November Local History Book Club

November 12, 2025 Meeting of WCHS Local History Book Club

Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from 12:30 to 1:30 PM on Wednesday, November 12, at Jermain United Methodist Church, 6 Niles Road, Eagle Bridge. This is a hamlet in the town of White Creek.

Discussion focus is Philip Embury (1728-1773) who established the second Methodist Church in America in Ash Grove, in Washington County. Born in County Limerick, Ireland, he came to America in 1760 and began preaching Methodism to a small group in NY city. Together they built a church that became John Street Methodist Church, the first Methodist Church in this country. In 1770 a group from the church moved to Camden Valley, Salem, where they began building homes. They established a church in what is now the town of White Creek. Embury died from exhaustion while haying in a field. More information about the life of this preacher can be found online, including his entry on findagrave.com.

His remains were twice moved and are now in Woodlands Cemetery in Cambridge.

Future sessions of the club will feature books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors.  Upcoming topics include; Charles Evans Hughes, NY governor; flax and linen production; and slavery in Washington County.  For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com