THE TOWN OF SOMERS. 257 



occasional ministrations of the Rev. R. C. Moore, the late pious and 

 beloved Bishop of Virginia, and many other respectable and laborious 

 clergymen. As early as 1808, we find the Rev. Evan Rogers officiat- 

 ing here. Before the 26th or January, in the year 1835, the present 

 parish was organized under the rectorship of the Rev. Alexander Fraser; 

 about this time, arrangements were made for disposing of the interest 

 which the Episcopal party held in the Union Meeting House and par- 

 sonage, and building a church for themselves. This was quickly effected 

 through the active and zealous exertions of the vestry, to whose liberal- 

 ity, together with that of several other individuals of the neighborhood, 

 friendly to the undertaking, the parish is indebted for its present com- 

 modious and beautiful church. 



This building was consecrated to the service of Almighty God, on the 

 19th of January, A.D. 1842, by the Right Rev. Benjamin Tredwell On- 

 derdonk. It had been previously incorporated upon the 28th of Febru- 

 ary, 1835. 



Isaac Purdy and Frederick J. Coffin, church-wardens ; Thaddeus Bar- 

 low, Aaron Brown, William Marshall, Gerard Crane, Edwin Finch, 

 Charles Wright, William Clock and Ray Tompkins, vestrymen. a 



LIST OF RECTORS: 



[tuted or Call. 



Incumbents. 



Vacated By 



A.D. 1835, 



Rev. Alexander Fraser, Presb. 



resig, 



A.D. 1842, 



Rev. David H. Short, Presb. 



do. 



A.D. 1844, 



Rev. Samuel Chalmers Davis, Presb. 



do. 



A.D. 1846, 



Rev. Alfred H. Partridge, 



do. 



A.D. 1851, 



Rev. John Wills Moore, 



do. 



A.D. 1S56, 



Rev. George S. Gordon, 



do. 



A.D. 1861, 



Rev. Charles Douglass, 



do. 



A.D. 1862. 



Rev. William Murphy, 



do. 



A.D. 18G4, 



Rev. Benjamin Webb, 



do. 



A.D. 18G8, 



Rev. Jacob Moore, 



do. 



A.D. 1869, Rev. R. Condit Russell, present incumbent. 



The Presbyterian church is very pleasantly situated on the north side 

 of the main street, near the foot of Prospect Hill. 



Its front presents a neat portico of the Doric order. The Presbyterian 

 society was first incorporated on the 10th of January, 181 1, under the 

 name of the " Union Presbyterian Church, of Somerstown ; " Darius 

 Crosby, Lewis Brown, Amaziah Mead, Joseph Owens, Jr., James Bailey, 

 and Ebenezer White, Jr , trustees. b In the year 1832, a mutual division 



a Co. Rec. Religiotf3 Soc, Lib. B, 33. 

 b Ibid. Lib, A, 45. 



