Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Building, Religion, Site

Location

5 Church, Alfred, NY 14802, USA

Lat/Long

42.254612393271, -77.791035655639

Grant Recipient

Union University Church

The Town of Alfred has been closely linked with the Seventh Day Baptist faith since its founding. The area’s first settlers, Clark Crandall, Nathan Green, and Edward Green, were members of the church who arrived around 1807. By 1816, the growing community established a formal congregation that initially met in a private residence. As the membership expanded, the congregation constructed a church building capable of seating 700 to 800 people, which was dedicated on February 16, 1854.

The Seventh Day Baptist congregation significantly influenced the town’s development through its commitment to education. Church leaders began instructing students in a member’s home in 1836. By 1842, the New York Board of Regents officially chartered the Alfred Academy and Teachers Seminary. A fifteen-member Board of Trustees was appointed, the majority of whom were active church members. At the time of its charter, the church and its constituents had provided buildings, a library, and philosophical apparatus valued at $2,500.

In September 1855, the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference convened with representatives from across New York State. During these proceedings, a recently formed Committee on Education reported on fundraising efforts and the selection of a site for a denominational college. Alfred was chosen as the location, leading to the formation of an Educational Society to secure additional funding and oversee the school’s establishment.

By 1856, the Educational Society had secured further financing and developed a curriculum featuring a three-year academic course and three collegiate courses: classical, scientific, and a ladies’ course. The society began hiring professors and utilized rooms and equipment donated by Alfred Academy. A provisional Board of Trustees was appointed to seek a state charter.

In 1857, the New York State Legislature passed an act incorporating Alfred University. Twenty-five of the university’s 33 original trustees were active members of the Seventh Day Baptist church. Because Alfred Academy was already under the church’s patronage, the incorporation act authorized the transfer of the academy’s property to the new university trustees, formally establishing Alfred University through the sustained efforts of the Seventh Day Baptist church and its members.