The Vedder Research Library

The Greenville Center Baptist Church was built in 1817; a Baptist Society had existed since 1793. An early change moved the entrance from the west side to the south side, until a 1854 turning of the building placed this entrance at the west side again (facing the road). In 1938, the bell from the East Durham Baptist Church was raised into the church’s belfry (inset). Over the past fifty years, longer-tenure ministers of this still active church include: Rev. Murray Mayfield (2001-current), Clinton Phelps (1981-1996); Wendell Hiltsley (1974-01980, 1939-1944), and Jacob VanderPyle (1961-1973).

After a fire in 1873, a new Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church was erected, shown here on the west side of Rt 32 near the junction with Hill Street. The first Methodist Church started in West Greenville in 1825 before it was moved in 1856 to a spot on the east side of Rt 32, just yards north of the building shown. In 1867, a parsonage was built, nearly opposite this structure, and was used as such until the late 20th century. With dwindling attendance mid-late century, this church merged with the Norton Hill church in 1973, the combination becoming the United Methodist Church of Greenville and Norton Hill.

Methodist Church, Greenville, on South Street

The Norton Hill Methodist Church has served the religious needs of the community since 1873, a surprisingly late date for a hamlet’s first church. Previously, the community had availed themselves of neighboring churches in West Greenville and Greenville. In 1973 the Norton Hill Methodist Church merged with the Greenville Asbury Methodist Church to form The United Methodist Church of Greenville and Norton Hill. Structural additions included a Sunday School wing, sanctuary space, a meeting hall (the former school house), and the Carney Center (located behind the church); the church has also utilized the Stevens/Elliott House (on its west side) and most recently the former Powell/Stevens store (on its east side).

The Schubert Choral Club poses in April, 1933 in the Asbury Methodist Church, South Street, Greenville. This group, according to Ella Tryon Powell notes, gave concerts for about ten years before the Second World War. Back row: Nicholas Rose, Harold Worth, Mr. Koehler, Walter Birkett, Peter Dumary, Curtis Dumary, Merle Powell, Eugene Keyser, Rhodell Stanton, Charles Stranahan; Middle: Mr. Rennis, Margaret Beylegaard, Ella Tryon, Leona Ingalls, Elgirtha Ellis, Danetta Lennon, Lucy Gardner, Ruby Rundell, Helen Woodruff, Phoebe Rundell, Hester Story, Lela Lennon, Mrs. Arloff, Hilda Story, Madeline Rundell, Margaret Ingalls, Anna Wickham, Margaret Matthews, Eleanor Ingalls, Hattie Wickes, Ruth Tryon, Bertha Powell, Hawley Conklin; Front: Fred Bleezarde, Howard Spaulding, Gladys, Beylegaard, Ruth Slater, Ethel Ray, Rolland Heermance (director), Esther DeHeus, Eva Bott, Emily Duntz, Paul Augstein, Phillip Lockwood; Missing: George Abrams, Mrs. Birkett.

Episcopal Church, sketch by Debra Teator

Presbyterian Church

One of the area’s noted natural landmarks came to a crashing end one quiet night in April 2018. The centuries-old oak tree at the rear of the Freehold Church (inset) was featured in the November 1994 calendar. The five-foot diameter trunk crashed across the Freehold Cemetery stonewall, creating a clean-up situation for the Freehold Cemetery Board. Within a month, and with considerable volunteer effort and work by Ben Buel, Tom and Lorrie Spinner, Bud Vanderpyle, and Charlie Henderson, the proud oak is now a historical memory. Another inset shows the current, no-tree space.

The SRV (Sarada Ramakrishna Vivekananda) Retreat Center is one of several churches welcomed by the Greenville area over the past half-century. Located on Jennings Road, one quarter mile north of the Town of Greenville/Greene County line off of State Route 32, the main house was the site of Webb and Marie Jennings’ House on the Hill Resort during mid-century. The visually distinctive ochre dome of the Interfaith Peace Temple serves as a landmark beacon for travelers. Sold in 1986 to the SRV group, the church and retreat was headed by Bruce Hilliger (Swami Atmavratananda) upon his arrival in 1988. Now Greenville’s longest continuously serving minister in the area, Swami Bruce coordinates not only the Retreat’s religious services but also a busy schedule that has invited many community purposes (AA meetings, food co-op, karate & aerobics classes, meditation, etc.). The Greenville community also recognizes Bruce as a long-time school bus driver, substitute teacher, and guitar/music teacher. One inset shows an interior view of the wide area floor of the Interfaith Temple as it looks toward the Catskill Mountains. A second inset of the Interfaith stone, set on the Temple’s front façade, contains the symbols of five major religions, namely Buddhism (wheel of Dharma), Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Post-WWII has seen several new churches satisfy the religious needs of our community. After purchasing a site in 1996, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints erected its meeting house on County Route 41, Greenville Center, with John V. Gulisane, Jr., serving as the Branch President of the new unit. The congregation was first organized in December, 1989, renting space from the Freehold Christian Congregational Church, County Route 67, Freehold. The building was dedicated on July 6, 1997. Currently, Wayne Marquit serves as Branch President. Historically, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830 in Fayette Township, New York, beginning with six members. Currently, there are over 16.7 million members worldwide. Past calendars have featured these churches: Freehold Congregational (1998 calendar), Grenville Episcopal (2000), Greenville Presbyterian (2001), Greenville Catholic (2002), Greenville Center Baptist (2012), Norton Hill-Greenville Methodist (2014 & 2015), and Greenville SRV (2021). The inset shows the roadside name stone.

The founding of Orgyen Cho Dzong Buddhist Retreat Center, the former Breezy Knoll (previous page), in 1980 caught the attention of passersby with its vibrancy of color. OCDR is connected to the main temple building Yeshe Nyingpo located in NYC. OCDR acts not only as a spiritual place but also as guardianship of Tibetan culture, tradition, and ancient artifacts brought over from Tibet dating back up to 2000-2500 years. One structure is the World Peace Stupa, built with the aspiration that all wars and disasters would be averted, contains relics of Lord Buddha and other saints. The founder, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, along with current leaders, worked tirelessly to upkeep the center for the community’s benefit. In keeping with the Buddhist principle, the door is open to everyone. For more info, visit: www.dudjomtersar.org. The main photo shows the view from the road through gate, capturing only part of the whole campus. The insets show valued edifices on the grounds.

caption assist, inset photos by Quoc Do