About us
Who We Are and Where We Came From Sloatsburg derives its name from the Sloat family, which has lived in the area since the 1700's. The Sloats were among the first families to settle this region and were responsible for the establishment of the first church, the Methodist Episcopal Chapel. The church was established in 1837 in a schoolhouse in Ramapo Works.
In April 1837, Jacob Sloat and his wife presented to the church Trustees, a tract of land about 500 feet north of the present church site. Construction of the Chapel began in 1843. Most of the work was donated. Heavy timbers were cut and hewn in the immediate vicinity, however, Mr. William Becraft hauled by ox team all the finished timber from the mill at Goshen in only two trips a week. Completed in 1843, the Chapel was the first place of worship to be erected in the vicinity. This Chapel was used as a place of worship until 1887. At that time a new wooden frame church was erected at an approximate cost of $2,200 and the Chapel was used for Sunday School and social purposes. It continued to be used until 1940, when the widening of Route 17 made it necessary for its removal. The Chapel was moved to its present site and remodeled as a two-floor parish house at an approximate cost of $7,500.00. Both floors are 30' x 40' in size. The first floor is a basement floor used as a dining hall; the second floor is used for Sunday School and social purposes. A 45' x 15' addition at the rear provided a stage, classrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms and a boiler room. The main part of the building today is substantially as it was in 1843, with the original framework, siding and ceiling. Henry R. Sloat sold the parsonage property to the church in 1874 for $600. The parsonage was built in 1894. It had to be moved thirty-eight feet when Orange Turnpike was widened in 1940. At that time it was completely renovated. After twenty-one years, the wood frame church built in 1887 was considered unsafe. It was going to be costly to repair, so in its place the present beautiful stone Sanctuary was built. It was furnished and formally dedicated in 1908. The beautiful stained glass window behind the present choir loft is an original from 1887. The bell in the bell tower was originally used at Mr. Knapp's Shoddy Mill to call the men to work. Today it calls the congregation to Worship. Today we are considered a small congregation with less than seventy-five active members. Although we are small in numbers, we are great in spirit and have a vision that our church is to be alive and active in our local community and in the world today.
