christian community, welcoming to all, keeps us mindful of service and purpose.