LITTLE BRITAIN,-On the back of the oldest part of St. Luke’s Hospital, Newburgh, there is a stone set beside a doorway which was the main entrance of the seminary, with lettering which reads “Theological Seminary of the Associate Reformed Church. Founded A.D. 1804. Reestablished in Newburgh 1829. This edifice erected 1838.”
On the other side of this doorway is another stone, lettered in Hebrew which means “The bush burneth but is not consumed.” This was the first theological seminary in America. Princeton Seminary was founded in 1812.
It is true that the Associate Presbyterian Church claimed a seminary in 1793, but it never had more than one professor, died with him, and can hardly be considered. We call it Little Britain’s seminary because Little Britain had so large a part and interest in it.
The state church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Irregularities of procedure and behavior had come in, which is always true of a government controlled church. Protest was voiced by the Reformed Presbyterians also called Covenanters, and by the Seceders called the Associate Presbyterians. The two groups were about alike.
The early settlers of America were largely Presbyterians and they brought their own brand of Presbyterianism with them. In this region, there were American Presbyterians who could be compared to the state church of Scotland but without its irregularities. The Bethlehem church was of this type. The Coldenham church was Reformed Presbyterian. The Little Britain church was Associate Presbyterian.
In 1782 the Reformed Presbyterians and the Associate Presbyterians tried to unite into one denomination, named Associate Reformed. Some churches of both groups did not enter this union so now there were three groups instead of two. Little Britain church became Associate Reformed.
Dr. John M. Mason, educated in Columbia of New York, and Edinburgh, a powerful preacher, founded the seminary in New York where it continued 1804-1821. He was made provost of Columbia University, an office created for him. He was one of the founders of the American Bible Society. Another preacher, after hearing Dr. Mason, said, “I can never preach again.” He was called “the prince of pulpit orators” a title given to but few.
In 1822 some Associate Reformed churches, chiefly in New York City and Philadelphia, joined the Presbyterian Church and sent the seminary’s fine library and funds to Princeton Seminary. The remaining Associate Reformed Churches began right away to try to revive their seminary and applied for the return of their library. For some years Princeton said, “No.”
In 1824 and 1825 the associate Reformed Synod applied to the New York State Legislature to be incorporated. This was refused. But the depleted church grew even in the very places where it had lost ground.
In 1829 the seminary was opened in Newburgh, using Dr. Mason’s old course of study. The Rev. Joseph McCarrell, pastor of the Newburgh Associate Reformed Church was the first and head professor.
There is a letter from him to the pastor of the Little Britain church asking this church to try for the return of the library and money from Princeton, for the Little Britain Church was incorporated. The matter had to be taken to court in New Jersey, and the decision was in favor of the Newburgh Seminary. Princeton at once returned the 2500 volumes and $2000.
In 1835 the Seminary was incorporated, 13 acres of land bought ‘immediately back of the improved part of Newburgh’ then a village of 8000, and “the erection of a large stone edifice upon a high and commanding position was commenced in 1837.”
The building was 104 by 40 feet and had 30 rooms. Among the first trustees were Robert Denniston of Salisbury, James D. Bull of Hamptonburgh, and James Waugh and William Wear of Little Britain. A subscription list of 1841 of Little Britain people giving for the support of the seminary is long and the amounts generous. R. Howard Wallace of Little Britain was a graduate in 1853.
The Associate Reformed people faced more trouble. The seminary property was worth $35,000 and when Johnston Street was extended from First Street through their land, they received a food amount of money. But the seminary was suspended in 1858 for lack of funds for professors’ salaried.
That same year the Associate Presbyterian Churches that had not gone into the 1782 merger and many of the Associate Reformed Churches combined to form the United Presbyterian Church.
Little Britain and a fair number of other churches did not go into this new denomination. They felt the seminary property was theirs, but the United Presbyterians took over, and the courts let them keep it. This, Little Britain felt, was unjust and dishonest, and said so in no uncertain terms.
The United Presbyterians conducted the seminary from 1867 to 1877. After some years the library was once more sent away, this time to Allegheny Seminary. This was the library’s fourth location.
Henry W. Siglar started a preparatory school in Newburgh in 1864. After the close of the seminary, the building was sold to him for his school, and later sold for St. Luke’s Hospital. The picture shows Siglar pupils in the yard, but also shows the building as it was when a seminary.
This is an oversimplified account of the Associate Reformed Church and its seminary. For more information see Corning, A.E. Columns which appeared in the Newburgh News, Scouller, James B. History of the Associate Reformed Synod of New York, and Wallace, A.V.S., Rev. Robert H. Wallace, D.D. and the Little Britain Country.
Created by Elizabeth Finley Frasier
Created April 27, 2009
