Moving Buildings in Bainbridge

Two Old Buildings

Being Moved from the Ground to be

Occupied by the New M.E. Church

(About 1900)

 

The site on Main street [Bainbridge, Chenango Co., NY] for the erection of the new M.E. Church, is being cleared for building which will soon commence.  The small office structure removed last week to Pyrun Hill, has had its day of usefulness and was occupied formerly by prominent men of this village for many years.  It stood primarily upon a part of the Park Hotel site adjoining the Clark block, and it was there that the first bank in Bainbridge was opened in 1853.  Dr. Samuel L. Banks, brother of John Banks, was the president.  He had used the building for a doctor's office and his brother James M. Banks, for a law and real estate office.  After a time the property thereabouts was sold for hotel purposes and the office was removed to the place just vacated.  It was occupied there for several years by the lawyers, George H. Winsor, George I. Winsor and Elliot Danforth.  Lately it had gone into disuse.

 

There is still another old building to be removed which was known for over fifty years as Squire Sayre's law office.  Mr. Sayre died in 1880.  It had been occupied as early as 1823 by John C. Clark who later became district attorney, member of assembly and congressman successively from this county and district.  Mr. Sayre was associated for a number of years with John C. Clark in practice and afterwards with Isaac Bush, James M. Banks, George H. Winsor, Leroy Bennett and Frank L. Smith. 

 

Thus it will be seen that these two little old buildings, unsightly and indifferent as they may seem now have been historic habitations in the business relations of the town.

 

[Compiler note:  The Cornerstone for the "new" Methodist Church building on North Main Street was laid 23 August 1902.]