Delaware County NY Genealogy and History Site

RESERVOIR SPELLS END FOR CHURCH by Arthur M. Hoag

Cannonsville - A landmark here soon will be razed and the site inundated as waters of a reservoir and dam cover Cannonsville to supply water to New York City. The Cannonsville Baptist church was organized as a branch of the Deposit Baptist Church in 1830 with fifteen members.

Meetings were held in various schoolhouses throughout the area until 1852 when the society purchased the schoolhouse in Cannonsville and fitted it for gatherings.

Services were conducted in these places until Elder Jacob Gray became pastor in May, 1867, where the matter of building a church home was earnestly considered.

Canfield Boyd, who lived on Johnny Brook at that time, had spent many months cutting down trees and preparing lumber for a new home which was greatly needed by his family.

However, he decided that a church building was more necessary for the community than a new house, and he contributed all this lumber for that purpose.

A little more than one year later - on the 17th of June 1868 - a new church building 40 by 60 feet, of Colonial design, was dedicated. The value at completion was estimated at $5,000.00.

No record was kept of the names of the architect or builders. Soon after, a parsonage was built next to the meeting house, and in 1952 an annex was built for a church parlor on land formerly owned by Benjamin Cannon.

The church organization was under the jurisdiction of the First Baptist Church of Deposit until Sept. 28, 1831, when it was recognized as an independent church - the First Baptist Church of Cannonsville. This church has given service for more than 125 years.

(The writer was a member of the church for more than 65 years.)

Now, in 1962, with the rest of the village of Cannonsville, it is to be razed to clear the way for the coming reservoir, which is being built by the New York City Board of Water Supply.

I recently discovered this article tucked inside a Delaware County New York book I purchased off eBay. This article discusses a church in Cannonsville.