THE TOWN OF CORTLANDT.

February, 1795, we find John Drake and Catharine, his wife, conveying three-quarters of an acre of land in this place to William Hallock, Thomas Clark, William Weeks, Abraham Travis and Stephen Newby, managers of the Methodist society. The present church edifice, erected A.D., 1837, occupies the site of a still older building, erected in 181 1 : to it is attached a small grave-yard. The communicants of this church number two hundred.

The Protestant Methodist society was first established here in 1827, and incorporated 23d November, 1836; John Spock, William R. Steel and Thomas Blackney, trustees.0

The Wesleyan or Primitive Methodists originally belonged to the old Methodist society, from which body they seceded in 1839. Their first pastor was the Rev. John Miles. The church edifice was erected in 1839, and incorporated A.D. 1842.

The society of Friends was first organized here in 1804, and the oldest house erected in 181 1, upon land given for that purpose by Nathaniel Brown, Esq.

The Roman Catholic church of the assumption stands at the corner of Union and First streets, the pastor of which is the Rev. Father William P. Flannelly. The Roman Catholic Institutions are the Franciscan Convent, which was established about nine years ago, and is situated on the banks of the Hudson near the Rail Road Depot. At present there are about thirty sisters connected with the institution, who conduct a school known at the Academy of Our Lady of Angels. The object of the community is teaching the children of the poor and caring for he sick. The grounds are tastefully laid out and the improvements consist of a chapel and new convent, the cost of which was about $30,000.