Vintage Photo: Presbyterian Church

Essex Presbyterian Church (Credit: Essex Souvenir Letter) (Source: Geo Davis via Rosslyn Redux)

Every Monday we share a vintage image on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page and invite our viewers to play some Vintage Essex Trivia.

I’m sure everyone recognizes the building featured in the photo above — do you? It’s the church in Essex on the corner of Main Street and Route 22. The photo is entitled “Presbyterian Church,” although today many know it as the Essex Community Church as in 1922 the Methodist, Baptist, & Presbyterian congregations of Essex joined together in one federated church and chose this church out of the three to host their services.

That fact also implies that this photo was taken before 1922 and the church’s name change.

What do you note that is different in the photo compared to today? Here’s some of what the community noticed:

Dianne Lansing: Doesn’t have the handicapped ramp, the stair railings, the lamp posts, nor the maple trees that I understand Warren Cross dug up in his wood lot and transplanted in front of the church.

Peter Pierce: No utility wires lol

Do you spy any other changes? Or have more to say? Leave a comment below!

Back of Essex Souvenir Letter c. 1908 (The Douglas Publishing Company, Buffalo, NY, Delaware & Hudson Railroad Series A.M.R) (Source: Geo Davis via Rosslyn Redux)

This photo comes from a series inside of a souvenir letter themed around Essex. It was published by the Douglas Publishing Company, Buffalo, NY as part of a Delaware & Hudson Railroad Series A.M.R as you can see from the back of the letter to the right. Perhaps the railroad company, which was active in the area, was sponsoring the publication and/or they were the ones selling the souvenir letters? You can also see the postage mark that shows us the letter was sent March, 19, 1908, which dates the images in the letter to that year or earlier.

We have shared two other images from that letter so far (and we will be sharing more in the future). See them here:

Share Your Essex Artifacts

If you want to share your old photos of Essex (or brochures; postcards; menus; tickets; any artifact) on the blog please email us at editor [AT] essexonlakechamplain [DOT] com.

Vintage Photo: Essex Baptist Church (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Former Methodist Church with Steeple (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Sherwood Inn Waterfront (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: Ship on Whallons Bay (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Essex Main Street Looking North (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Katie Shepard

Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015. Connect with her on Facebook or at Linked.in. Or email her at katie [@] essexeditions [dot] com.