Rowley Registry
Published Local Histories

"ELDER JOHN GOFF, a Baptist minister of Benton, Ontario county, held monthly meetings at the court house, in Waterloo, in 1824. The next year Elder Thomas Brown of Geneva, held semi-weekly meetings at the same place. A church was organized August 6, 1825, composed of the following seventeen persons Cornelius Hill, William Child, Asa Warden, Harris Usher, John Demconson, Ray G. Lewis, Edward buck, Catherine Riker, Betsy Usher, Charlotte Long, Eunice Demconson, Mary Warden, Nancy Whiteford, Polly Smith, Susan Smith, Sarah Smith, Elizabeth Snook. Asa Warden and Cornelius Hill were elected deacons. In November the church united with the Ontario Association and Rev. E.M. Martin was pastor at Geneva and Waterloo. After this there were no regular meetings until 1831, when Elder Taylor became pastor for one year. Again, meetings were discontinued and in October, 1833, the church disbanded.

In October, 1836, Rev. Moses Rowley, a missionary of the State Convention, began to preach every Sunday at the Court House, and in March, 1837, the church was re-constituted with thirty-seven members. Cornelius Hill, Jr., and George W. Lambert and I. Thorn were made deacons. Service were held in the Court House until 1838, and afterward in the school house at Schauyes. Elder Rowley was pastor for four years and baptized one-hundred and twenty-two converts. A house of worship costing $3,000, was built and dedicated June 15, 1840. It was sold in 1843, and the congregation again worshiped in the school house. In 1853, the church again disbanded. The pastors from 1840 to 1853, were, in their order Revs. Enos Marshall, L. Ransted, J. Halliday, Nathan Baker, E. Blakely, S. Ewer, Samuel Hough, and D.W. Litchfield.