The
following article is taken from “The Traveling Post Office” by William J.
Dennis:
There’s
a church in the valley by the wildwood,
No
lovelier place in the dale:
No
spot is so dear to my childhood,
As
the little brown church in the vale.
A church erected by a railway postal clerk from
contributions solicited from clerks and railroad men is the unique edifice of
worship which stands in the village of Eagle Bridge, New York. This memorial church was the result of the
efforts of the veteran clerk, Mr. John
H. Pitney. Mr. Pitney felt the need of
a church in the village and conceived the idea of raising the necessary money among
the men with whom he associated in his work on the road. As a result of his solicitations and work
the church was dedicated to the worship of God on October 26, 1882. Mr. August Binderman in the “Railway Post
Office” describes this memorial church to postal and railroad men as follows:
“The large window in the gable next to the street was
contributed entirely by postmasters, post office clerks, railway postal clerks
and railroad men. The design is by Mr.
Pitney ,and the drawing is by Conductor Issac Sargent, of the old Fitchburg
road. The dimensions of the window are
six feet by seven feet six inches. In
the oval top is a cross and crown with the initial letters of the church society in monogram. Directly underneath this is a carrier
pigeon carrying a letter in his beak, which represents the earliest recorded
manner of transporting intelligence.
Underneath this on the left the post rider is represented; on the right
the third era in the march of intelligence is represented, a mail coach and
four horses traversing a highway on the bank of a river, the Hudson, on the
bosom of which is seen (in the distance) Robert Fulton’s first steamboat. The Scripture motto surrounding these
historical scenes is the angel’s proclamation to the watching shepherds,
‘Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. Which shall be unto all the people,’
and ‘May this church be indeed good tidings’ and ‘glad tidings’ and a ‘source
of great joy to the people.’ Beneath all this is a train of cars, with a United
States postal car attached, telegraph and telephone lines with telegraph
instruments, key and sounder, and a telephone instrument. A church and
schoolhouse are seen in the landscape, twin sisters of a Christian
civilization. Just over the telegraph
and telephone line is the Scripture motto: ‘Their lines are gone out through
all the earth and their words to the end of the world.’ Over the telephone instrument is the motto,
‘Let every man be swift to hear and slow to speak,’ and over the telegraph
instrument this motto: ‘For this is the message that ye learned from the
beginning, that ye shall love one another,’.........
The little Eagle Bridge church is a fitting memorial
for men who performed such faithful tho’ inconspicious service, and doubtless
the minds of not a few whose bodies have grown tired in long years of exacting
service.”
“How sweet on a bright Sabbath morning
To list to the clear ringing bell;
Its tones so sweet are calling,
Oh, come to the church in the vale”