Lakeville Baptist Church...

Pastor: Sandra Spaulding

Church Service: 11 am

 The early Scotch settlers were devout Presbyterians and as soon as they had mastered the art of survival in a war torn, Indian raided wilderness, they organized a church. The South Argyle church was organized in 1785 under a tree in the dooryard of the present Thomas Noble farm house which is located in the Christie neighborhood in the town of Greenwich. Rev. Thomas Beveridge was the first minister. A log church was built on the Glebe lot where the present church stands. This was replaced by a frame building in 1807. This church, still strong and thriving, has had a long and honorable career with a succession of able ministers. Nearly a score of United Presbyterian ministers have come from its membership.

Many of the pioneers from New England were Baptists. The Lakeville Baptist church was set off from the Bottskill church at Greenwich in 1834. The church was built in 1836 and reconstructed and enlarged in 1874 when the bell was installed. Rev. A. Kenyon was the first pastor. Norman Wallace and Joseph Tefft were the first deacons. There have been resident pastors during nearly all of the one hundred and twenty-three years of the history of the church. Among those who have had long pastorates are: Rev. A.E. Clark, Rev. J.C. Bender and Rev. Thomas Hunter.

The church bell ringer for many years was Lyman Ingrahm who lived in a very modest home beside the east shore of the lake. He was an itinerant clock mender traveling on foot from farm to farm and from town to town. He took pride in his bell ringing and no matter how far away his work took him, always trudged back home to be at hand to ring the bell Sunday morning.

The churches were more effective in molding the morals and conduct of the people than was the fear of the law. The penal laws were comparatively few and the machinery of enforcement almost negligible. The community during its first one hundred and fifty years was orderly and well behaved and kindly.

However, all was not unadulterated sweetness and light. Tradition tells of misdeeds, drunkenness, feuds and uncharitableness. Tradition also tells of a small community of outlaws who, before 1800, lived in a glen in the hills back of the present William Calhoun place. They were horse thieves and general pilferers and were feared and avoided by respectable people.

 

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