History of Our Church
Under the leadership of Dr. John B. Yates in 1828, a committee drafted
plans for the building of Chittenango’s first house of worship, the Dutch
Reformed Church. The dimensions of the building were sixty by eighty
feet and cost just over $3300 to build. The building was of gothic
style with arched windows and a twelve foot wide porch. The steeple
was made of wood and contained four short spires, one on each corner.
On October 5, 1918, the church was struck by lightning and the building engulfed in flames. The loss, valued at $50,000, was total. It wasn’t until September 6, 1925 that the church was restored and operating again.
Tragedy struck yet again on October 3, 1943 when a wood burning furnace started another fire. The church was a complete loss, just two days short of the 25th anniversary of the last fire. Restoration cost $60,000 this time and took almost four years to complete.
The 5,000 square foot educational wing was added on June 11, 1967.
It consisted of classrooms, a dining room and kitchen, library, study
and storage areas. It was dedicated to the memory of John R. Kay.
(Taken from Trask, Juanita Comstock. The First Presbyterian Church of
Chittenango, New York 1828 – 2003.)
The First Presbyterian Church
· 118 Arch Street ·
Chittenango, NY 13037
Church Main Line: 315-687-7355 · Prayer Line: 315-687-7729 ·
Church Second Line: 315-687-1034