Titles such as first, oldest, largest.....are very dangerous because they are almost impossible to document. There is always some special caveat that makes some other place earlier, bigger.....etc.

Here in Wayne County we claim the first woman to be ordained a minister and the first Civil War Monument in NYS and the oldest theater in the USA in continuous operation.

There are plenty of people and organizations out there who would be willing to do battle over those clains. I tend to back off and say things like 
"one of the first or oldest...etc." I just don't want to get into a nit picking contest with others. "Nit Picking" isn't healthy for the general history community.

All the best,
Peter

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Robert Sullivan
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 12:28 PM
To: preservation; A LISTSERV list for discussions pertaining to New York State history.
Subject: CDPTF Local history commemorated at Fort Herkimer Church

Mohawk, N.Y. - When asked to speak about the history of Fort Herkimer
Church, Donald Fenner said he decided to clear up some misinformation
people may have about it.

One thing, he said, is the idea that the church is the second oldest
in the state.

"[It may be the oldest] in the Mohawk Valley. That's probably true.
But the second oldest in the state, that's not quite true," he said
before listing several other churches that date before 1767, including
St. George's Episcopal Church in Schenectady and Sleepy Hollow
Reformed Church in Tarrytown.

<http://www.littlefallstimes.com/news/x1383327996/Local-history-commemorated-at-Fort-Herkimer-Church>

-- 
Bob Sullivan
Schenectady Digital History Archive
<http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/>
Schenectady County (NY) Public Library


------------------------------------

Capital District Preservation Task Force is a coalition of individuals and groups interested in the natural and human history of the Capital District of New York State.

ups interested in the natural and human history of the Capital District of New York State.

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/preservation/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/preservation/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    [log in to unmask] 
    [log in to unmask]

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    [log in to unmask]

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/