The History of Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church

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The Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church is the direct successor to the original Methodist congregation in Poughkeepsie. The first Methodist sermon was preached in Poughkeepsie by Freeborn Garrettson in 1796, just twenty years following the birth of our nation. Freeborn Garrettson was chosen as presiding elder for the newly organized Dutchess County Circuit for Methodists in the Hudson Valley. The first Methodist Class was organized in 1804 and The First Methodist Episcopal Church was erected on Jefferson Street in 1805.

The Jefferson Street location was able to accommodate the initial small congregation, but by 1825 the membership was no longer part of the Circuit but a growing station of its own with 182 members. The next year found the church in a new building on Washington Street, constructed with partial remains of the former Jefferson Street church. Although impressive in size and style, the new building was enlarged in 1832, this time adding a new parsonage on a neighboring piece of land. It was noted by the minister at that time, Reverend Thatcher, that "the Methodists of Poughkeepsie are remarkable for their peace and brotherly love".

Several Methodist Episcopal congregations were formed from the congregation of the Washington Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1837 the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was organized and continues today. The Cannon Street M.E. Church was formed in 1840. In 1891 that congregation built a new building at the corner of Hooker and Hamilton and renamed their church, Trinity M.E. Church which continues today at that location. In 1853 still another congregation was started and was named for Bishop Elijah Hedding who was born in Dutchess County in 1780. Bishop Hedding served the Methodist Church in Dutchess County for more than fifty years, twenty-eight of these as Bishop. As numbers of German speaking persons made their home in Poughkeepsie, a German language congregation was formed.

During all this time of spawning other congregations, the Washington Street congregation continued to grow. A new building was built on the southeast corner of Mill and Washington Streets in 1859 and its membership numbered 620 by 1878. This site is now occupied by the Radisson Hotel. During the years 1907 and 1910 this building was restored and enlarged. In 1927, a 20 rank pipe organ, Opus 4855, was built and installed by the Moeller Organ Company of Baltimore, Maryland. Moeller was again chosen to do a major overhaul of this fine instrument at their factory in 1951.

By the eady 1950's the complexion of the center of Poughkeepsie had changed. Membership drastically declined and prompted a 1960 merger of two congregations to form the Washington Street-Hedding Methodist Church. The united congregation met in the Washington Street building but still a location problem was evident. In 1963 the decision was made to move out of the city, the present site was purchased and our present building was built. It was wisely decided to move the Moeller organ to the new site.

This portion of the move was supervised by Mr. Henry Van Seeters, currently responsible for the West Point Chapel Pipe organ. The congregation moved into this building on December 13, 1964. The Washington Street building was sold to urban renewal and torn down.

In 1978, some of the original pipes which were stored during the move to the present location were finally installed. With the addition of these original pipes and with several new ranks of pipes the organ was considered complete with 24 ranks of pipes. An electric action chime was also added. In the mid 1980's, the organ deteriorated rapidly including a fire in the console.

After much research by several committees, a contract was signed with the Fritzsche Organ Company to build a new organ utilizing two-thirds of the original pipes and a few unit chests in the pedal division. The original organ was removed shortly after Easter, 1987 and the new organ was completed September 15, 1988. This new organ has 36 ranks of pipes with over 700 pipes exposed. Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church continues nearly two centuries of a dynamic witness in the Mid Hudson Valley and is committed to grow with Dutchess County.