Blue Mountain Reformed Church
The historic Blue Mountain Reformed Church is located on Blue Mountain Church Road in Saugerties, New York. The first movement to found a church at Blue Mountain occurred in 1832, however, this came to nothing. Nineteen years later, in 1851, the Blue Mountain Reformed Church was officially organized.
The founding date of the Blue Mountain Reformed Church is recorded as March 20, 1851. On that date a group of residents from the Blue Mountain area met at the local schoolhouse, Saugerties School District #2, in order to establish a community church.
In May 1851, 52 organizational members of the church presented a petition to the Classis of Ulster to establish the Blue Mountain Church. The Classis investigated the petition, meeting with the new organization in the woods where the new church was to be constructed and holding the first service, officiated by the Reverend V. M. Hulbert. On August 20, 1851, the Blue Mountain Reformed Church was formally recognized.
Reverend Alexander C. Hillman (1811-1876) served as the first pastor of the Blue Mountain Reformed Church. He graduated from Columbia College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1832 and was licensed by the Classis of New York in 1836. Reverend Hillman served at a variety of locations throughout his career including Stonehouse Plains, New Jersey, 1837-1841; Vanderveer, Illinois, 1841-1842; Roxbury and Moresville, New York, 1843-1845; and Wurtsboro, New York; 1846-1849. Reverend Hillman was called to be the pastor at Blue Mountain in November 1851, and served the Blue Mountain congregation for six years from 1852 to 1858.
Reverend Hillman married Anna Cochran Magennis (1820-1888), daughter of George Magennis (1775-1853) and Catherine (Reynolds) Magennis. George was an Irish immigrant, from County Down, who came to the United States with his parents in 1790 at the age of 15. James Wilson Hillman, the son of Alexander and Anna, was born at the hamlet of Blue Mountain and became a prominent chaplain in the United States Army, reaching the rank of major while serving in the Philippines, Mexico, California and Alaska.
Reverend Alexander Hillman passed away in Brooklyn on November 20, 1875 “after protracted sufferings.” Funeral services were held on November 22, 1875 at his residence at 214 Division Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Anna Hillman, his wife, passed away in Brooklyn on April 28, 1888 after a brief illness.
The first elders of the Blue Mountain Reformed Church included George Young, Simeon P. Myer, Jeremiah Snyder and Peter Becker. The first deacons of the church included John H. Freligh, Nelson Myer, Abram Wolven and Cornelius Minkler.
Jeremiah Snyder, chairman of the organizational group, donated the land for the church building. The cornerstone for the church building was laid by Reverend Henry Ostrander of Kaatsbaan and the dedication sermon was preached by Reverend C. Van Santvoord of Saugerties. The church building was constructed at a cost of $2,500 and was dedicated in 1852.
Three years later, in 1855, a new parsonage was completed for the minister, and included a barn where the minister kept his cow. In 1855, under the leadership of Reverend Hillman, the Blue Mountain Reformed Church had a membership of 100 families and approximately 400 people in the total congregation. Nine adults were baptized in the prior year.
By 1856, the church had paid all debts associated with constructing the church building and parsonage. In 1875, “the church enjoyed a very extensive and powerful revival, when more than 140 members were added to the church, thus greatly increasing its strength.”
In 1880 the church had around 253 members and offered two Sunday schools, one in the church at Blue Mountain, led by David W. Hommel, and the other at West Saugerties, led by James W. Cole. Officers of the church in 1880 included elders John H. Freligh, William S. Myer, Jacob Carn and Washington Myer; and deacons William Schoonmaker, Jacob Spellman, Peter T. Minkler and James W. Cole.
The church building was remodeled around the year 1884, with the lecture room likely being added at that time. In 1886, the last Dutch sermon on the town of Saugerties was preached at the Blue Mountain Reformed Church by Reverend Abram G. Lansing. The sermon “was thoroughly enjoyed by his many parishioners who were able to understand it, as well as by many from surrounding congregations.” In 1945 the Blue Mountain Reformed Church joined with the Reformed Church of Katsbaan.
In 1951 the Blue Mountain Reformed Church marked the 100th anniversary of its founding with a series of special services and community events. “The church at Blue Mountain has been marked by real interest and activity throughout its hundred years of organized existence. While there have been periods in which no full-time pastor was available, there has always been a loyal and faithful group to carry on the established tradition of fellowship and service in the community.” (Catskill Mountain Star. August 17, 1951.)
During the first 100 years of its existence, from 1851 to 1951, the Blue Mountain Reformed Church was served by 13 pastors and 12 supply pastors. The history of pastors at the Blue Mountain Reformed Church for the first 130 years of its existence from its founding in 1851 to 1980 includes:
- Alexander Hillman, 1851-1858
- Cornelius J. Blauvelt, 1859-1862
- William D. Buckelew, 1863-1870
- A. P. Freese, 1872-1874
- George W. Labaw, 1874-1882
- John F. Hooper, 1883-1884
- Abram G. Lansing, 1885-1887
- Peter Q. Wilson, 1888-1891
- John Van der Meulen, 1898-1901
- Garret D. De Graff, 1901-1905
- Mugerdich N. Kalemjian, 1905-1910
- Nicholas Hess, 1913-1915
- F. W. Moot, 1922-1930
- W. E. Mack, 1931-1934
- Eugene C. Duryee, 1934-1943
- Chris J. Westhoff, 1945-1949
- August Pfaus, 1953-1968
- Raymond E. Hendershot, 1970-1972
- Thomas C. Wray, 1973-1980
