Bovina UP Church

The oldest institution in Bovina, the United Presbyterian Church, celebrates its Bicentennial this year. The church was officially founded as the Associate Presbyterian Church of Delhi in October 1809. Its name was changed in 1815 to the Associate Presbyterian Church of the Little Delaware and, when the Town of Bovina was created in 1820, the name changed yet again to the Associate Presbyterian Church of Bovina.

The congregation met in houses, school houses, barns and even taverns until 1815, when its first church building was built at where Reinertsen Hill Road and County Highway 6 meet. There is a cemetery there still - the open space in the lower left corner is where the church building stood. In 1849, the congregation moved into its current building in the hamlet. The building was expanded in 1859 to its current size. That same year, the congregation's name was changed once more to what it is today, the United Presbyterian Church of Bovina. The church was renovated in the late 1880s. This is when the current pews were installed.

The congregation has established a Bicentennial Committee, on which I am serving. On October 10 and 11, the church will be holding its official 200th Birthday celebrations. There will be a program Saturday evening, at which I have been asked to give a talk. The current pastor would like to do some kind of service at the site of the first church building during that weekend. On Sunday, there will be a special service at the current church at which former pastors are specifically being invited to participate. And current and past members of the congregation will be most welcome to attend any and all events.

As part of the Bicentennial observance, I will periodically provide further small articles about the origins and history of this church on this blog. So stay tuned.