Old Church Built in 1851.
Present Church Built in 1995.

One might think of Wesleyanism as a tree with it's Methodism roots starting in England in the life of it's founders John and Charles Wesley, and with it's branches striking out from the various out reaches in many countries of the world. In 1760 Philip Embury, his wife, his cousin Mrs Barbara Heck and other Methodists from Limerick, Ireland came to New City, NY. The Methodist Episcopal Church of America had it's official beginning in the Christmas Conference of December, 1784. Every since it's founding Methodism has testified against slavery as a moral evil, which brings us up to Orange Scott, who was born in Vermont on February 13, 1800 and was instrumental in organizing " A Wesleyan Anti- Slavery Convention" held in the Methodist Church in Andover, Massachusetts on Wednesday, the first day of February, 1843. This was the first formal meeting for the purpose of organizing the church, which would become Wesleyan Methodist Church "free from Episcopacy and Slavery". Of the six conferences here created, Plattsburgh Methodist would become part of the Champlain Conference, Eastern District. The first session of the Champlain Conference met in West Chazy, NY on October 5th, 1843 with Rev. Cyrus Prindle as president.
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Plattsburgh Turnpike Wesleyan Church

Both the old and new churches are located on the Military Turnpike, Plattsburgh NY. Wesleyan services were held near the community of West Plattsburgh as early as 1843. At the west end of Plattsburgh there were three classes(societies) meeting under the name of Wesleyan Methodist Church. One was the Nip City Class, another Rand Hill Class and the West Plattsburgh Class which met at the Gwinnup Schoolhouse. In 1843, the Rev. Hiram McKee organized these three societies into the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Plattsburgh and Beekmantown. It's first minister, the Rev. Alexander Lamberton, served from May 5, 1843 to May 5, 1845. Rev. A. C. Hand was the minister in charge of the Wesleyan Methodist Champlain circuit, an organization of classes who were miinstered to by preachers who traveled by horseback and carriage. On February 4, 1851, the First Wesleyan Methodist Church of West Plattsburgh was organized by several charter members in the Gwinnup Schoolhouse, the Reverend A. C. Hand presiding. In April 1851, the church received a contract from John Addoms for a piece of land located at the corner of the Military Turnpike and the Pellerin Road with a stipulation that a meeting house be built there. The old church was built that same year on land purchased from John Addoms, which he would later donate after the church was built on it.On the Addoms farm, just behind the old church, there was an underground railroad Station to help slaves escape into Canada. In 1888 the church members voted to incorporate in accordance with the laws of New York and became known as the First Wesleyan Methodist Church of West Plattsburgh. Three early members were granted licenses to preach, and later became presidents of the Champlain Conference, the Reverend A. J. Allen in March 25, 1899, L. C. Mattoon on September 4, 1902, C. Lawrence Hill on May 23,1918(renewal), and Floyd Banker on September 29, 1920. Many improvements have been made over the years in the church and parsonage. In 1958, during the pastorate of the Reverend John Lamos, the sanctuary of the church was extensively redecorated and new pulpit furniture installed. The grounds were landscaped and a parking lot added. Also a new heating system was put in the church. In 1958 a 30' X 30' Sunday School annex was built onto the church. A suspended ceiling and new lighting were installed in the church in 1967, while the Reverend William Knecht was pastor. The parsonage, across the Turnpike and North of the church, was extensively renovated with a new automatic hot water heating system in 1961, the kitchen modernized with built-in cupboards and stainless steel sink and a 88' well was drilled in 1967. On June 30, 1961 the name of the church was officially changed from the First Wesleyan Methodist Church of West Plattsburgh to the Plattsburgh Turnpike Wesleyan Methodist Church. In 1965 the church took on full support of one of it's own young men, John E. Banker, a Wycliffe Bible translator in Viet Nam. With the union of the Wesleyan Methodist and the Piligrim Holiness churches in 1968, the church's name changed to Plattsburgh Turnpike Wesleyan Church, as it remains today. Rev. and Mrs Ralph Chapman came to minister to Turnpike Wesleyan in June 1974. Under their leadership the congregation has continued to grow. On May 2, 1993 a ground breaking service was held on the same side(east) of the Military Turnpike, about a quarter of a mile North of the old church, where the new church was built in 1995. On Palm Sunday 1995, the morning service started in the old church sanctuary and then the whole congregration marched up the Turnpike to the new church building, where the morning service concluded with worship in the new sanctuary. A dedication ceremony followed a couple weeks later on April 22, 1995 and services have continued in the new church. The original church and parsonage have been sold and are occupied by private individuals presently. We are enjoying our new worship house and some work on the church is continuing with dedicated volunteer help by members of the congregation. Our Church has been wonderfully blessed with dedicated pastors and wives and also with faithful laity people. The present congregaton continues to grow spiritually and numerically . Praise God for His manifold blessings.

Play a favorite,which expresses OUR deepest desire " A closer walk with Thee" Jesus). A MIDI Music File