Preface: These pages are dedicated to the faithful folks
who served the Saint Matthews Episcopal Church through the years, especially to
Joseph and Martha Muka Yanavitch who have done so much towards its preservation
in recent years when times were the toughest and funds were the hardest to come
by with no regular congregation. Joe
left for his heavenly home on July 22, 1998, however Martha has continued to do
whatever she can, especially manicuring the lawn to perfection.
The church was originally
established in Pike Township. However the township was split about 1926 and now
is located in Stevens Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
There is no distinct cemetery associated with Saint
Matthews, but the church records reveal where many members were buried. There are many references to burials in Camptown cemetery, facing the rising sun; many more folks are in the
Stevens Family Cemetery and the Stevensville Cemetery located nearby.
St. Matthews Episcopal Church of
Pike
Roadside Welcome Sign
August 2005
Photo Taken by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury
The first Bible preaching began in 1799 and
continues yet through 2003 with special services. The priest baptized folks all
the way from Bethlehem to Stevensville, Pennsylvania. They are recorded in the
minutes. I have copies of the two
original books and will do look-ups.
The following is a little information about the original community from a 1955 special
services document from the diocese of Bethlehem:
Many
of the first settlers came here from Connecticut. They raised sheep and owned
and operated a wool-carding mill, which was located nearby the church. The actual first edifice was destroyed by
fire. I have found no other reference to this building.
Saint Matthews Episcopal Church was officially
organized in Pike Township in 1814, thus making it one of the earliest churches
in this region. Those applying for a
charter were: Dimon Bostwick, Benajah Bostwick, Jabez Bosworth,
Salmon Bosworth, Daniel Ross, and David Olmstead. The first priest, or rector, was to be
Reverend Manning B. Roche. Without a building; he held services in the back of
Salmon Bosworth’s store. In 1824 Bishop
William White consecrated the present church edifice, which was erected about
1814. It is the oldest church building in use in the diocese. Reverend Jackson Kemper,
who later became a missionary to the North West, the Diocese of
Wisconsin, accompanied him from Philadelphia.
In 1825 Reverend Samuel Marks became the permanent rector serving
Bradford and Susquehanna Counties. The first Sunday school was then
organized. He served the church the
church until 1834, with an absence from 1831-1832. His early successors at the church
were Samuel Tiffany Lord,
Reverend Freeman Lane, Reverend Barclay A. Smith, Reverend DeWitt C. Byllesby,
Reverend Hale Townsend, Reverend William Smith Heaton, and the Reverend George
Paine Hopkins who filled the pulpit at least three different terms.
Canon Edward Frear began his ministry at
Stevensville in 1908, providing only summer services. He was married there to Miss Helen Kalbfus on June 7, 1910. We can
see from his records that the church has only been used for summer services
since. Saint Matthews is the oldest Episcopal Church
in the Bethlehem Diocese that has been in continuous use since it was founded.
This church is now served by the Montrose priest, and meets mostly in the
summer time months. In 1997,
there was a very special Christmas service.
How lovely the church looked with original decorations and trimming done
by Martha Yanavitch.
Staircase
August 2005
Photo Taken by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury
The church itself is quite unique, having no electricity,
but still with the original furnishings. Brass oil lamps furnish the lighting,
descending from the balcony and on each side of the altar. The altar itself is
lined with an original red velvet bumper which was installed in 1894. It was
taken up in 1924, cleaned and turned. Mrs. Olive Keeler, a faithful member of
the church. Olive attended to this before the church’s 100th
anniversary celebration. The church had received its first carpeting in 1838.
The church possesses some wonderful antiques, which
are not stored at Saint Matthews. One is the beautiful
pewter communion set, which was presented in 1849 by Mr. and Mrs. George
Mansley of Towanda.
The original pump organ rests in the back of the
church, and an electric organ is powered by an extension cord from the Joe and
Martha Yanavitch home. This “new” organ
must be at least 50 years old itself.
Martha tells me an electrical service box was installed outside the
church about 2001 to be used for the organ, but for many years the extension cord
provided by the Yanavitch family was the only electricity available.
Old plank benches, hand hewn and planed, are
used to sit upon. There are six pews on the outside edge, with a right angle
formed of pews in the front corners.
The center has four double pews, with a full guardrail in the front.
There is room to the right of the pulpit for the choir to be seated. The stained-glass windows beside the choir
area are dedicated in loving memory to Lewis L. Bosworth and Sarah A., his wife;
it was a gift from their children and is dated 1894. It depicts a magnificent
burgundy-red cross. The window adjacent
to it is also dated 1894, but has an angel’s face in the center. It was dedicated in loving memory to Helen
J. Wells. One of the rectors feared the
Yanavitch children, Theresa and Joseph, would break the beautiful stained glass
windows playing, but God himself damaged the angel with a hailstone. When you
approach the church from the Yanavitch home, it appears the angel on that
window is following your every move. She seems to focus on you as you approach
the back door where most people enter through the office area. Martha and I
just feel she is guarding the church!
Frosted Glass Window
August 2005
Photo Taken by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury
On the other side of the church, beside the electric
organ, the stained-glass window depicts a unique harp, dedicated to Mrs Harriet
C. Burrows by her five sons. The remainder of the large windows have many
little squares, maybe eight inches square, and are of frosted glass. The same hailstorm a few years back broke
out panes that were replaced with regular glass. The newer replacement windows
do blend with the originals.
View from Balcony
August 2005
Photo Taken by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury
There is a full balcony on both sides and in the
upper back quadrant, which provided more sitting room for those large
congregations of the past. The elegant purple-based stained-glass window behind
the alter records: "In Loving Memory of the Founders of Saint
Matthews Church of Pike”. It is
viewed best from the balcony. The 1814 date
on one side of the windows represents the origination of the church and the
1895 date depicts the date the window was installed. There is a silver cross honoring Reverend Hopkin’s mother,
Catherine Davenport Hopkins, resting under this window.
Window in Sepia
Dated to 1814
"In Loving Memory of the Founders of St. Matthews Church, Pike, Penna"
August 2005
Photo Taken by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury
The church was damaged by fire about 1863. The
repairs were completed by 1864 when the large window over the chancel was
installed. In 1884, the church was still
undergoing repair, according to the records.
The red carpet was installed on the floor and the present alcove and
Holy Table for the vesting room were added.
The list of the founding members can be found beside
the gigantic wood stove that is located behind the pews. It is enclosed in a
neat little half circle arc, which is lined with benches to warm those cold
little wet feet that walked to Sunday School oh so many years ago. The stove might be workable, but the
stovepipe surely isn't.
The church was wallpapered about 1970 with a
generous donation from a community member who had passed on. That must have been a tremendous job, as
those ceilings have to be twenty feet
high where there isn’t any balcony.
They did a great job.
Oil Lamp Hung Near the Altar
August 2005
Photo Taken by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury
By the summer of 1998, the church was in great need of repair from
deterioration. Joe Yanavitch and Edward Stark of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church
of Montrose, who headed the Preservation Committee, met with a carpenter to
evaluate the building’s problems. In
just the short time from January to June, the church foundation had sunk, and
the door to the balcony would not close.
The foundation needed work and the roof needed to be repaired. They
decided to replace the roof. The repair
work began December 4, 1998. The roof had been installed in 1949.
Podium for Bible Reading
August 2005
Photo Taken by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury
The old type photos of Mrs. Catherine Davenport
Hopkins and her son, the Reverend Hopkins, adorn the entry way. Their frames are the molded style of gold
and oak. The following information was
typed and framed beside the photo of Reverend John Payne Hopkins.
Reverend
John Payne Hopkins was born June 11, 1818 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and
died at his home in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania 1903. He was ordained in Burlington, Vermont by Bishop Hopkins
1838. He was ordained a Priest at
Montrose, Pa 1839 by Bishop Onderdork.
He was first assigned to Saint Matthews of Pike in 1863, then he went to
Saint Paul’s Church in Troy the following year 1864, and then in 1873 he was
back at Saint Matthews until 1899.
Altar and Entry Hall from Balcony
August 2005
Photo Taken by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury
Throughout the church are many old books, mostly
prayer books, dating to back as far as 1812.
In the office or vestry room, which was added to the church about 1894,
are many prayer booklets and hymnals with words only. That is the way the
earliest hymnals were written. The rhythm of songs
was taught by the old fashion rote method. Some of these are in the
original metal trunk-like cases. The office is located beside the altar so to
speak. Beside the altar are two large Family Bibles. The covers are inscribed:
SAINT MATTHEWS and E W HAWLEY., respectively.
Cover of Registry Book
St. Matthews Church of Pike
Photo Taken by Carol Brotzman
Stationers Stamp
Corner Opoosite Title Page
Registry Book
St. Matthews Church of Pike
Photo Taken by Carol Brotzman
The front of the church is graced by blue flagstone
steps from a local quarry, just the right height to step onto, or off from, a
buggy. The stone started out as one piece,
but had to be cut in half to accommodate the then current transportation mode
of horses. The cost was a meager
$36.00, thus reminding us of the unique architecture and era of time this
church has spanned. This wonderful building is a step back in time that is well
preserved. It is a history lesson just waiting to be taught.
Historian's note regarding the deed:
The
property was set up as so that the church must remain active or the property
reverts back to what is now the Benton Sumner property. That is why there has always been a
church service held at least once a year. Elwin Edwards had possession of the
deed for many years. He put it on display for a Stevensville Old Home Day
celebration and it disappeared! It is
something the folks around here would like to have back in the community where
it belongs.
Historian's note regarding Reverend Hopkins, compiled by Katherine Fassett Schuster
(1905-1998):
The
Reverend George Hopkins home, or parsonage, became what was known as the Locust
Inn. He and his wife were the proud
parents of two daughters, Essie and Julia.
Miss Essie was very reserved, and Miss Julia was just the opposite. Both were well educated in New York City. Neither married. However while in New York,
Miss Julia fell in love with an opera singer. Her parents disapproved,
and that was the end of that! Their
house was at the hub of social activity in Stevensville, and was even a stop on
the Underground Railroad for slaves seeking freedom. Harvey Edwards was the handyman employed by the Hopkins
family. When the Elder Hopkins passed
on, the girls sold the farm to Harvey and moved to Wyalusing,
Pennsylvania. The house was converted
to the Locust Inn in 1962 by Elwin Edwards.
The Locust Inn burned May 16, 1997, but by then the ownership had been sold out
of the Edwards family for nearly thirty years. Wayne and Lois Edwards purchased the property in
1993. Gilles Restaurant is now on the site where all the activities of long ago
took place.
The old Pine Glen School was located nearby on what
is now the former Arden and Mary Learn property. This was a Methodist Circuit stop of the Rush Mission. This building was purchased by Reverend
Hopkins in 1893 and moved across the road from his home. It was rented to Elwin Edwards’s parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Edwards, to be used as their home. The Rush Mission dropped the Pine Glen
circuit stop from church services May 28, 1877 due to lack of members. (Recorded in the Quarterly Conference
Minutes of the Rush Charge).
Historian's note regarding cemetery information on the Reverend Hopkins family:
In
the Stevensville Cemetery Book, page 34, compiled by Linda Culver English. there
is a large headstone in the Hopkins-Bostwick lot adjacent to the William
H. Bunt lot.
On
the 1st side:
Julia
Eliza Hopkins daughter of Reverend G. P. Hopkins died Feb 14, 1915
Essie
M. Hopkins daughter of Reverend G. P. Hopkins died March 21, 1920
2nd
side:
Reverend George P. Hopkins departed this life July 16, 1903 age 88 years
wife, Sarah W. Bostwick departed this life April 30, 1899 age 82 years
THE
GRACE OF HE LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU, AMEN
3rd
side on the back
William
D. Hopkins born Ireland Sept 9, 1797 died
October 9, 1870 (note: maybe his father?)
Joseph
Burnett Hopkins died May 17, 1856 age 7 years (note: son?)
George
P. Hopkins served his country with the US ARMY in the Civil War where he died
at the age of 16 years July 22, 1862.
On
the last side it records:
Pennet
M. Bostwick born August 4, 1805 died April 25, 1891,
In
memoriam, a daughter of Dymond Bostwick and Zalvaisa Bostwick
She
died November 19, 1894 age 87
Historian's note regarding Reverend Hopkins’ additional family: His only
son George Junior died in Philadelphia of typhoid while serving in the US
Army. He was just age 16 when he passed
Wednesday July 22, 1862. He was buried
July 26 with his father attending.
Book Entry Recording a Meeting
St. Matthews Church of Pike
Text reads: The members of St. Matthews church and all who is friendley [sic] are requested to meet at Dimon Bostwicks tomorrow Evening to consult on Business, Respecting the welfare of Church
....February 8th 1829
Benajah Bostwick...Daniel Ross
Photo Taken by Carol Brotzman
CHARTER MEMBER LIST RECORDED ON THE BACK WALL OF THE CHURCH
David Olmstead Adolphus Olmstead
Joseph Bosworth Cornwall Bush
Samuel Stephens John Haywood
Daniel Ross Ambrose Allen
Jessie Ross Ephraim Fairchild
Denison Bostwick Fairchild Canfield
Benajah Bostwick
Elisha D. Wolf
Salmon Bosworth Stephen Evert
Josiah Bosworth William Frink
Orange Bosworth Alby Bosworth
John C. Stephens John Haywood
Irad Stephens Samuel Brown
William Ross
Church Altar in Sepia
August 2005
Photo Taken by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury
If
anyone would like to make a donation to help preserve and maintain this
wonderful old church, please mail contributions marked For Care of Saint
Matthews Episcopal Church to:
Edward
A. Stark
13 Lincoln Avenue
Montrose, PA 18801-1334
