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St. Mary's Rectory Safe Yields Historical Treasuretrove
First-Time ever exhibit of historical documents on November 24 during Cold Spring by Candlelight Tour
The dust-covered, cast-iron safe crouched in the basement of the St. Mary in the Highlands rectory had escaped notice for years. It had remained unopened and was all but forgotten until Father Shane Scott- Hamblen began to ponder its contents. His curiosity lead to several attempts at accessing the safe but all proved unsuccessful. Undeterred, the intrepid reverend kept trying - and finally gained entry this past summer. "I hoped to find gold or money or chalices. What I found were old bills," Fr. Shane laughed ruefully. Dates on some of the papers within indicate that the safe had been locked since 1946, when the Rev. Elbert Floyd-Jones died, taking the combination with him.
There were no bags of gold to be sure, but the liberated materials represent a treasure of a different sort: dozens of original documents pertaining to the parish and construction of the current St. Mary's church in 1867-68. They include dated and stamped receipts from businesses and individuals, several with names familiar to longtime Cold Spring residents - Baxter, Odell, Dains, Champlin, Jaycox, Hales and Woods. The bold signature of Cold Spring builder Sylvanus Ferris appears on many. Time sheets with the names of the masons and carpenters and the hours they worked by month; hand-written money transfers from Robert P. Parrott to Ferris as well as numerous receipts for tools, lumber, stained-glass, hardware, roofing slate, tile, paint, and the bell for the church are all accounted for. Each document is in excellent condition and the beauty of the penmanship reflects a bygone age.
The safe also contained several official documents pertaining to the creation St. Mary's parish; Parrott's letter to the vestry (parish council) suggesting the construction of the new church; the 1867 survey of the property, very early photos of the church and parish hall, and - especially noteworthy - a few original documents signed by Parrott, among them an ornate West Point Foundry check, from 1840, and a hand-scripted indenture (signed by Parrott and his wife, Mary) formalizing donation of the land for the church.
Offering a unique glimpse of this important piece of history, St. Mary's has organized a firsttime public exhibit of select documents and photos from the safe, augmented by other church materials and a few items from private collections. The display will be on view in St. Mary's Parish Hall from 2-7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, during the Cold Spring by Candlelight tours. Anyone fascinated by Cold Spring and its history crucial not just to the village but the nation - will want to catch this exhibit. All are welcome and refreshments by candlelight will be served.
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