Welcome to Ponckhockie; a place to worship.

Your first question may be ~ how do we pronounce Ponckhockie? The easiest way is to combine "ponk" (as in honk!) followed by the name of the ice skating sport called "hockey"; Ponk~Hockey! Ponckhockie is a section of the City of Kingston (NY) looking over the Hudson  River where the Rondout Creek empties into the river. The neighborhood was the site of a British naval landing and attack during the revolutionary war  when Kingston (then the capital of N.Y.) was "burnt and plundered". At that time Ponckhockie was not a part of Kingston.

The Ponckhockie Union Church (Congregational) is a historic chapel at the corner of Abruyn Street and Delaware Avenue in Kingston, NY.  It was built in 1870, and is a rectangular, Gothic Revival  style  created with poured reinforced concrete. It is believed to be the oldest such structure in New York and perhaps in the U.S. 

About The Building:

The Church was also known as the Ponckhockie Union Chapel and the Children's Chapel.

The structure was built in 1870 by the Newark Lime and Cement Company. Early photographs show large troughs extending from the adjacent hillside - supported by scaffolding - so that concrete could be poured into forms. It has been written that the materials, technique and technology used in this structure were applied in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The original steeple was 220 feet at the tip of the concrete cross that adorned the top - and was reportedly the highest of it's type in the world until 1962 - at which time the steeple was removed due to weather and lightening damage. Inside, a natural "air-conditioning" system consisted of air channels in the walls and floors that allowed cool air to enter the main auditorium (sanctuary) during summer months. This system was controlled by a series of vents and shutters that have since deteriorated.

The stained glass windows contain the names of prominent families of the era - who supported the project. Many also became charter members of the church (when it was "chartered" in 1915).

From Sunday School to Church — a brief history:

The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and deemed worthy of distinction as a Historic Landmark by the City of Kingston Landmark Preservation Commission. The Church's (recorded) roots date back to June 3`d 1854 and a one room school house on Delaware Avenue (two blocks east of the current structure).

Early notes and meeting minutes are difficult to decipher - but it appears that prior to the organization of the Sunday School in 1854 - there may have been 50 years of activity that is still to be discovered. After a few weeks the school was moved to the small brick chapel that was built for that purpose for them by the Newark Lime and Cement Company at the corner of East Union and Tompkins Street (a few blocks west of the current structure).

Leadership changed hands several times leading up to and during the Civil War (early records indicate that Superintendent Stebbins resigned in April of 1861 to join the 20th Regiment). During the winter of 1866-67 the Ladies Aid Society was instituted to secure funds for a cabinet organ, library books and other articles as were needed by the school. Soon the school outgrew it's home and was allowed to used the large upper rooms of the then new Ponckhockie District School on Delaware Avenue (which became known P.S. School # 4).

Sunday attendance during the winter averaged 125 and summers saw as many as 150 gather to hear Mr. Calvin Tompkins preach. Objections were made to the use of the school for religious purposes so the Newark Lime and Cement Company built the current structure. The Chapel was dedicated on March 29, 1871.

During the dedication, Mr. Calvin Tompkins presented the building to the "Protestant Children of Ponckhockie" and to generations of children who should succeed them as long as it should be used for Protestant Christian Services. The first session of the school was held in the new chapel on April 2, 1871. The school continued to grow and prosper through the early 1900's. In 1915 members and supporters of the "school" decided to form a Congregational Church.

The church has continued to be a congregational church for 107 years and is a member of the Northeast Fellowship of Congregational Christian Churches.

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