Historical Wyoming County April 1959 - Old Fulton History

Page 68
BENNINGTON CHURCHES (cont.)
April 1959
The last Universalist pastor was Rev. John Sayles of East
Aurora. He came for a Sunday afternoon service, when a local resident
would drive to East Aurora to get him and make another trip to
take him home again. That was in the horse and buggy days about
sixty years ago. In 19ij4, building was sold to the local IOOF
Lodge. The lodge has remodeled it since that time and is still
using the old church as a meeting hall.
The Baptist Church of Cowlesville village, which was erected in
1872 at a cost of $2,000 had undergone many changes over the years,
both inside and outside. As all the other churches previously mentioned,
it has modern pews and stained glass windows. In 1911 the
building which was originally on a low wall, was raised to provide a
basement. This, however, did not prove practical for Sunday School
and social gatherings. In 192an addition was built from the
building obtained from Bennington Center. The original steeple on
the church was a two-story structure with a spire surmounted by a
shining star. On the upper story was painted a dial or clock face
with hands pointing to 10:30, the hour when service began in the
early days. Coincidentally, it was Samuel Willard, a descendant of
the New England Willard clockmakers of the early l80(J's, who first
painted the dial on the church steeple. In later years, painters
decided it was too complicated a job to continue the dial and painted
it all white. In 1937 the upper story became unsafe and was removed.
The lower story was remodeled with the spire and the star
being replaced above it.
The bell installed when the church was built became cracked in
1920, and as the Universalist church had been sold to the Odd Fellows,
the bell in that building was obtained for the Baptist Church.
Old residents recall that the bell was given to the Universalists by
Col. John B. Folsom (grandfather of Mrs. Grover Cleveland) and that
It was cast in England.
The Free Will Baptist Society was organized as early as 1867
but as mentioned before, held services in the Universalist Church
until its own structure was built. It was in 1872 when Rev. G. H.
Ball, Buffalo, dedicated the new Baptist Church.
The present church membership numbers nearly 100 although many
have moved away and have not yet withdrawn their membership. The
Sunday School has 85 members. Rev. Robert A. Noble has been on the
field thirty-one years. The church has received much publicity over
the broadcasting of music the past few years. About two years ago,
the church basement which had previously been too damp for use, was
modernized so that up-to-date classrooms are now available.
Folsomdale Churches
The German Baptist Church erected in 1869 at Folsomdale Is
still active. It was redecorated in 1952. Gas heating equipment,
quite a contrast to the old-fashioned box woodstoves used when the
church was built more than 80 years ago, has been installed.
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