THE TOWN OF CORTLANDT. 1 3 7 



St. Peter's Church and the Tomb of Paulding. 



The old parochial church of St. Peter's (a venerable relic of the piety 

 of its founders, worthy of preservation, and which, connected as it is 

 with the early Provincial history of the church in this country, we hope 

 to see ere long put in creditable repair" ) stands upon the summit of a 

 high knoll, a short distance from the village of Peekskill. This humble 

 structure was erected, as we have seen in the year 1766. The site and 

 adjoining grave-yard were the gift of Catherine Van Cortlandt, wife of 

 Andrew Johnson, and daughter cf the Rt. Hon. Stephanus Van Cort- 

 landt, first Lord of the manor cf Cortlandt. The following entry occurs 

 in the old quarto Bible belonging to this church, printed A. D. 1728: — 



"The gift of Mrs. Susannah Robinson, to St. Peter's church, at Peek- 

 skill, which church was by the desire of Beverly Robinson, Esq., Messrs. 

 Jeremiah Blake, Caleb Ward, Isaac Hatfield and Charles Moore, trus- 

 tees, appointed by the subscribers to said church for directing and carry- 

 ing on said building, and for securing it to the inhabitants as a place of 

 public worship, according to the establishment of the Church of England, 

 on Sunday the 9th of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand 

 seven hundred and sixty-seven, being the eighth Sunday after Trinity, 

 consecrated by the Rev. Dr. John Ogilvie of New York, for the service 

 of the Holy Trinity, according to the rites and ceremonies cf the Church 

 of England, as by law established, by the name of St. Peter's church." 



Mrs. Robinson, (the wife of Col. Beverly Robinson,) was the eldest 

 daughter of the Hon. Frederick Philipse, second Lord of the manor cf 



a In 1828 it was voted, " that the sum of $40 be apnropriated for the repairs of St. Peter's 

 church and yard, under the direction of James Mandevilie, John Oppie and Daniel W. Bnd- 

 sail." 



