(former) St. Luke's Episcopal Church - Harpursville, NY
Posted by: 
ripraff
N 42° 10.550 W 075° 37.545
18T E 448319 N 4669488
This church is now the Old Onaquaga Historical Society Museum.
Waymark Code: WMV89R
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 03/13/2017
Views: 0
town website
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visit link)
"The museum is a repository of much local history. Most of the collections and exhibits are self - explanatory and our guides are happy to assist visitors...St. Luke's church was built in 1828 by settlers who organized the first Episcopal Church in Broome County in 1779. Much of the original building is visible today. The wide floorboards, some 2ft. wide, are in evidence in the sanctuary. "
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visit link)
"Sometime around 1870 in the dead of winter an ox-sledge left the Jones Foundry in Troy, New York, just north of Albany. It was headed for a small village on the banks of the Susquehanna River, 125 miles to the southwest. The sledge carried precious cargo… a 2,000-pound bronze bell for St. Luke’s Episcopal church in Harpursville...
Today, it still hangs in the belfry. The huge wooden bell wheel is still intact and a frayed foot-long section of rope long ago chewed through by mice is tied to the top. Standing next to this silent, hidden treasure it’s impossible to resist the temptation… a firm tap brings it to life with a magnificent rich tone as clear as the day it was installed."
Religious Structures photos
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visit link)
Binghamton Press
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visit link)
"Located in Harpursville, St. Luke's Episcopal Church was built in 1828. Today, it appears much as it did 186 years ago, and because it continues to be used for occasional religious services, it has the distinction of being the oldest active church in Broome County. In fact, only one religious structure in the county is older than St. Luke's, but it is no longer used for religious purposes...The pine wood floor remains one of the outstanding features of the structure. It is made of three-inch thick planks, some measuring two feet wide...Eventually, by 1968 the parish could no longer maintain the building and after 140 years of continuous service, the church closed. Fearing demolition, the Old Onaquaga Historical Society took possession of the building, agreeing to restore it to function as a community center and to establish a museum of local history in the basement."