The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 428
Town of Scipio/Scipio Center - Churches/Scipioville

as May 20th, 1843. H. L. Hayward was pastor May 24th, 1845, and as late as May 30th, 1846; Harvey Boughton, May 23d, 1847, and as late as May 20th, 1849; and J. H. Harter, May 22d, 1853, and as late as May 25th, 1856. At present the church is without a pastor. The present membership is about thirty.

ST. BERNARD'S CHURCH OF SCIPIO CENTER (R. C.) was organized in the early part of 1867, at the house of James Flynn, of Scipio Center, by Rev. Father Bernard McCool, with about 100 adult members, of whom the following were the principal ones: John Conran, Thomas Heffernan, James Flynn, Joseph Morgan, Andrew Neville and Edward Reilly. The earliest meetings by members of this faith were held in a small private house, (now entirely removed) which stood some thirty or forty rods east of the present church, in 1851, and were conducted by Father Quigley, who, together with Fathers Burns and Twohig, administered to the spiritual wants of the Catholics in this vicinity from 1851 to 1863. In the latter year Father McCool took charge, and the church erected four years later attests his zealous labors. In 1870, Father McCool was removed by the Bishop to Seneca Falls, the field of his present labors, where he still enjoys the best wishes of this congregation. He was succeeded by Father Schmettzer, who, by reason of delicate health, was unable to endure the hardships of this mission longer than ten months. Father Eugene Pagani ministered to this people in the latter part of 1871 and early part of 1872, and was succeeded by Father Archange Paganini, who was the first resident pastor of this church, but was relieved June 15th, 1873, after a pastorate of ten months, by the present pastor, Father Hugh Francis Rafferty.

When Father Rafferty took charge, the church was struggling under a $1,200 indebtedness, besides a large annual rental for the house occupied as a parsonage. Since then this debt has been paid, and a new and respectable two story brick parsonage, as well as a suitable barn and stable have been built on the grounds adjoining the church. The church edifice, erected in 1867, was 32 by 45 feet, and was enlarged in the summer of 1877, by an addition 32 by 62 feet, besides a vestry 12 by 32 feet, making the building present the form of a Latin cross. In the front has been built a neat little tower, seventy to eighty feet high, and surmounted by a well proportioned gilt cross. Upon a stone in front of the tower in gilt letters, is the Latin inscription: Et Porta Inferi non prevalebunt advesus eam. Within the tower is a fine-toned bell, weighing over 1,600 pounds. The interior of the church presents a pleasing appearance. The pews are neatly stained and varnished, with walnut stained trimmings. The walls and ceilings are beautifully frescoed; and upon the former, to the right and left of the altar, are life size portraits of saints Peter and Paul, while upon the latter are representations of various religious emblems. Immediately behind and above the tabernacle is a bust of the monk St. Bernard.

SCIPIOVILLE.

SCIPIOVILLE is situated near the west line of the town, south of the center, on Poplar Ridge, and is twelve miles south of Auburn, eight miles north of Northville, four miles east of Levanna, and one and one-half miles west of Scipio Summit. It contains two churches, (Methodist Episcopal and Presbyterian,) a district school, a hotel, (kept by N. J. Webster,) two stores, a harness shop, (kept by George R. Kent,) a shoe shop, (kept by Benjamin Cain,) a blacksmith shop, (kept by Houghton & Cooper,) a wagon shop, (kept by J. Dean,) a tannery, [(]kept by Lemuel Allen,) an attorney, (James Hyat Baker,) and a population of 170.

Scipioville was first known as Watkins Settlement and Watkins Corners. In 1806, Paine Fitch built a tavern there and it was afterwards known as Fitchs Corners, till subsequently it was named Mechanicsburg, which name it retained till the establishment of the post-office in 1836, when the present name was adopted.

MERCHANTS.-The first merchants at Scipioville were Orin peck and Thomas Hale, who opened a general store in 1813, in the building now occupied as a dwelling by the widow Jotham Forbes. They also carried on the distilling business. They bought that year the tin shop established about 1809 by Asahel and Seth Peck, brothers of Orin Peck. This tin shop is said to have been the first one west of Utica in the State. In 1823, they dissolved. Hale, who came from Connecticut in 1811, continued at the old stand, discontinuing

The information on this page was transcribed to a digital format by Roger A. Post

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