St. Philip’s Expands Church Influence in the Local Community

By 1837, our ties with St. Peter’s in Peekskill had diminished and a newly rebuilt St. Philip’s Church was consecrated by Bishop Onderdonk of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. This refurbished wooden church served the community of Garrison until 1863 when it was moved to Manitou on Rt. 9D. It was consecrated as the St. James Chapel of St. Philip’s parish. It still stands today, a red building on the western side of the road. (Most recently, it was an antiques shop.) Clergy from St. Philip’s would travel between the church and the chapel for Sunday services. During this period, ties with the Episcopal community in Cold Spring were established and St. Philip’s ministry was extended to that growing hamlet, centered around its new foundry. Services were conducted in Cold Spring on Sunday afternoons and a church school was organized.