Augustine
W. Cornell
My
name is Augustine W. Cornell. I was
born in 1837 in Flushing, NY. I graduated from General Theological Seminary and
was ordained a Deacon in 1863 and a priest in 1864. I was the priest in several
NY parishes before I came to St. Peter’s in 1883. I served the Lord at St.
Peter’s until 1899 and until 1893 I was also the priest for South River. From
St Peter’s I went to Linden NJ until 1903. From there I went onto Middletown
for 6 years, retiring in 1909. I was quite ill by that time.
A great many
things happened at St. Peter’s during my 16 years here. In 1883, my first year
here, we received a $500 bequest on the condition that the Church Bell be tolled
every year on the anniversary of the donor’s death. Naturally we agreed and
rang the bell on the appointed day for the next few years. Unfortunately we
never received the money!!!!
While I was
here the Parish Hall was built, and it was dedicated on November 9, 1888. 1888
was also the year of the Blizzard, a horrific storm that blanketed the East
Coast in mountains of snow. But despite this, the dedication went on with Bishop
Scarborough officiating. Sadly in that same month we lost Issac DeVoe, a devoted
parishioner for over 50 years and our Warden for 24 years.
In 1890,
with support from the Vestry, we abolished the renting of pews. Families would
be charged a rent for the pew of their choice. If a family could not afford to
rent a pew, they had to sit in the Free Section. It had always disturbed me that
in God’s house there was such a division. Thereafter, St Peter’s was known
as a Free Church and it was open to all regardless of their financial situation.
In the
summer of 1890 the Acorn Society, one of the many service type of groups (you
would probably call them outreach groups now!) that flourished at St Peter’s
during these years, provided funds for painting the church. For 2 coats of paint
the cost was $70.25…a dear amount in those days! The paint itself cost $30.27,
the painter charged $39.80 and the freight on the paint cost .18!
Hearing many
fine voices on each Sunday morning, I established our very first choir! Of
course, at that time it was all men and boys, but they were an eager group and
produced many fine harmonic sounds in the Church. They made their debut on
November 24, 1896 at a service to dedicate all the improvements that had been
made to the Church during this time. These included new pews, deepening the
Chancel, creating an organ chamber, making a basement for a heater (much needed
in those cold winters!!) and new carpeting and stained glass windows.
As I
mentioned previously, when I retired in 1909, I was in ill health. I spent the
last 2 years of my life here on earth in Suffern, NY until the Lord called me
home in 1911. The Vestry and Wardens of St Peter’s had granted me a burial
place in this wonderful resting place and at my funeral the parish was addressed
with this statement: “There he finished his course.
At his special request his final resting place is among his old friends
and parishioners in the beautiful church of St. Peter’s, Spotswood”.
And that, my friends is who I was!!!!