Snells Bush Church and Cemetery, historic church in New York, United States
Snells Bush Church and Cemetery is a church building with cemetery in Manheim, Herkimer County, New York, situated on a hill overlooking the Mohawk Valley. Built in 1852, the church has a simple rectangular shape made of timber with a small gable roof and a two-step belfry in the Greek Revival style, while the adjacent cemetery holds over 300 graves, with the oldest dating back to 1804.
The original wooden church building was erected before the Revolutionary War, served as a signal station during the conflict, and was later destroyed; a new church was built in 1852 on the same site. The land was granted in 1755 by Mohawk leader King Hendrick to Jacob Zimmerman and Johan Jost Snell, and the cemetery contains more than ten graves of soldiers from the Revolutionary War.
The church emerged from the German Reformed tradition and the community of Palatine immigrants who settled in the area. Visitors today can see how different cultures came together at this place, as ministers often preached in German, English, and Dutch, and people of various backgrounds gathered here.
The site is easy to reach by road and located in a quiet setting, offering a peaceful place for reflection. The grounds are relatively level and walkable, allowing visitors to see the old headstones and explore the surrounding land with trees and open spaces.
A signal telegraph system was operated from the church during the Revolutionary War to report troop movements, and one such intercepted message informed Molly Brant about the Battle of Oriskany. The grounds remain a less visited historical site, allowing visitors to step back in time without crowds.
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