History
Some Highlights of St. Thomas’ History
1835 – Rev. Liberty Barrows, a missionary from Sherburne, arrives with 50 prayer books and holds the first Episcopal service in Hamilton.
September 21, 1835 – St. Thomas’ is incorporated.
1838 – Rev. Johnson A. Brayton is installed as St. Thomas’ first rector.
1841 – The Ladies Sewing Society begins to raise funds to build a church. Four women of the group travel by horse and buggy to churches as far away as Elmira, seeking contributions.
ca. 1845 – Renowned architect Richard Upjohn supplies the plans for St. Thomas’ without charge.
1846 – A lot on Madison Street is purchased for $576, and a contract is signed for W.S. Mayhew of Waterville to construct the church at a cost of $1,050.
1847 – The church building is completed. Consecration by Bishop DeLancey of the Diocese takes place on June 8, 1847. Throughout the years, the members of St. Thomas’ have cared for – and periodically restored – our historic Gothic Revival church.
1851 – With the fund-raising efforts of the Ladies’ Society, the church acquires the property next door -- a house built ca. 1825 -- for use as a rectory.
1853 – The church is enlarged to include the bell tower and transepts. New stained glass windows are added, and a 1,000-pound bell is installed in the tower.
1853 – The Parish Schoolhouse is built behind the church and rectory.
ca. 1870 – New stained-glass windows are dedicated in memory of Charlotte E. Birge and Elsie B. Nye, two of the women who were instrumental in establishing our church in the 1840s.
1931-1988 – The Norwegian Tea and Sale, an annual tradition, is held in the Parish Hall.
1935 – St. Thomas’ celebrates its Centennial.
1950s – The Parish Hall serves as an early home of the Hamilton Co-operative Nursery School.
1954 – The Parish Hall is rebuilt following a fire. The present Parish Hall includes classrooms, offices, and a large meeting hall and kitchen.
1977-1989 – The Parish Hall is home to Chenango Nursery School.
1983-1988 – St. Thomas’ is involved in resettlement of Polish refugees in Hamilton.
1992-2011 – Parishioners tutor at Camp Georgetown, a state correctional facility. The church also provides an annual Christmas dinner with homemade pies. These ministries continue until Camp Georgetown closes.
1992-present – Friendship Inn provides free weekly suppers in the Parish House. Begun by St. Thomas’, Friendship Inn is an interfaith project.
2000 – The church, which had been painted white for many years, is painted a more historically accurate brown color.
2010 – A memorial garden is established on the south side of the church.
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2020 - In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Thomas' began offering streamed services.
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2022 - St. Thomas' welcomed Ukrainian refugees and assisted with the resettlement of two families.
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2023 - The congregation voted on a new paint color and updated the church to the current deep brown.
![St. Thomas' Church, 1937](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/372b5f_447da2edc78c4f199d386852b6995859.jpg/v1/fill/w_343,h_259,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/372b5f_447da2edc78c4f199d386852b6995859.jpg)
St. Thomas' Church in 1937
![Norwegian Tea, 1987](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/372b5f_0379cda1719a4cca81379a9bf3d208fe.jpg/v1/fill/w_306,h_408,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/372b5f_0379cda1719a4cca81379a9bf3d208fe.jpg)
Norwegian Tea, 1987
![2022 Winter..jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/372b5f_28ec0a95858349febe376ccaedd5deac~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_353,w_3024,h_2288/fill/w_68,h_52,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/2022%20Winter_.jpg)
Memorial Garden added in 2010.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/372b5f_00aeaffbf98c4f22a43bde4f1e59e8ce.jpg/v1/crop/x_9,y_9,w_305,h_566/fill/w_164,h_304,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/372b5f_00aeaffbf98c4f22a43bde4f1e59e8ce.jpg)
The most recent stained-glass window was added in 2015.