Chilson Founders preserving church

CHILSON | Roughly 18 feet by 38 feet inside and just under 1,000 square feet, purposely built out of wood indigenous to the area and carted over by horses and wagons, a handful of modest pastel-colored glass windows, and a few spring dandelions sprinkled across the lawn; this forms the visual of the proud little white church fondly known as the "Chilson Chapel" on Putts Pond Road. Even in the 21st century, the sight of this centuries-old country chapel rarely fails to evoke a sense of nostalgia, offering a tangible glimpse into a time, not so far away, when a sense of community reigned supreme. Thanks to a dedicated group of founding resident descendants, the church continues to regain its former proud (and modest) charm and make itself relevant and significant today. "A lot of history gets lost over the years," said Margaret Woods Lauman, Board Member of the Chilson Community Founders Association. "It is important to us that we preserve it. That's why our mission is to care for the church." In 2010, the church was forced to close due to a lack of a pastor. Under then-ownership of the Methodist Conference, the conference was willing to their transfer ownership of the facility to the Chilson Cemetery. "The cemetery is now under NYS corporations and they wouldn't let us take it under the cemetery because they said it would be a burden, so we decided to form the Founders, and that's what we did," Lauman explained. Specifically formed to take on the care and stewardship of the chapel, the 501(c)(3) organization is comprised of 10 board members, all with deep Chilson lineage and family trees, who have made it their mutual purpose to protect and maintain any public buildings and accompanying property located in the hamlet of Chilson that will come under their ownership. In layman's terms, the Founders are preserving the history Lauman spoke of at all costs. "On Jan. 23, 2013, the non-profit was officially founded with bylaws and our Articles of Organization," recalled Lois Gunning, Board Member and Chilson author and local historian. It was a proud moment for everyone, and the work of conservation could begin. Being passed from the Methodists to the founders is part of the church's long and varied history, as one may expect from a building erected in the 19th century. Originally constructed in 1893 as a social hall for meetings, parties, and dances, in 1897 the decision was made (by a unanimous vote of 16-0) to convert the hall into a church. Summer into fall of that year saw material being gathered and a conversion, with the ceiling raised and roof lowered (the social hall tended to sway in the wind), with parties held along the way as fundraisers to acquire all of the necessary items. Three rows of seats were installed, brick was purchased, a chimney was built, and by November a round oak stove was put into place. On December 25, 1897, the Chilson Chapel debuted its first ever event called "The Christmas Tree," a program filled with holiday entertainment performed by all the locals. Many adults today have extremely fond recollections of this Chilson tradition. "There was a fiddle to accompany the singing that late afternoon in December because the new Estey Pump Organ did not arrive until Dec. 28," Gunning said. According to the historian, there was a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments, there were also poems recited by children (referred to as "saying their pieces"), and even a play by the older folks. "Many a heart swelled with pride that wintry afternoon in the new church in Chilson," Gunning said. "The smell of the pine, the crackling wood fire, and singing 'Silent Night' sent everyone home happy." That Christmas Tree tradition would continue on for decades as new generations of Chilson families came into the church family. In no time at all, the church became the heart and soul of the Chilson Hill community. "The church is special because of all the people that have come and gone over all these decades," noted Gunning. "It was a big part of the way of life." There were church suppers, Vacation Bible School, Sunday school, ice cream socials on the lawn (homemade from the hand crank freezers), necktie pirates, pie suppers, and even their famous oyster dinners in the 1940s and 50s. "When we first had dinners in the church, there was a kerosene stove that I can still see my grandmother stirring oyster stew over," said Gunning. "One gentleman used to say he would walk on water for Laura Hall's oyster stew." In the past ten years, the Founders have already made upgrades to the precious structure; underpinnings have been fixed, a new heating system installed, fresh paint was lovingly brushed on, and the cross once again sits atop the steeple. This past winter, thanks to an extremely generous donation from an individual wishing to remain anonymous, Yaw Home LLC out of Ticonderoga installed a brand new floor, injecting what feels like new life into the humble house of worship. "We chose a wide plank pine floor chosen because it more than likely would have been a soft wood that covered the interior," Gunning said. "The new floor makes it feel solid in there," Lauman added proudly. For the Founders, it is that profound sense of community found in very rural areas that they are also simultaneously protecting by keeping the chapel's lights on and doors open. "There are 40 household dwellings on Putts Pond Road alone," Gunning mentioned. "Most of that group of people are descendants of Chilson's very first settlers- the Hunsdons, the Osiers, myself, the Flemmings, the O'Haras. There is some kind of bond and feeling of togetherness. No matter if you see someone on a regular basis or not, that connection is always still there." Even the building's genesis is a tale of community members pulling together: Abel Moore donated the land on which the church is built, the lumber came from Vern Moore's sawmill, Orville Phillip constructed the pews in his shop on the corner of Canfield and Putts Pond Roads. Those pews are still in existence and used today, and are sitting atop the shiny new floor. The history that the founders so passionately protect and promote is very evident by these relics from the past. And now that the new floor has been laid, the Founders are hopeful that this too will lay a foundation for a new church resurgence. "We want the community to know they can use this building, we want to keep it so people can use it, that is the entire point of what we are doing," Lauman said, adding that the chapel is available free of charge (donations encouraged) for weddings, memorial services, baptisms, and other other special occasions. The Founder's primary fundraiser, "Founders Day," will be held Sunday, Sept. 15. The annual old-fashioned pork dinner is one of Chilson's most beloved days and has become just as anticipated as the Chilson BBQ, with the funds faithfully applied to the yearly maintenance and upkeep of the chapel. It is a celebration monetarily necessary, but also an event as true to the chapel's roots as the oyster dinners and necktie parties of decades gone by- it is the modern-day social for which history continues to be written. Every year, the Founders create pictorial calendars to sell at Founders Day, and this year the theme will , if you couldn't guess, photographs featuring events, functions, celebrations, and people at and within the church. The Founders have been scouring their own personal archives, and encourage members of the local communities who may have stumbled upon images of their own to scan and email them over to marglauman@gmail.com "You never know what may be floating around out there," Lauman laughed. For more information on the church, the Founders, or to learn how to make a tax-deductible donation to the preservation and continued use of the Chilson Chapel, please reach out to Lois Gunning at 518-585-4470, or Margaret Lauman at 518-585-9133. Follow the Founders at www.facebook.com/ChilsonFounders.

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Chilson Founders preserving church

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