[J. Thomas Scharf (1886)] The Presbyterian Church at Yorktown was the mother-church of many of the organizations of that faith in its vicinity, and the church in Peekskill was in a degree dependent on it. In the year 180(5 a di-vision arose in the Yorktown Church, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. Silas Constant, and the trouble was felt in Peekskill to such an extent as to give rise to an Independent Church. This Independ-ent Presbyterian congregation was incorporated on September 29, 1813, with John Lent, John Constant and Samuel Strang as trustees. They worshipped in a building on Diven Street, next to the residence at present occupied by Dr. J. M. Tilden. This meet-ing-house was commonly referred to as " the church. on the hill," and was a familiar object until about the year 1844, when it was taken down. The original building after this secession was used only for occa-sional services, and was probaby closed most of the time. In May, 1816, a congregation of seventy-five mem-bers was formed in the church on the hill by the Rev. Abner Brundage, a native of New Jersey, who had come to Peekskill about a year previous. Deacon John Lent and Ezra Lockwood were the officers. When Mr. Brundage resigned, in 1819, the congrega-tion contained about one hundred members. Mr. Brundage afterwards had charges in Carmel, Putnam County, and Brookfield, Connecticut. He was not| engaged in pastoral work for about thirty years pre-vious to the close of his life, and died at Montclair, N. J., in October, 1S77.