History

Incorporated in 1767, Bottskill is the sixth oldest Baptist Church in New York State, pre-dating the founding of our country. During those 250 years, Bottskill has been at the center of several historic moments.

Chester A. Arthur, the 21st president of the United States, sat in the pews while his father, Reverend William Arthur, preached as a pastor to the congregation.

In 1854, author, orator, and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass filled the church “to a perfect jam” as he delivered an anti-slavery address years before the Civil War.

It’s also important to recognize that the church structure is part of the historic fabric that makes Greenwich an attractive place to live and to raise a family.

The church building has been a fixture in the community since 1865, with its steeple gracing the skyline of the village overlooking the Battenkill River.