Paul’s Episcopal Church
St. Paul's Angelica·Monday, December 24, 2018·
The village of Angelica lies in the center of the town of Angelica and in the center of Allegany County. There is a stone in the middle of the town park which marks the exact center of the town and the county. Around the park in a circle are located five churches, the Presbyterian (which closed many years ago and is now being r
enovated as a community hall), the United Methodist Church, The Roman Catholic Church (which closed on July 1, 2007), the Baptist Church, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Before 1806, there was little in the way of settlement in Allegany County. At that time, the road from Angelica to Olean was only underbrush. There were no settlers between the Genesee River and Olean, only encampments of Indians. In 1810, a missionary visited Angelica, and in 1821, the Right Reverend John Henry Hobart, D.D., held Divine Service in the courthouse, which is also located on the Park Circle and where town and village court are still held. In 1827, at the solicitation of the Honorable Philip Church and several other zealous Episcopalians, the church was established and organized under the title St. Paul’s Church, and Baptisms and Holy Communion were administered. Regular services were commenced in April of that year, and later that same year, St. Paul’s was admitted into union with the Convention of the Diocese of New York. Services were still held in the Court House. A report to Convention of 1828 states: Baptisms: Adults 4, Infants 9; Confirmed 30; Marriages 1; Funeral 1. Two flourishing Sunday Schools have been formed in the vicinity of Angelica under the superintendence of two zealous ladies of our congregation. Collection for Missionary fund $5.00. In 1831 the cornerstone of St. Paul’s was laid. In August of 1833, the church, then in the process of er****on, was struck by lightning. It was rebuilt and consecrated in August of the following year.
1846 saw the purchase of the bell from Meneely’s in Troy for $250.00. Though the bell cracked, it was mended and is rung for services on Sundays and other occasions. In 1847, the Church was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1848. From then until 1881, St. Paul’s was served by several Rectors. At that time, the Rev. A.J. Warner became Rector of the Parish and received a salary of $500 and the use of a house. He gave the altar as a gift to the church. In 1884, extensive repairs were made, the roof was rebuilt, a suitable chancel and choir made and the ceiling changed. Look up to the roof and it will be noticed that it is built to resemble a boat or “ark” upside down. In 1887, the two manual pipe organ was purchased. This organ, which is made of thousands of tiny wooden parts held together by wire, is one of a limited number of Tracker Organs in the world. Originally pumped by hand (the mechanism is still intact), the organ was electrified in 1924. It has been restored many times and is in desperate need of doing so again. The cost of doing so is prohibitive, being around $50,000. It is still being played for services, though the congregation has suffered from hearing occasional squeals, stuck notes or no notes at all. (Update - 2019: The organ is currently undergoing restoration, and is being returned to full functionality. A final stage of repair is planned for Q1 of 2020, to prepare for a continuation of St. Paul’s Summer Music Concert Series.) At the time the organ was placed, the chancel was enlarged and beautifully furnished. A solid silver service of communion was given by Mrs. McKim of New York City. Brass alms basins were given and a font was placed in the “proper position” in the baptistry at the northwest end of the church. The nave and vestry room were carpeted by the ladies society; a door was made in the south side of the church and the church was shingled with ornamental wood. In 1890, the church was flourishing. There was an Altar Guild, a Ladies Society, which collected dues of twenty-five cents per year, and two Sunday Schools. Two stained glass windows, both by Tiffany, were placed at the south end of the church. Others were put in during the years as memorials. The one of St. Luke in the choir by the organ is signed by Tiffany in the lower corner. If one touches the glass, it will be found not to be smooth. This is a method used by Tiffany to make the glass “flow,” so that it gives life to the robes St. Luke wears. It is thought that the window opposite is also a Tiffany, but it has never been documented as such. At a meeting of the Vestry in 1887, it was recommended “that the names now on the seats be moved to a more secluded place and in case the seat holders have no objection, that the names be removed entirely and a number substituted, so as to give strangers a preference to any seat.”
In 1921, the Allegany County Associate Mission began to minister to St. Paul’s. In 1927, the church celebrated its centennial. The records show the church was filled beyond capacity. So many gathered from all over to hear the Rt. Rev. Charles Henry Brent, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese speak that people stood outside. Bishop Brent, from Canada, was a Christian statesman well known throughout the world. From 1930 to 1952, there were no drastic changes or outstanding events until the night of December 16, 1940 when fire broke out in the organ due to defective wiring. The fire was quickly extinguished and the nave only suffered smoke damage. However, the stained glass windows over the altar were damaged. Fortunately, since they extended behind the reredos, enough glass was able to be used to repair them. The entire church was redecorated and the vestry room, which had been completely destroyed, was rebuilt as a chapel with two sacristies – one for the priest and one for the Altar Guild. The oak walls in the nave, which had grown very dark over the years, were covered with wall board making the church much warmer and lighter. Liturgical colors were used in the church and chapel and a new furnace was installed. The organ was completely rebuilt. Major repairs were made to the organ 24 years later in 1964, and due to the constant extreme temperature and humidity changes, it had to be rebuilt once again in 1972. During this time period, the building of St. Paul’s Parish house was begun. Margaret’s chapel was being used for Sunday school and was no longer big enough. A fund was started, and on April 21, 1963, a formal ground breaking was held. The plans included a kitchen from which the Ladies of the Church could work and put on dinners to raise funds not only to keep up the church, but to use in outreach programs. That work continues today. With all of the men and the priest, the Rev. Roger Derby, working together, the re-building was completed on January 14, 1964. Today St. Paul’s is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, which also includes churches in Wellsville and Cuba.
