Those who know say that his month marks the 50th anniversary of this building, known for years as the Chapel. Living near there is Matthew Fults, 76, a rather large real estate owner in that section, who is the only living church trustee. It was he who gave the story of the church and of its predecessor, for there was once an earlier church building on the location.

“I can’t tell you when the first church was built.” said Mr. Fults, today, for it stood there when I was a boy and was known as the Methodist chapel. I understand that Methodist people and others in this northern end of Theresa, which is the Lake section, built it here in pioneer days. We would be some eight miles from Theresa--too far to go there in horse and buggy days to attend church.

Uncle John Simmonds (sic) was one of the leaders down this way, greatly interested in the church, and decided about 50 years ago that the community was worthy of a better building. He interested the Flower family in the project, and it ended in his getting a donation of $1,000 from them for a new chapel. Uncle John purchased the old building and took it down to rebuild it on his farm north of here for a barn. That barn burned some time ago. The $1,000, with some cash on hand and donated labor, built a very fine and comfortable chapel and it was well finished, inside and out.

“I understand that the Flower family insisted that the title of the property be vested with the town of Theresa, but that the Theresa town board was to appoint three trustees locally to look after the local needs and care of the place. They appointed Charles Simmonds (sic), George Rogers and myself, --all dead but me.

“I remember,” said Mrs. Mabe, Fults Ward, with whom Mr. Fults resides, that I was eight years old when we moved here in the fall of 1889 and I went up to the Roger school house. I remember the day that fall when a lot of rigs went by the school house towards Chapels Corners, and the people said they were going to the dedication of the new church building. I remember going to Sunday school there and we thought it a very fine building--and it was. I think E. D. Sheley and company, contractors, Theresa, put up the building and Sidney Sweet was one of the men employed to boss the job.”

“You know,” said Mr. Fults, “that in the old days the members of the Simonds family, John, Captain Bill, Ed with the Herricks, were greatly interested in the church and kept things going pretty strong. They used to hold protracted meetings here that were well attended.

“Now, we didn’t have a bell or an organ, so Uncle John Simonds started out with a paper to raise money for an organ and we got a good one. It’s there now, but terribly neglected. Ed Lawton started out to get funds for a bell and we got a good one. It hangs there today unused.

“I forgot to say that when the Flower family gave the money for the church they specified that the church should be a community affair, open to all denominations who wanted a religious service. In fact, they said they wanted this church building to be a landmark to stand down through the years. I guess that Ed Lawton drove to Theresa with ox-team and lumber wagon to get that bell when it came. We had plenty of good singing books, but they are gone now.

“I think,” said Mrs. Ward, “that the Rev. N. L. Darling, now of Cape Vincent, when he preached at Plessis, was the last person to hold regular services here, although we have had ministers from Redwood, and some from Canada to come here to preach.

“If you ask me,” said Mr. Fults, “I think something should be done about this church building. The roof is bad and it will soon go into decay unless attended to. I think the building is about 40 x 40, with entry-way. People have lived in the church for a year and a half some months ago, but it is closed now. It would be a fine thing if they could have a Golden Anniversary service there this fall, but it probably will never take place.”

*The title of this article is not clear. “Chapels Corners - Flower Family Donation” was hand-written below the article found on this scrapbook page.

The following article appears to have been a follow-up article to Mr. Cook’s piece, dated Nov. 17 - unknown year.

Theresa, Dec. 1. -- The recent story of the old chapel in the northern lake section of Theresa brought many comments and letters, but a letter from Miss Edna F. Lawton, 133 Thompson Boulevard, Watertown, a native of that section and who lived as a girl almost a stone’s throw from the church, has many interesting facts. She writes:

“I well remember the old chapel, which first stood on the site of the present church. Wonderful spiritual meetings were held there. There were the Curtises, Simonds, Sopers, Fults and probably others whom I do not now recall, workers in the old chapel.

“My father, the late E. C. Lawton, conducted the Sunday school and my mother was one of the teachers. I remember as a small girl attending. It was my first Sunday school. In later years the older people moved away or died. Our family moved to Redwood and the chapel was neglected. My people moved back again to the farm and the neglect of the chapel was a burden on my father’s mind. My people attended the church at Redwood some but it was horse and buggy days and regular attendance was out of the question.

“One day my father thought it was possible to have a new church at the Corners. He interviewed Mr. Orange Soper who consented to donate land. John Simons, the Honeywells and others were interested. Father went to Watertown and Theresa to interview people for help. I think it was Mr. Anson Flower who contributed largely towards the building. The chandeliers came from a Theresa church. My father took subscriptions for a bell and sent to a mail order house for it. He drew the bell from the Theresa station with team and lumber wagon. The church was built in 1899, for I was 14 years old at the time and wrote my first poem, or a string of verses, about the bell. This poem was printed in the Watertown Re-Union, and I have a copy clipped from the paper. My father was correspondent for that paper from our section, writing obituaries of old people and some current events. He named the place Chapels Corners. I have a scrapbook of clippings he wrote.

“Rev. William H. Bury, father of Guy Bury, of Theresa, and pastor of the Methodist church at the time, with Rev. Charles G. Cady, of the Presbyterian church, with a choir from Theresa, took part in the dedication. Mrs. Mary Hubbard, now living, was a member of that choir. After the dedication a series of revival meetings were held. The late Rev. J. W. Higbie and Rev. Mr. White, father of Everland White of Theresa, conducted the meetings. These ministers made our home their stopping place. There was quite a class to join and I well remember it as it was my first revival meeting.

“In later years the church services became fewer. The church has come to what it is today and it is sad to see old building go into decay with not a hand or heart willing or interested enough to awake the slumbering spirituality of Chapels Corners.”

A portion of the poem is given:

“The church is done,
Awaiting for the bell to come.
At last the massive bell arrived,
And Mr. Lawton team did drive
Up to Theresa to get the bell
And visit friends he loved so well.

“As Mr. Lawton neared his home,
He wished to send abroad its tones
To wake the people from their homes.

“He reached his home
The night dark and drear,
His wife and children clustered near,
There to find, not a mere toy,
But massive bell of steel alloy.

“The church was done,
The bell was hung
The woods awake to sounds remote,
The bell peals forth a tuneful note.”