THE TOWN OF WHITE PLAINS. 545 



prior to May 12th, 1727.* It was built mainly through the exertions of 

 the minister, the Rev. John Walton, who gave for that purpose three 

 quarters of an acre of land in the north-east corner of his farm, and ap- 

 pears from his deed conveying the farm in 1729 to his successor, the 

 Rev. Edward Ward. Moses Owne subsequently became the owner of 

 the farm; and in June 15, 1751, conveyed "one certain tract of land 

 with the meeting-house standing thereon, containing one acre more or 

 less," to Caleb Hyatt, John Turner and Peter Hatfield. The road 

 which originally ran near the church was changed 6 in 176410 its present 

 location, leaving between it and the said church a piece of undivided 

 land. This piece of undivided land was soon after date conveyed by 

 the proprietors of the White Plains purchase to the Presbyterian church, 

 as follows : — 



"The undersigned, being such as have proprietors rights in the White Plains 

 in the township of Rye, &c., 



4 ' Whereas there is a small piece of undivided land lying on the north side of 

 burying ground, near the Presbyterian meeting-house, being willing that the said 

 piece of undivided land, &c, we are willing that the same should be fenced in 

 to with the burying yard, to be appropriated for the use of a burying yard, to 

 be under the entire government and management of the said congregation. 



Jonathan Purdy, 

 Before Jonathan G-. Tompkins. David Horton, 



Gabriel Lynch, 

 Caleb Hyatt, 

 Samuel Hunt." 



From these documents it would appear that there was a Presbyterian 

 church standing here in 1727. The first ordained minister was the Rev. 

 John Smith, D.D., who served the Presbyterian churches of Rye and 

 White Plains, and died in the year 177 1, leaving nourishing congrega- 

 tions and commodious houses of worship in both places. His remains 

 repose in the burying ground, near those of his wife and daughter, in the 

 rear of the church. A plain head-stone marks the spot, and bears the 

 following inscription under a rudely carved similitude of a cherub : — 



Here lie the remains cf the 



REV. JOHN SMITH, 



the first ordained minister of the Presbyterian 

 persuasion in Rye and the White Plains, 

 who was born in England, 

 May 5, 1702, 



a Memorial of Presbyterian church, White Plains, in the archives at Hartford. 



b Rye Ptecords D. p. 1S8. 



c Mr. Smith's name appears in the record of the Synod in 1753 as minister of Eye. 



