THE TOWN OF CORTLANDT. 151 



February, 1795, we find John Drake and Catharine, his wife, conveying 

 three-quarters of an acre of land in this place to William Hallock, 

 Thomas Clark, William Weeks, Abraham Travis and Stephen Newby, 

 managers of the Methodist society. The present church edifice, erected 

 A.D., 1837, occupies the site of a still older building, erected in 181 1 : 

 to it is attached a small grave-yard. The communicants of this church 

 number two hundred. 



The Protestant Methodist society was first established here in 1827, 

 and incorporated 23d November, 1836; John Spock, William R. Steel 

 and Thomas Blackney, trustees." 



The Wesleyan or Primitive Methodists originally belonged to the old 

 Methodist society, from which body they seceded in 1839. Their first 

 pastor was the Rev. John Miles. The church edifice was erected in 

 1839, and incorporated A.D. 1842. 



The society of Friends was first organized here in 1804, and the old- 

 est house erected in 181 1, upon land given for that purpose by Nathan- 

 iel Brown, Esq. 



The Roman Catholic church of the assumption stands at the corner 

 of Union and First streets, the pastor of which is the Rev. Father 

 William P. Flannelly. The Roman Catholic Institutions are the Fran- 

 ciscan Convent, which was established about nine years ago, and is sit- 

 uated on the banks of the Hudson near the Rail Road Depot. At pres- 

 ent there are about thirty sisters connected with the institution, who con- 

 duct a school known at the Academy of Our Lady of Angels. The object 

 of the community is teaching the children of the poor and caring for 

 he sick. The grounds are tastefully laid out and the improvements con- 

 sist of a chapel and new convent, the cost of which was about $30,000. 



The Poland farm was purchased by the directors of the Roman Cath- 

 olic Orphan Asylum with money devised by Captain Boland for the 

 purpose of providing a country home for orphan children, and to remain 

 under the same management as the asylum in New York city. The 

 object of the institution is to maintain and instruct the children until 

 suitable homes are found for them. The farm is located on the 

 Cortlandtville road, on the outskirts of the village, and the improve- 

 ments consist of a large brick building for class-room, domitories, work- 

 room, etc. The amount of the bequest was $50,000. 



Mount Florence was purchased by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd 

 for the purpose of establishing a novitiate for their order. The number 

 of sisters is at present seven. This novitiate is intended for the training 



a Eeligious Soc Lib. B. p. 47. 



