Middletown Township.

pastor, and continued in the discharge of that office until 1809, when he accepted a call to a church at Little Britain. In 1802 the house in which he lived, on the west side of Edgmont road, south of the church, near where Mr. Bonnall's dwelling now is, was destroyed by fire, and the records of the church, being in his study, were lost. Rev. Nathaniel Randolph Snowden, in 1809, became the pastor of the church, and continued as such until 1817, when he was called to the presidency of Dickinson College. He resided during his term as pastor of Middletown Church at Chester, for his son, James Ross Snowden, the distinguished director of the United States mint and author, was born in that borough. The Presbytery of New Castle censured Rev. Mr. Snowden, alleging that he came to Middletown without the consent of that Presbytery, took upon himself the pastorate, and also took the church from the care of New Castle and transferred it to that of Philadelphia Presbytery, where it continued until 1870, when Chester Presbytery was formed. During all the time he was in charge of the church he was never installed, but exercised pastorate functions as if he had been. After Rev. Mr. Snowden resigned, the church had no regular minister until 1827, although in 1819 Rev. Nathaniel Todd was appointed stated supply at Middletown for six months. He was continued until 1822, when he was dismissed to go to Carlisle. In 1823 Larry Bishop was appointed as supply at Middletown for first and third Sabbaths in every month, and he continued thus in charge of the church until 1826, when he was dismissed to take control of a church in the Huntingdon Presbytery.

In 1818 the Presbytery of Philadelphia was asked to form two church organizations, one in Springfield and Providence, the other in Aston. Middletown Church met this movement by protest, alleging that the district was so sparse that there was no room for another Presbyterian Church; that the means employed to obtain signatures were not fair or honorable, and that the erection of a new church would arrest the growth and progress of Middletown Church. The protest was signed by Samuel Black, Hugh Caldwell, John Craig, and the heads of most of the Presbyterian families, but, nevertheless, in 1819, the Presbytery appointed a committee to organize two additional churches.

In 1827 Rev. Robert McCochran was installed as pastor, and remained as such until 1830. In October, 1832, Rev. Alvin H. Parker became the pastor of the church, and continued in such relationship until October, 1839. The church at this period had been almost abandoned to decay, and in that year an effort was made to revive interest in the organization. In 1841, Rev. Samuel P. Helme was called to the pastorate, but resigned in April following. Under date of Oct. 4, 1842, John P. Crozer records that a stranger had been sent by the Presbytery of Philadelphia to Middletown and the Blue meeting-house, "to make some attempt to impress life into these decaying churches." In speaking of Middletown Church, he records, "This ancient edifice, truly venerable in appearance, was erected by godly men, who have for three-quarters of a century slept in death. This is one of the oldest places of worship in the whole country, and its substantial and venerable walls testify that the yeomanry, by whom they were erected, were willing to honor God with their substance, and in that day, when farm-houses were of the plainest and simplest kind, they were willing to pay for a large and commodious edifice and dedicate it to the worship of Almighty God."¹ The church, at the time Mr. Crozer described it, was much out of repair, and many persons who could recall the building burned in 1879, remember it only after it had been materially altered in 1846. The pulpit was then in the east end of the building, and at the west, opposite, was the door. The pulpit stood about ten feet above the heads of the congregation, and the ceiling followed the roof to a peak, which was well known to many of the youngsters of that day, who, when seated on the highbacked pews, were shut out from a sight of the clergyman, and could only follow the sloping ceiling with their eyes, or perhaps they could catch a glimpse of the sounding-board suspended over the pulpit and wonder, if it fell, what would become of the preacher.

From 1842 to 1846 the church was dependent on supplies, but early in the latter year Rev. James W. Dale was called, and the dawn of better days came with him to Middletown. His eloquence soon gathered a congregation there, which had separated, and it was determined to repair and enlarge the church, William T. Cook, then a prosperous manufacturer, undertaking personally to discharge the greater part of the expense. On Saturday afternoon, July 11, 1846, the corner-stone of the addition to the church was laid, Rev. Dr. Cuyler and Rev. Dr. Jones, of Philadelphia, making addresses on the occasion. It had been intended that the ceremony should have. taken place on the 4th of July, but "the damp, drizzly, dull, disagreeable day, the like of which could not be recalled by the oldest inhabitants as happening on a 4th in our history," compelled a delay in the services. Fifteen feet was added to the length of the building and the alterations already mentioned in describing the old church were made, and three acres added to the graveyard.

Mr. Dale's ministry continued for over twenty-five years pastor of the mother Presbyterian Church of Delaware County, remaining there until 1871, when he resigned to take charge of Wayne Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Dr. Dale was a man of action as well as words, and for nearly thirty years he kept alive and nurtured into strength all the Presbyterian Churches in the county, and after they were able to care for themselves he never lost his interest in their