Old Churches of Orange County, New York

Orange County has the distinction of possessing many old churches which were established in early Colonial times, nearly all of which are in existence today and in a flourishing condition. The oldest church organi­zation in the county was established at Goshen in 1721, but services were held there in a crude building some years previous to the formation of a permanent religious organization. The second oldest church organization was established near Montgomery, viz., Goodwill Pres­byterian Church.

The early pioneers of Orange County were men and women strongly imbued with religious convictions and staunch and firm in their faith, and as the years have rolled by their descendants have kept alive these old church organizations from which have scattered thousands of God fearing people to all parts of this great Republic. Wander where you will, through the forty-eight States of this Union, one will meet hundreds of men and women whose memory is rich with recollections of early life in connection with associations and hap­penings in those old churches.

 

3 thoughts on “Old Churches of Orange County, New York”

  1. I was recently told about an old church located outside of Circleville, NY at the corner of Goshen Turnpike and Sands Road called Mount Johnson Church I don’t know the denomination of this church, but it was torn down over 50 years ago. Is there anywhere I could find out more about this church?

    Thank you for your kind consideration,

    Daniel Wanser

    1. Are you related to Call and Ann wnser? At any rate, about the church, my ex and I turned the Mount Johnson one-room school into a home in 1963-65 and there was no church at that time. I never heard of one either. The school was less than 1/2 mile from Sands Rd/Gsn Turnpike.

  2. Hello Lynn: Ann Wanser was my mother and I grew up on Brown Rd. I now live on Arnott Lane, right across from the school house. The Mount Johnson Methodist Episcopal Church was built around 1850. It was sold in public auction and removed from its site around 1870 because of the construction of todays Bullville United Methodist Church, originally known as the Methodist Episcopal Church of Crawford. I have researched the history of the Mount Johnson Church through church records and senior parishioners at Bullville. No one has been able to provide exact location.

    Thank you,
    Dan Wanser

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