By LINDA KELLETT

C-S-E News Staff

CANAJOHARIE — America was a divided nation, New York the most populous Union state and the chief contributor of Union troops when the former Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Canajoharie was constructed. Designed in the Gothic style of native limestone, it was built at its current location at the corner of Cliff and Walnut streets for about $5,000 in 1862 and remodeled 30 years later.

That’s according to Jean Stroud, who purchased the former Roman Catholic Church with her husband, Eric, in 2010, shortly after it was closed by the Roman Catholic Diocese in Albany. The former congregation merged with Our Lady of Hope in Fort Plain that summer.

She noted that in the church’s early years, a single priest travelled from Cooperstown to the site, and the congregation grew rapidly. They had their own resident priest by the 1870s, with missions branching out to Fort Plain and St. Johnsville in the 1880s.

Jean made her comments Friday, during the 150th anniversary celebration recital hosted by the couple at the former place of worship. Because of the significance of the historic events, Eric wore the uniform of a Union Civil War soldier; and vocalists and musicians performed patriotic, sacred and secular selections mostly from that era.

Performers included Eric, who played selections by Bach, Guilmant, Soler, Gounod and others on the former church’s two-manual 12-rank Carey pipe organ from Troy, N.Y., string musician Leo Milman, pianist Mark Hitrick, the Our Lady of Hope Choir directed by Carol Cechnicki, the Valley Choralaires and director Alison Wallace, the Upstate Catskills String Quartet, The Sentimentalists and soprano Susan Crua, among others.

Village Trustee Ronald Dievendorf, a longtime neighbor of the church, presented the couple with a village proclamation. In it, the Strouds were recognized for “keeping the mission of this building to serve as an event venue for concert music recitals.”

Additionally, in celebration of the former church’s 150th anniversary, June 29, 2012, was proclaimed Upstate Chapel Day in the village.

Former parishioner Eileen Show, who was confirmed and married at Sts. Peter and Paul, offered remembrances of its congregation. She also welcomed the timing of the anniversary concert on the Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul and expressed appreciation to the Strouds for purchasing the building and “keeping it as it is.”

While the congregation is no longer here, she said, “The art and music will continue here as the Upstate Chapel.”