Friday, April 20, 2012

The Owasco Dutch Reformed Church, in Owasco, Cayuga, New York.  Benjamin Depuy Jr. would most likely been involved in helping to build this church and later attended it for a time. Cornelius VanAuken paid $2.00 for his seat.  This building was begun in 1810.

The seats were sold to obtain the money for the building.  The seats were only for those who purchased them, and perhaps their family. They could be sold to another if need be, but if they remained unoccupied for more than two years, they would again become the possession of the congregation and they could in turn resale them or use as they saw fit.

The settlement of Owasco can be traced to six families from Ulster and Orange Counties, NY (1794):  Adam Fries, Samuel Depuy, Benjamin Depuy, Daniel Miller, Moses Courtright, Elijah Price (who became a judge of Cayuga County).

In 1795 10 more families arrived from Gettysburg, Pa.  Jacob Brinkerhoff, Roetiff Brinkerhoff, Thomas Johnson, Abraham Bodine, Charles Vantine, Luke Brinkerhoff, James Dales, Isaac Percell, Jacob Loyster and Andrew Johnson.

The first church, Dutch Reformed,  in the county was organized in 1796,  at the home of Col. John L. Hardenburgh.  In 1797, a site was selected on land owned by Jacob Brinkerhoff (in possession of Harmon Robinson in 1896).

The first pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church was Rev. Abraham Brokaw.





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