About Us

St. James Church was founded in 1874, a time of prosperity and high expectations in Callicoon Depot. Organized as a "free church," that is, members were not assessed a pew tax - an important issue of that day - its first members were the village doctor, two housewives, and an elderly businessman/politician. Services were held in the local Methodist church and the village schoolhouse. Through most of the early years, it was a mission, served by once-a-month out of town clergy, seminarians, and local layreaders.

The first of the seminarians - Oliver Perry Vinton - led the drive to build a church. The building was completed in 1876. In 1912, a rectory was added, next door. In the late teens, the ministry was briefly expanded to include a chapel a few miles away at Long Eddy. In the 1920s, it grew to the point that a new, larger church, complete with central heating, plumbing, and a parish hall in the undercroft, replaced the original building.

Through much of its 126 years, St. James has experienced the ups and downs common to small churches. There have been periods without clergy, when faithful lay people and the support of other Episcopal churches kept it going. But there were also times when active clergy rallied the congregation to do exceptional work.

Beginning in the late 1970s, St. James participated in a series of experimental approaches to small church ministry, including "long weekend" clergy (as opposed to Sunday supply) and a cluster with four other churches. Unfortunately, these approaches were not sustainable. However, they did give the church a sense of self-confidence, empowerment, and vision. It was during this period that St. James achieved parish status and, that same year, sponsored two successful candidates for the priest-hood. With and without clergy, the congregation developed creative Christian education programs, fund raisers, and outreach projects.

In 1993, St. James Church and its rectory were named to the National Register of Historic Places, identified as "a distinctive and unaltered early twentieth century religious ensemble." The stucco-faced church building, constructed in 1927, combines elements of Southwestern Mission Style with a traditional bell cote parish church form derived from medieval English church architecture. Its interior includes finely crafted stained and painted glass and an intricately carved nineteenth century reredos behind the altar. The adjacent two-story, four-bedroom rectory, built in 1912, is a simple Shingle Style residence.

During the early period of yoked ministry with St. Andrew’s, before full time clergy could be hired, the rectory at Callicoon was turned into a "bed and breakfast" ministry, offering weekend accommodations for supply clergy.

With the advent of the Congregational Support Plan and the hiring of a priest in charge, such programs as Interfaith Outreach United and the "Every Sunday" School blossomed. Fund raising set new standards for creativity and profitability. As older parish leadership passed on, energetic newcomers appeared on the scene and began to take on parish responsibilities. Today, St. James stands out among its neighbors as a congregation that especially values diversity, creativity, and a thirst for learning and spiritual growth. Its small congregation includes city professionals, low income rural families, artists, writers, and retired people. Second home owners have become an increasingly active part of the local church. Once thought of as "summer people," they now come to their country homes every weekend, and have taken on lay leadership roles.
St. Andrew’s

In July of 1912, Mrs. E. Scott began hosting Episcopal services at her home in South Fallsburg. The Rev. W. I. Stretcher, rector of St. John’s, Monticello, officiated. The small congregation was made up of a few local residents and a number of summer visitors. Later, services were held at a local fishing and boating club.

Clergy from Monticello and Liberty, as well as students from General Theological Seminary, served the congregation. Between 1915 and 1919, seminarians were their main stay. From that point until 1980, when they entered into a cluster ministry, St. Andrew’s was served by clergy from St. John’s, Monticello.

In 1914, they purchased a lot along Route 42, in South Fallsburg, and began construction of a church building. It was completed in 1915. A few years later, with the assistance of the Stratton families, a basement and undercroft were excavated, providing space for central heating, a kitchen, and a parish hall.

The fading of Sullivan County’s Golden Age of resorts and bungalows had a devastating economic impact upon South Fallsburg. Not surprisingly, St. Andrew’s found itself small in numbers, and in serious financial straits. Entry into a cluster with four other churches, in 1981, offered the church a sense of rebirth. In the early, successful days of the cluster, the tiny congregation doubled, over a period of three years.

With the disbanding of the cluster, St. Andrew’s made the decision to yoke as an equal partner with St. James. Although some momentum had been lost during the final difficult years of the cluster and the supply clergy period that followed, entry into the Congregational Support Plan and the hiring of a priest-in-charge paved the way for renewed vitality. The congregation has grown and their success with the food pantry outreach program has given St. Andrew’s a new lease on life.

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