The Dutch Reformed Church of this village was first organized in 1839, under the pastoral charge of the late Rev. George Bourne, of New York, and incorporated on the 16th of March, 1840. =1 First elders, Thomas Butler, George Wilson, and Abijah Rogers ; first deacons, James P. Fitch, J. G. Rowland, and Stephen Kelly. Mr, Bourne was succeeded, in 1842, by the Rev. Barnabas Collins. The present pastor is the Rev. John Simonson, who commenced his ministrations in 1845.
An Episcopal Methodist Society was incorporated upon the 24th October, 1831 ; Andrew C. Wheeler, Joseph Smith, John F. Fay, Thomas T. Phillips, and Thomas Bolton, trustees.'^
West Farms is not behind any of the neighboring towns in her literary institutions ; for, besides three large district schools for the education of both sexes, there is a ladies' seminary and a boys' school. In 1803 there appears to have been an academy existing here, the trustees of which were the Hon. Governeur Morris, Dominick Lynch, John Sloss Hobart, Abijah Hammond, James Morris, Daniel Ludlow, Isaac Clason, Israel Underbill, Philip I. Livingston, Robert Gilchrist, Joseph Given, Jonathan Randel, Andrew Barton, Israel Honeywell, Samuel Kelly, Robert Heaton, and William H. Morris.
During the revolutionary war. West Farms was constantly exposed to the daily forays of both armies, as they alternately held possession of the adjoining country. "On the 25th of January, 1777, (observes General Heath,) early on the morning, the enemy made a sally towards De Lancey^s Mills,'^ where they surprised and routed the guard, wounding several, but not killing or taking