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Online Tour
Tour the 230-year-old church by clicking through the photos.
Old School Baptist Meetinghouse
The main building was constructed in 1792, and while everything from the clothes we wear to the vehicles we use to come to the church has changed very little. Over time, families have shifted their patronage to newer churches, and this building remains an illustration of life when our nation was very new.
Welcome
A detail of the original front door. Some of our youngest visitors today are the 11th generation of the families that built this church.
Raised Hexagonal Pulpit
Raised hexagonal pulpits, sometimes called wine-glass or goblet pulpits, were common in Europe, particularly in England, for many centuries before its 1804 construction here. While the Protestant revolution rejected many elements of church construction, the pulpit, bearing incredible significance as the place where the Word of God, the Bible, is proclaimed, was moved to the central focus of the church's interior. In many meeting house designs of this period, the pulpit was also the most ornamental piece of the building. Notice how the preacher can be heard – and seen- from every seat.
Deacon Pews
One of the reasons for the increased interest in the newer Baptist denomination in the mid-and late- 1700s was the abundant use of extemporary prayers and preaching, which was reportedly much more passionate than the pre-prepared sermons standard in comparative churches during this period. At its peak in the late 1800s, services in this church were reported to go for several hours on Sunday morning; there would be a break for lunch and continued in the afternoon. Deacons and Elders of the church, always literate men, would take turns leading the service. Seminary, or higher education, was not a part of the church's teachings.
Box Pews
The boxed pews, with doors enclosing each pew, are among the few traditional influences on this meeting house's interior. Boxed pews were common in Anglican churches prior to their use in the United States, where the pew selected was also a sign of status in the community. The pews are numbered, and a monthly fee was given by a family to reserve a pew. Similar to the pulpit, it is very rare to see box pews not altered by the following generations.
Steeple Tower
Standard definitions of steeples and spires indicate their purpose was to point to Heaven, serving as a Godly reminder to anyone riding into town. At the time of this steeple's construction, a faction of the church members thought that the tower pointed more toward the abilities of mankind rather than God and opposed its construction.
Steeple Tower
What do you think—does the steeple point to the glory of God or of humans?
Gallery Level (Mezzanine)
This church has witnessed many changes to the community in which it is located. In 1824, the hamlet's name was changed from Brookfield to Slate Hill. In 1849, the Town of Wawayanda was formed after a split from the neighboring Town of Minisink over a political dispute. The industrial hub started as a series of mills along Joe Creek (grist, timber, and plaster); with the railroad came the ability to ship milk cans "long" distances – think how far New York City was considered without refrigeration! Now, the chemical company Balchem operates on the site of the dairy.
Gallery Pews
This building has been left by the early church members as a legacy of the community in which it was built. What are your strengths, talents, and passions? Will you continue to tell the story of your community to the generations that follow?
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