Founded in 1807, the First Presbyterian Church on the Park in Canton, New York, has had a proud past which serves as the foundation of our current congregation. We are both honored and humbled to carry on the work of our ecclesiastical and spiritual forebears who have proclaimed the Gospel, cared for the children of God in their midst, and left an indelible mark upon the Canton community.
Below are two written histories of our church. The first was prepared by the Rev. Dr. William H. Stubblebine, pastor of the church from 1904-1907. Though he enjoyed a relatively short pastorate, Rev. Stubblebine was “a very popular preacher, of whom the congregation was very fond,” and accomplished much in his time at the First Presbyterian Church. He facilitated the construction and financing of the new (current) manse, and prepared a history of the first 100 years of our church. Published on the occasion of the church’s centennial celebration in 1907, much of what we now know of our congregation’s early history is owed directly to Rev. Stubblebine.
The second written history was prepared by Dr. David E. Hornung, PhD, a member of our congregation, who has enjoyed a long and fruitful tenure as a professor of Biology at St. Lawrence University. As we neared the 200 year anniversary of the church, Dr. Hornung took it upon himself to research, write and publish this history, building upon and expanding Rev. Stubblebine’s work. His labors have yielded an enormous gift to our congregation in preserving and proclaiming our history and heritage through our second century. Each new member of the church receives a copy of this history. We are profoundly grateful to both Rev. Stubblebine and Dr. Hornung for embarking on such an endeavor to our great and lasting benefit.
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