There is a tradition that the first meeting of the Friends in America was held in Westchester, and that George Fox preached here in 1672. Monthly Meeting was appointed by the Yearly Meeting at Flushing, L. I., to be held at Westchester on the 9th day of Fourth Month, 1725. In 1723 the Friends built the meeting-house which is still standing south of St. Peter's Church, and is now in possession of the Hicksite branch ; nearly opposite stands the meeting house of the Orthodox Friends, which was erected in 1828.

Methodist Episcopal Church. -- On the 8th of

October, 1808, the congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the town of Westchester met in pursuance of the act to provide for the incorporation of religious societies, passed March 27, 1801, and elected the following trustees: William Johnston, Gilbert Lewis, Abraham Secord, Benjamin Morgan, Moses Hunt and Gilbert Shute. They assumed the name of the Zion Methodist Episcopal Church of the town of Westchester. Other articles of incorporation, dated October 26, 1826, seem to have been filed with reference to this church, for on that day, at a meeting held in their place of worship, the congregation elected John Westfield, Andrew C. Wheeler, Joseph Smith, Frederick Titus, John F. Fay and Isaac Lounsbury trustees.

Zion Church became dissolved by reason of nonuser, and therefore, to effect a re-incorporation, on February 7, 1835, the congregation assembled at the church near the village of Westchester, where they were accustomed to attend for divine worship, and elected Isaac Lounsbury, Thomas Bolton, Samuel R. Munn, William H. Lounsbury and Thomas J. Phillips trustees, and resolved that the society should be thereafter known as the Methodist Episcopal Church of Zion, in the town of Westchester. The church edifice was erected in 1818.