Buildings

The “Old Stone Church” (1826-1851) was the first house of public worship erected in Franklin County. It was completed in the Fall of 1827 on land given by Hiram Horton, and formally dedicated on February 7, 1828. The building was made of stone and 60’ x 70’ (or 60’ x 80’), with a sanctuary of 80 box pews and benches around the sides, and a raised pulpit in the north end entered by a flight of winding stairs of about a dozen steps. At its construction, the congregation numbered 130 in a community of approximately 2,000. After nearly a quarter of a century, it was demolished beginning March 31, 1851, to make place for a new church building.

The organ, made by Hood and Hastings of Boston, was operated by a manual bellows, powered by two young men on each end of a long lever, until it was electrified in 1929. Now large volumes of air are supplied by a large electric motor and rotary bellows in the basement and the area formerly occupied by the bellows was remodeled to include the first indoor rest rooms in the church. In 1957, the organ was dismantled and rebuilt, including replacing some old pipes and adding new ones. In all, there are 1,464 speaking pipes in the entire organ. In 1965, a new console was added. Two years after the building was completed a chime of nine bells was presented to the Society and hung in the belfry. After World War I, an additional bell was added, and the entire system was electrified so the chimes could be played by keys beside the organ console. This addition was the gift of George S. Howard as a memorial to his son, Leslie, who was killed in the war.

At least six of the memorial stained-glass windows were in place when the building was dedicated. The gable window in the Chapel was given by the children of the Sunday School who were asked to save their pennies for an entire year to pay for it. The Angel window was completely restored. In 1975, portions of the basement, which had never been completed, were remodeled, and finished. This afforded Sunday School, youth adult, scouting and music groups the much-needed space for various activities. Further renovations of the basement in 2007 expanded the classroom space and were then used to house the Linen Chest ministry.

Denominational Affiliation

In 1817, the church affiliated with the Presbytery of Champlain, according to the “Plan of Union” between the Presbyterian and Congregational denominations and continued in that relationship for over 150 years. The Plan of Union allowed for Congregational and Presbyterian churches to install pastors of the other denomination without the church or pastor changing affiliation, the First Congregational Church voted to affiliate with the Black River-St. Lawrence Association of the newly formed United Church of Christ (UCC), being received into that body on May 22, 1962.

Abolition and the Underground Railroad

When the Presbyterian Church in the United States in 1837, primarily over the issue of slavery, the Malone church affiliated with the “New School” which took a determined stand against slavery, favored cooperation with other denominations, and held a more progressive theology. Ashbel Parmelee was a “warm” abolitionist, and the congregation was known to be anti-slavery. Tunnels exist in the basement of the current church that pre-date its 1883 construction, which in all probability were used to secret enslaved persons escaping to Canada after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act.

Women and Youth

The church owes much to its women who continue a sustained leadership, not only spiritually but in the more material labors as well, such as supporting the work of the church with novel fundraising activities. The Women’s Mission Society first published The Malone Cookbook in 1882, with revised (and enlarged) editions printed in 1888, 1898, 1903, 1908, 1917, 1923, 1968, 1982, and 2020. The cookbooks were “compiled from recipes contributed by ladies of Malone and others” and are still found in many homes. During World War I, an organization knows as Susie’s Kitchen Band was organized from the Women’s Mission Society. The group was a musical organization composed of women with kazoos attached to different household implements. This novel entertainment was immensely successful, and twenty-three concerts were given in Malone and surrounding communities, which raised a total of $3,964 for the American Red Cross War fund.

Throughout the church’s history, the youth of the congregation have been continually active. In 1816, a weekly prayer meeting was formed, which met at Rev. Paremelee’s home and was attended by youths from 10 to 25 years of age. It left its mark for many years afterwards upon the church’s active life, resulting in over one hundred new members being admitted into the church society. In the late 1800’s, two Sunday School classes of girls engaged in systematic giving to missions, which developed into a group known as a Mission Band. For the last half of the 20th century, one Sunday each June was set aside as “Children’s Sunday” when the church’s youth were responsible for morning worship. Many times, the sermon was delivered by a member (or members) of the high school class, and special music, ushering, and prayer were also conducted by the youth. In the 1970’s and 1980’s the youth group was very strong and traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi several times on working mission trips to the Back Bay Mission. During the first decade of the 21st century, the youth gave out an award called the Youth Award for a Deserving Adult (YADA) to a member of the church in recognition of faith in action.

Pastors

From its first organization, the First Congregational Church of Malone has been privileged to have outstanding ministers who have been leaders not only of the church itself within the community as a whole.

Rev. Ashbel Parmelee, D.D. 1809-1845

Rev. Silas R. Woodruff 1845-1853

Rev. John R. Herrick, S.T.D. 1854-1867

Rev. Charles H.A. Bulkley, D.D. 1868-1874

Rev. Charles S. Richardson, D.D. 1875-1888

Rev. George F. Chipperfield 1888-1897

Rev. John A. McIntosh, D.D. 1898-1912

Rev. John R. Duffield 1912-1925

Rev. John R. Williams, D.D. 1925-1937

Rev. Robert M. Crothers, D.D. 1937-1944

Rev. Ronald Rowat 1945-1956

Rev. David M. Muir 1956-1961

Rev. Gardiner D. Cottle 1961-1968

Rev. Herbert Dewees 1969-1970

Rev. W. Alan Dale 1971-1973

Rev. Dr. Thomas W. Wright, Ed.D. 1974-1990

Rev. John A. Werley 1991-2010

Rev Peter Bortz 2011-2016

Pastor David Tue 2020-2022