For many years the congregation living north side the Plains (especially on the Necks) felt it a great inconvenience to ride over to the Hempstead church. To relieve them in some measure, occasional services were held in the Dutch church at Success. In 1799, June 26, Rev. J. H. Hobart preached at Major Kissam's, Flower Hill. On June 23d, 1802, the vestry of St. George's Church consented that a church should be built at Cow Neck, and on December 2d, George Onderdonk, farmer, and Sarah, his wife, for $195.47 sold two acres and ninety-seven square rods, at the Head of Cow Neck, to john M. Smith, Benjamin Tredwell, William Mitchell and Thomas C. Thorne, farmers, in trust for an Episcopal church and cemetery.
| Akerly, Jacamiah | $5 | Akerly, Priscilla | $5 | |
| Allen, Henry | 40 | Kissam, Dan. Whiteh'd | 18 | |
| Allen, John 2d | 5 | Kissam, John | 120 | |
| Allen, Richard | 30 | Kissam, Joseph | 25 | |
| Allen, David | 105 | Kissam, Joseph, Jr. | 5 | |
| Allen, James | 30 | Lawrence, Stephen | 2 | |
| Allen, Gideon | 1 | Marston, Lawrence | 1 | |
| Allen, William, Jr., | 2 | Mitchell, Allen | 20 | |
| Allen, Philip, Jr., | 6 | Mitchell, John | 100 | |
| Allen, Jacamiah | 5 | Mitchell, Robert | 5 | |
| Allen, Charles P. | 50 | Mitchell, Samuel T. | 10 | |
| Allen, Dobson | 2 | Mitchell, Singleton | 5 | |
| Allen, Maqria, daughter | Mitchell, Sing. & Jos. | 35 | ||
| of Philip | 50 | Mitchell, Uriah | 10 | |
| Allen, Mary, d'ter of S. | 10 | Mitchell, Whitehead | 3 | |
| Allen, Daniel | 10 | Mitchell, William | 100 | |
| Allen, Eliz, wid. John | 5 | Morrell, Ann | 5 | |
| Allen, Richard K. | 5 | Morrell, John | 85 | |
| Allen, Benjamin & Co. | 20 | Mott, Jacob | 10 | |
| Appleby, Epenetus | 25 | Onderdonk, Hendrick | ||
| Barton, John | 2 | & Sons | 150 | |
| Baxter, Israel | 5 | Onderdonk, Peter | 5 | |
| Beadle, Uriah | 10 | Peters, John | 3 | |
| Blades, John | 1 | Platt, Benjamin | 100 | |
| Blossom, Elisha | 20 | Poole, James | 5 | |
| Burtis, John | 10 | Reeve, Isaac T. | 5 | |
| Cash, | 1 | Reeve, Jonathan | 1 | |
| Cheesman, Benjamin | 2 | Remsen, Daniel | 2 | |
| Cheesman, Richard | 2 | Salts, Maurice | 4 | |
| Cheesman, Timothy | 3 | Salts, William | 1 | |
| Coles, Abram | 1 | Sands, John | 50 | |
| Cornwall, Charles | 20 | Sands, John, Jr. | 50 | |
| Corwall, James | 50 | Sands, Ray & Griffin | 10 | |
| Corwall, Richard K. | 20 | Schenck, Rulef | 10 | |
| Cornwell, Daniel | 10 | Sealey, William | 1 | |
| Cornell, Hannah | 1 | Sealey, Daniel | 2 | |
| Cornell, Hannah, wid. | 1 | Searing, Mary | 5 | |
| Cornell, Hannah, wid. | Sell, James | 55 | ||
| of Japhet | 1 | Smith, Hannah | 1 | |
| Cornell, Henry | 2 | Smith, James | 20 | |
| Cornell, Hewlett | 50 | Smith, John M. | 85 | |
| Cornell, Joseph | 4 | Smith, Jos. & Silvanus | 25 | |
| Cornell, Joshua | 3 | Smith, Richard | 35 | |
| Cornell, Morris | 2 | Smith, Richard R. | 5 | |
| Cox, William | 1 | Smith, Thomas | 10 | |
| Crommelin, Charles | 2 | Smith, Timothy | 20 | |
| Crommelin, Charles, Jr. | 5 | Smith, Timothy | 8 | |
| Davenport, Newbury | 20 | Smith, William | 60 | |
| Davenprot, Samuel H. | 5 | Tatterson, richard | 10 | |
| Denton, Jonas | 7 | Thorne, Henry W. | 10 | |
| Denton, Lawrence | 7 | Thorne, John | 80 | |
| Denton, Samuel | 6 | Thorne, John Jr. | 20 | |
| Dodge, Thomas | 2 | Thorne, Richard | 100 | |
| Dodge, Tristram | 2 | Thorne, Richard, Jr. | 30 | |
| Dodge, William | 3 | Thorne, Thomas C. | 55 | |
| Dodge, William | 6 | Thorne, William | 65 | |
| Ellison, John | 5 | Thorpe, John B. | 3 | |
| Ferguson, David | 1.50 | Toffey, Daniel | 20 | |
| Hagner, Henry | 20 | Toffey, Rebecca | 2 | |
| Hagner, Henry, Jr. | 15 | Townsend, Hewlett | 20 | |
| Hains, Daniel | 1 | Townsend, Joseph | 2 | |
| Haviland, William | 5 | Townsend, Jotham | 2 | |
| Hawxhurst, Townsend | 4 | Townsend, Rich (Hills) | 18 | |
| Hewlett, Benj. & Sons | 50 | Townsend, Ruth and | ||
| Hewlett, Benjamin | 85 | Freelove, | 10 | |
| Hewlett, George | 150 | Tredwell, Dr. Benjamin | 30 | |
| Hewlett, Hannah | 10 | Tredwell, Benjamin | 100 | |
| Hewlett, James | 60 | Tredwell, John | 70 | |
| Hewlett, James, Jr. | 20 | Tredwell, Thomas | 80 | |
| Hewlett, Joseph L | 75 | Utton, Charles P. | 30 | |
| Hewlett, Lewis S. | 45 | Valentine, Caleb | 2 | |
| Hewlett, Samuel | 45 | Valentine, Jacob | 5 | |
| Hewlett, Sarah | 10 | Valentine, Philip | 10 | |
| Hewlett, Susan P. | 50 | Valentine, Richard | 10 | |
| Hewlett, Whitehead | 11 | Van Wyck, Barnt | 10 | |
| Hewlett, William | 10 | Van Wyck, Cornelius | 5 | |
| Hicks, Samuel | 5 | Williams, John H. | 5 | |
| Hicks, Sarah, w. Morris | 2 | Williams, William | 4 | |
| Hicks, William | 1 | Williams, Wilson | 2 | |
| Hoogland, Daniel | 1 | Wills, Townsend | 15 | |
| Hutchings, John | 4 | Woolley, Benjamin, Jr. | 1 | |
| Hutchings, Stephen | 1 | Woolley, Benjamin | 24 | |
| Hutchings, William | 4 | Woolley, Henry | 20 | |
| *Hutchings, Sam'l | Woolley, John | 17 | ||
| *Mott, Benj. B. | Woolley, Samuel | 20 | ||
| *Ross, Charles | Woolley, Thomas | 15 | ||
| *Weeks, Nicholas | ----- | |||
| *by B. Allen | 10 | $3,725.50 | ||
| Keeler, Ebenezer | 20 | Trinity Church | 2,000.00 | |
| Kissam, Benjamin T. | 35 | ----- | ||
| Kissam, Daniel (Fi.) | 35 | Total, | $5,725.50 | |
| Kissam, Daniel | 23 |
pg. 33
| Hagner, Mary | $2 | Sands, Anna | 3 | |
| Hegeman, Catharine & | | Sands, Kezia | 3 | | |
| Hegeman, Rebecca | 3 | Sands, Sarah | 3 | |
| Hewlett, Phebe | 12 | Smith, Jane | 5 | |
| Kissam, Elizabeth | 10 | Smith, Rebecca | 5 | |
| Kissam, Phebe & | Sell, Catharine | 3 | ||
| Kissam, Rebecca | 20 | Townsend, Sarah | 2 | |
| Kissam, Sarah B. | 1 | Tredwell, Hannah | 3 | |
| Mitchell, Jane H. | 5 | Tredwell, Peggy | 3 | |
| Mitchell, Rebecca J. | 1 | Tredwell, Marian | 3 | |
| Onderdonk, Maria | 10 | Woolley, Susanna | 3 | |
| Platt, Eliza and Sarah | 6 | |||
| Reeves, Caroline A. | 5 | ----- | ||
| Total | $116 |
At the raising of the church a bountiful dinner was served up in the open air, on tables made of rough boards.*On Sunday, November 20th, 1803, Bishop Moore consecrated the new edifice by the name of Christ Church, and also confirmed fifty persons. Mr. Hart read prayers and the Bishop preached. In 1804, $14 was paid Mr. Sell, sexton; and in 1805, $9.37 was paid Daniel Cornwell, parish clerk.+ William and Dobson Allen built a store and inn near by, and in 1806 William was sexton and entertained the rector and cared for his horse on Sundays.
The rector, Rev. Seth Hart, officiated in the church every other Lord's day till 1818, when Mr. Wheeler, (ordained deacon May 8th, 1814) who had been a private tutor in Wynant Van Zandt's family, became his assistant;** and thereafter the church was open every Sunday.
Christ Church was separated from St. George's, March 29, 1819++, and incorporated, Mr. Wheeler remaining sole minister till November 1, 1823; and Mr. Clarke was called December 1st, and resigned in June, 1832; and Joseph F. Phillips was called August 20th, who was ordained priest in this church, October 17, 1833. In 1835, Nov. 30th, Moses Marcus came, and left in 1837, when Mr. Clarke was recalled, May 9th. Mr. Clarke resigned again, October 17, 1849. The rectors thereafter were Samuel Cox, 1849; G. W. Porter, 1854; G. F. Bugbee, 1865; and James E. Homans, 1869.
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*In 1818, Christ Church Academy (the first in North Hempstead) was erected by the vestry on the Church land, and opened in October, under the care of Rev. Eli Wheeler, was was assisted in succession by James P. Cotter, William Shelton and Harry Finch, candidates for Holy Orders, and Ebenezer Close. In May, 1824, the Rev. J.P.F. Clarke (ordained deacon in St. George's Church, December 10, 1820) succeeded him, among whose assistans were William J. Barry, Frederick Craft, henry Onderdonk, Jr., (182708), and Rev. William Ernenpeutch.+ Mr. Cornwell sat in a little box under the reading desk. He made the responses, gave out the Psalms to be sung, and led the singing, there being no musical instrument as yet in the church. The pulpit was a gift from St. George's Church, New York. It was made of mahogany, being the spar of a ship repaired in the Bay of Honduras. It was quite too large for the church. It was covered by a sounding-board of exquisite workmanship, on the summit of which was perched the emblematic dove with the olive-sprig in its mouth. The chancel and communion table were between the three-story pulpit and the rear window, as it was in St. Paul's, New York. This arrangement was after the ancient manner, but it prevented the congregation from having a fair view of the most interesting ceremonies of the Divine office.
**TO THE RECTOR, CHURCHWARDENS AND VESTRY OF ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH, HEMPSTEAD
I now have the pleasure of informing you that I accept the call to the office of Assistant Minister in the parish, which you were so kind as to give me in your meeting held at the Court House.
I am, Messrs., Your Ob't H'ble Ser., July 17, 1818. Eli Wheeler
++The writer hereof was present when Mr. Hart preached his farewell sermon. He shed abundant tears. Several respectable families had so deep-seated an affection for their old pastor that they were loath to part from him. For a while he met them on Sunday afternoons in the Reformed Dutch Church at Success.
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Transcribed and Edited� by Linda Pearsall Harvey