A Moment in our History

A Moment in Our History #1 ­ January 18, 2009
By Drew A. Nicholson, Village and Church Historian
 

        Yes, the Church address is 2 Dutcher Avenue, but what other connection is there?  If one surveys the walls of the sanctuary, you will get a clue that our Church ancestors thought very highly of the man.  A bronze plaque bearing the names of John B. and Christina Dutcher can be found affixed to the south wall near the front.  But why?
        At the time of the third Church's construction in 1864 the land on which it was being built was part of the Dutcher Farm.  The Dutchers deeded the land to the trustees of the Pawling Methodist Episcopal Church (the original name for our Church) on September 23, 1864 for the nominal sum of $50.  Later Mr. Dutcher became the president of the board of trustees.  After the tall steeple spire that had originally graced the church was struck by lighting a few years later, the steeple was reduced to its present height; John B. Dutcher made a gift of the bell that was hung there.  When the Church was renovated in 1883 to eliminate the "opera house" look [more to come on this at a later time], Mr. Dutcher donated the stained glass windows which we all enjoy today.  And in 1895 he gave a "richly colored brown carpet" that was installed in the main auditorium and which remained in place until a new floor was installed in 1928. 
        To borrow Paul Harvey's famous phrase, "Now we know the rest of the story!"

[Clue for next week:  Look at the plaque to the left of the Dutchers.  He will be the source of next week's "Moment."]

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