Little is known concerning the early history of this church, except that from J 764 to 1832 it was strictly independent in its organization, and Congregational in its form of government and worship.

The first settled pastor appears to have been the Rev. Joel Benedict, in 1783. Prior to this, the congregation must have depended on occasional supplies, or employed the services of a minister for a short period only. In the church register book (entitled the Records of the Congregational Church at Upper Salem) occurs the following memoranda. '-Upper Salem, August 20th, 1779. At a meeting of the church members hving in Upper Sa-

« Tho old building and site were sold to Mr. Alfred B. Mead in 1847.

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lem, Cortlandt's manor, and other places adjacent, to consult wliether they were desirous of uniting for forming into church order, (fcc. Present Peter Benedict, Jehiel Tyler, Jonathan Rogers, Thaddeus Crane, Solomon Close, Ezekiel Hawiey, Jesse Truesdale, Joseph Doolittle, John Piatt, James Wallace and Peter Ferris, voted Mr. Peter Benedict Moderator.'' "xA.ugust25, 1779, it was voted to form and unite as a Church in the order of the gospel. Mr. iMead invited to attend." "At a meeting of the Society of the upper end of Salem, 11th of May, 1779, at the upper Presbyterian Meeting House," it was voted " that Jesse Truesdale, Solomon Close and Nathaniel Delavan should form a committee for one year to get preaching." Its incorporation took place on the 18th of February, 1786, under the style of the " Congregationalist Society in Upper Salem ;" John Piatt, Benjamin Wood, Abraham Lockwood, David Smith, Bonage Starr and Moses Richard, trustees. *