
The First Presbyterian Church of Union Springs, NY, built ca. 1840, is an imposing structure located on Cayuga St., the main street of the village of Union Springs in west central Cayuga County. A block from Cayuga Lake, the building is a large and dominating edifice constructed in Greek Revival style on the east side of the street, which is also NYS Route 90, the western most north-south thoroughfare of the county. It is sheltered on three sides by tree lined hedges in the midst of historic residences in the village. It faces the lake on its west end behind which is a small lawn edged by the village sidewalk. On its north side sits the Howland Chase House, already on the National Register of Historic Places.
The founders of this church had roots in a Congregational Church in 1779, which built a small stone meeting house on Cross Road, near Cayuga, NY in 1816. Some members of the original group applied to join the Presbyterian Church in 1822 and incorporated as the First Presbyterian Society of Union Springs in 1835. According to Session records, they formed a building committee in 1839. Session records from September 1839 indicated that the building committee unanimously agreed to hire Ferrand Kitchell to build the structure "in a style and instructions corresponding with a draft drawn by (John) Hagaman of Auburn for the sum of $2,650 (which contract is now on file with the clerk)". On October 8, 1839, the church trustees accepted a donation of land in Union Springs from George Howland and his son, Augustus Howland according to a deed filed with the county clerk. An 1840 letter from the representatives of the Church Society to the Boards of Assistance for the Western Agency of the Presbyterian mentioned that the Society contributed around $2,900 for the construction. The letter also stated that the construction of the new church had commenced, and its foundation had been laid. The foundation blocks are assumed to have come from local quarries active in the area in this period. According to meeting minutes, by December 29, 1840, the Society met in their newly built Meeting House. It was not until 1914 that the opalescent windows were purchased and installed by the Booth Art Glass Company, a business that existed only from 1909-1914 but in that time installed art glass windows in numerous church buildings in western and central New York. The windows are dedicated to the memory of 19th century church members including Peter Yawger, grandson of Phillip Yawger, one of the first settlers in the Town of Springport. His father was an active leader in the building of the Presbyterian Church that became the home of the Frontenac Historical Society.
The structure of the building is an example of classic Greek Revival Architecture featuring a symmetrical facade with a low-pitched gable roof, an entabature with cornice (projecting border near the roof line), frieze (the pronounced horizontal band at the bottom), and architravewhat (the area, a lintel or beam that rests on the columns) above a complete row of six impressive Corinthian style fluted columns (with roman style bases) standing on a broad portico. The capitals are specific to the Tower of the Winds in Athens, an archaeological reference that suggests a limited number of references being used by a well-educated architect. Fenestration is symmetrically and functionally placed. Door and window moldings are heavy and distinct, but plain and simple, consistent with the Calvinistic beliefs of Colonial Presbyterianism, and perhaps with some echo of the Quaker roots of many of its founders, who also referred to their worship structures as Meeting Houses rather than 'sacred space' associated with churches and cathedrals.
In 1875, the brass bell manufactured by Andrew Meneely Bell Foundry in West Troy, NY was purchased and installed. Meneely has been described as one of the greatest bell makers in American History with over 65,000 bells cast under the Meneely brand between 1826 and 1951.
The first major modification to the original building was the construction of a 'Prayer Room' in a hand dug basement under the auditorium described in a 1962 program for the Dedication of the Christian Education Building.
...a review of our Church records shows that on May 28, 1860, the (Presbytery) Session authorized certain funds for what apparently what was a thriving "Sabbath School". Since the American Sunday School Union was not established until 1824, we assume that our Sunday School may be one of the oldest in the country.
We find that during the pastorate of Rev. Henry R. Fancher, (1891-95), the basement of the church was excavated Several of our members remember seeing the work done when they were little children. We understand that Charlie Davis, older brother of our own Jerry Davis, drew the dirt out using a "slip scraper" and his team. This was a long arduous task, since all the work had to be done by hand. There were no machines as we know them, in those days. The only other person living today who worked on the excavation is William Schenck. This room was used first as a Prayer Meeting room, then for Sunday School and later for social affairs of the church ...
We notice too, in reviewing the old Session minutes, that in 1927, during the pastorate of Rev. George Davis, some thought had been given to an addition to the church building. Following several months of discussion...the idea was dropped as being too expensive.
The idea of an addition was revisited thirty years later and with a fundraising effort in 1960 netting $33,000 in gifts and pledges, construction on an addition began. It was completed in 1961 with a documented congregational celebration in October of that year. The total cost of the project was $42,754.51 and included refurbishing the basement dining room and new kitchen with new ceiling and flooring and a modern heating system throughout, including the original sanctuary. A stairway from the addition to the basement under the original building was added.
This history was researched and written by Linda Albrecht, Trustee of Frontenac Historical Society.