Pierre van Cortlandt, August 29th, 1841." The marble font was the gift of his son, Colonel Pierre van Cortlandt.

The site of this church was formerly occupied by a military magazine, destroyed by the British army in 1777. Large quantities of grape shot have been found in the immediate vicinity. Adjoining the building on the south is situated the family vanlt of Ward B. Howard, Esq. (now president of the village corporaation,) in which repose the mortal remains of his late wife, Lucia

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66 HISTORY OF THE

Howard, daughter of the late Hon. Robert Johnston. * Also the remains of his nephew, Wilham J. Mitchell, (son of the late Chauncey Mitchell, Esq.) who was unfortunately killed by the explosion of the steamer Gen. Jackson, off Yerplanck's Point, June 7th, 1S31.

This church was first incorporated 19th*July, 1838, under the title of the " AVardens and Vestrymen of St. Peter's Chapel, in the village of Peekskill," on which occasion Pierre Van Cortlandt and Samuel Marks, were elected wardens, and Daniel D. Smith, Samuel T. Wood, John CoUett, Elihu E. Baker, Alex. Fairly, Wm. B. Birdsall, Nicholas Cruger, and Isaac Seymour, vestrymen.^

A third incorporation occurs under the title of " St. Peter's Church of Cortlandt," 28th August, lS40.c

This church is annexed to a much older one of the same name, situated two miles north of the village, where occasional services are still performed.

The Dutch Reformed Church is a neat wooden edifice, surmounted with a spire of the same material, standing nearly south of the Episcopal Church. Above the entrance is a tablet inscribed --