In a recent letter to parishioners of Christ’s Church, Rector Susan Harriss, wrote: “Last year we witnessed a sad and terrible day in Rye when the Methodist Church, historic and much-beloved over the years, closed its doors. The congregation, having dwindled in numbers and no longer able to support a full-time pastor, voted to disband as of December 31, 2011 — and that is what they have done.”
By Paul Hicks
In a recent letter to parishioners of Christ’s Church, Rector Susan Harriss, wrote: “Last year we witnessed a sad and terrible day in Rye when the Methodist Church, historic and much-beloved over the years, closed its doors. The congregation, having dwindled in numbers and no longer able to support a full-time pastor, voted to disband as of December 31, 2011 — and that is what they have done.”
The Methodist Church has been an important part of Rye’s history since 1771 when Francis Asbury, a young English follower of John Wesley, preached sermons at Rye on several occasions. After the Revolutionary War, Asbury became one of the two original bishops of the newly formed Methodist Episcopal Church.
At the turn of the 19th century, Methodism began to expand in Rye, and the congregation outgrew the home of Ezekiel Halsted, a member of an old Rye family, where they had been meeting. They took over the then unused Rye Presbyterian Church, which had been rebuilt at its present site in 1793 after the earlier meetinghouse was burned during the Revolutionary War.
They used this sanctuary for so many years that it became known as the Methodist Meeting House, even though it remained a Presbyterian Church building. At last, the Presbyterians reclaimed it, and the Methodists built a small frame church on a half-acre of land between Milton and Boston Post roads. The building, which they dedicated in 1833, was designed in the Greek Revival-style with a portico supported by four Corinthian columns.
In 1852, the Methodists were the first denomination in the community to open a chapel in the Milton area, where residents still considered themselves separate from those living in the Village of Rye. The pastor preached at the Milton chapel on Sunday mornings and in the afternoons at the Rye church. Conflicts between the two congregations ultimately led to closing the chapel in 1865.
Despite their internal conflicts, the Rye Methodists appear to have gained financial strength by mid-century. According to Baird’s “History of Rye,” the trustees bought a house and four acres of land on Boston Post Road for a parsonage in 1853. Also, 15 acres were purchased for a cemetery (both properties were subsequently sold, with the cemetery becoming part of Greenwood Union Cemetery in 1902).
A high point for the Methodists was reached shortly after the end of the Civil War. In 1868, they bought two and a half acres of land adjoining their church, which included a house that became the parsonage. The house had great historic value as it stood on the site of the Old Rye Fort, a structure that had been converted in 1675 from the stone residence of Peter Disbrow, one of Rye’s pioneer settlers.
A frame addition had been built in 1728 on the north side of the old stone structure, and for the next 140 years the building was operated as an inn, first named At the Sign of the Sun and later called Van Sicklen’s. It is said that there are stones in the foundation of the current parsonage that were part of the Disbrow home and the fort.
Increased membership caused the Methodists to remodel their church in 1872, including “an addition to the Sunday school room, an ornamental front to the church, a belltower, an organ” as well as “repainting and refrescoeing of the church.” Barbara Abrams, author of “Estates of Grace” (published by the Rye Historical Society) notes that, “the changes were so striking that many sources refer to the remodeled church as a completely new building.”
The remodeled church served the needs of the congregation until 1910 when it was replaced by the present gray granite building, which was built in the Romanesque style with round-arch windows and doorways and a rectangular tower. It was the first church in Rye to have electric lighting.
As some of the pledges on the new building were not fulfilled, it was not until 1920 that the indebtedness was paid off and the mortgage was burned. Two years later, the church’s financial condition was strong enough that the trustees decided to enlarge the basement for use as a gymnasium. It was open to all of Rye’s young men and boys to play the popular new game of basketball and was well utilized until both Rye High School and the YMCA built gymnasiums in the early 1930s.
During the Depression, the Methodist Church incurred substantial indebtedness, resulting in heavy interest costs that lasted throughout World War II. By 1943, average attendance had dropped to fewer than 44, and many Sundays it was fewer than 30. Thanks to a new pastor, Lane Miller, and lay leadership, they were able to achieve increases in attendance, membership, and finances by 1946. That year, they celebrated by liquidating the debt on the 175th anniversary of Methodism in Rye, dating from Francis Asbury’s visits in 1771.
In 1950, another historic aspect of the Methodist Church property was uncovered (literally) when a heavy rolling machine being used to resurface the driveway broke through the surface. It uncovered a flagstone covered well at the northeast corner of the church, which is believed to date back to the days of theOold Fort. It was preserved by covering it with a grating and a plaque marks the location.
Roughly 50 years after it survived its earlier crisis, the Methodist Church suffered a renewed decline in attendance, membership, and finances. In 1992, the building and sewer system were found to be in need of costly repairs. Again, the church managed to turn around, and as the then-pastor, Kim Bosley, said: “There is new hope for this strong congregation.”
In 2011, however, the Rye Methodist Church lacked leadership from the clergy and a strong congregation needed to keep it from closing. However, its problems were not just parochial, but were tied to a much wider trend of declining membership throughout the country in Methodist and other mainline American protestant churches.
The United Methodist Church, with nearly eight million members, is the third largest Christian denomination in America, after the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention. According to a Methodist spokeswoman, nearly 1,500 Methodist churches have closed since 2004 and over 600 churches have merged with larger churches.
Six months after the United Methodist Church in Rye closed, the Summerfield United Methodist Church in Port Chester closed its doors. Built originally in 1830 at the corner of King Street and Willett Avenue, it is a familiar castle-like landmark for anyone driving the local roads to Greenwich. At the moment, the Methodist Church officials have released no information about the future disposition of either the Rye or Port Chester church properties.
The closing of the Methodist Church represents a great loss to Rye. Not only has it played an important role in the religious life of the community for nearly 250 years, but it has also been the custodian of the Old Fort, one of the most historic sites in Westchester County. Whatever plans are developed for the property, especially the parsonage, they should be carefully reviewed to assure appropriate historic preservation.
Photos from “Estates of Grace” published by the Rye Historical Society.
