First Old School Baptist Church
Just 10 minutes away from the Town of Roxbury, in the beautiful Denver/Vega
Valley, stands a 150-year-old church building. It served its congregation well
over the years, but when the membership dissolved in the early 1980s, it became
an empty shell destined to fade away like so many other abandoned buildings that
have lost their purpose.
However, a group of local residents and weekend visitors believed that the church's architectural simple lines and balanced proportions represented the traditional meeting house favored by rural American Protestants. The restrained, yet elegant, architecture reflected the theology of its members—the Old School Baptists—who lived here and imprinted history in this part of New York State.
In 1988, the Denver/Vega Preservation Committee, Inc. was established, and committee members began the historical restoration of the church building. The nearby stream bed was stabilized to prevent annual flooding that threatened the building's foundation; removed original large sidewalk stone with heavy equipment to protect it during foundation work; eight double-hung windows with 20 panels of glass-per-sash were removed and repaired; the building was jacked to level it with reinforcing rods under the building and cables in the attic to correct the sag; dug and poured a reinforced concrete footing complete with crushed stone and drainpipe; relaid stone foundation on top of footing and lowered building back down , re-leveling and adding additional support pillars underneath; installed underground electrical hook-up and added electrical service to the building; removed remaining interior plaster and applied all new plaster; reinstalled windows with new 12-foot shutters; contracted interior and exterior painting; chimney re-pointed and new roof installed.
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| Volunteers working on the First Old Baptist Church with the Denver/Vega Preservation Committee |
More than 50 percent of this work was accomplished by volunteers—through fundraisers and physical labor. In 1996, the building and adjacent Vega Cemetery were placed on both the state and National Registers of Historic Places.
Today, the community and other organizations use the building as an arts venue,
for such events as exhibits, readings, theater, workshops, as well as chamber
music performances. The ambience as well as the outstanding acoustics make
these concerts an unforgettable experience. The annual Denver Valley Music
Festival consists of at least three concerts and features such ensembles as Rebel,
the Pacifica Quartet and Hesperus.
In 2006, the Denver/Vega Preservation Committee, Inc. invites you to come celebrate the 150th anniversary of the First OSB Church of Roxbury. As restoration continues, we have planned our season to celebrate the remarkable history of a structure that has touched people's lives in so many different ways.
150th Anniversary Celebration
DOWN IN THE VALLEY
The austere beauty of the First Old School Baptist
Church in Roxbury’s Denver-Vega Valley is amplified by its setting. Built
in 1856, the church is a classic example of simple post-and-beam construction
with Greek Revival motifs. The unseasonable chill did not deter dozens of folks
from showing up on Sunday to celebrate FOSB’s sesquecentennial, presented
by the Denver-Vega Preservation Committee, with music, crafts, a history video
by Leandra Little about the Old School Baptists, commemorativeT-shirts and
a Denver Vega Valley self-driving tour on offer. More than a dozen craftspeople,
entertainers, historians and other country vendors were on hand to contribute
to a “time trip” into authentic rural life.
“OLD SCHOOL” CRAFTS — Woodcarver and decoymaker Richard
Connell uses the same hand-powered tools that woodworkers of the 18th and 19th
centuries would have known. His results, however, sometimes show off a more
modern sensibility!
Denver Postmaster Merrie Lou Grocholl obtained a “special
cancellation” to commemorate the OSB 150th anniversary and was on-site
all day to stamp envelopes and other mail with this unique one-time cancellation.
Bluegrass was provided by the “Gentleman Callers,” pickers
Doug Allen and Brian Aherne (top left) who received crucial backup from Liam
Aherne (center) and young songstresses Sydney Aherne and Fiona Lane (not
pictured.)
For further information, please contact Paul Gossen at 607.326.4850 or cgsgos@usadatanet.net.