M. E. Church, Webster Crossing, NY

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Divided back, used, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked from Webster Crossing, New York, November 24th. The year appears to be 1909.

Price:  $15.00

A Real Photo Postcard of a beautiful little church:  M.E. stands for Methodist Episcopal. The Methodist Episcopal Church (M.E.C.) was the first Methodist denomination founded in the U.S. and existed from 1784 to 1939. That’s the short version without getting into a detailed history, (as per the norm, everything is always more involved than one might initially think) what with mergers and differences of ideology, schisms and the like. But back to this particular church:  it’s a charming building, we love the contrast of the dark trim against the white, the steeple (almost like a large cupola), and the lancet-style front window, with its smaller similar version above the door. The reverse of the card shows a joke we are not privy to, but imagining the laugh shared between friends, we are smiling just the same.

“are you going to church sunday night ha, ha.”

Addressed to:   “Hazel Eggelson. Kanona N.Y.”

This is likely the Hazel Eggelston (no matches under Eggelson) who appears on the 1910 Federal Census with her parents, Martin and Louise, and uncle, Samuel Eggelston. All are native to New York and are living in Bath, Steuben County, at Wheeler and Kanona Roads. Hazel, born about 1896 would have been about thirteen or fourteen when she received the postcard.

Kanona is about 28 miles south of Webster’s Crossing, and Bath is about 3 miles south of Kanona, as the crow flies.

Sources:  Methodist Episcopal Church. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodist_Episcopal_Church (accessed October 2, 2016).

Year: 1910; Census Place: Bath, Steuben, New York; Roll: T624_1079; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0100; FHL microfilm: 1375092. (Ancestry.com)

Mystery Church

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Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, unused. AZO stamp box, circa 1907 – 1918.

Price:  $7.00

Real Photo Postcard showing a side view of a large church in the Gothic Revival style, of stone construction, showing a tall spire, several smaller spires, many stained glass windows, and various crosses (how many do you count?) Besides the beauty of the church itself, for me the most striking thing about this photo is the contrast between the building with all of it’s intricate detail, seemingly out in the middle of a field. Of course, we can see upon closer inspection, that there is a road and some utility poles to the right, and get the sense that many, if not all, of the trees in the photo were likely planted by hand when the church was built, but still, I like the initial illusion of this grand and graceful structure appearing unexpectedly placed in its rural, almost isolated setting.