Fort Plain and Sprakers Reformed Churches

Sprakers Reformed Church History

Celebrating the Past


The first Protestant Dutch Reformed Church in Sprakers was founded in 1772, with only a meeting house as a place of worship. On October 29, 1796, the church was organized under the direction of pastor Rev. Abraham Van Horne, who installed these officers: Elders Andrew Michel, Daniel Cornue and Rynier Van Evera, and Deacons William Bellinger, Jacob Ehle, and Joseph Van Ingen. In 1806 Andrew Mitchell gave land for the building of the new church which was completed a year later.

Did you know?

In Revolutionary times this place was called “Keder’s Rift” but about the year 1800 it became known as “Westerlo.” Still later, because of the prominence in the community of Major Yost Spraker, it received the name of “Sprakers Basin,” which has for many years been abbreviated into its present form. The people of the community were in the habit of going to “Sand Hill” for service until about 1790 when meetings began to be held in the homes of the people by the nearby pastors.

1800’s To
Present Day

For many years the Sprakers church was served by supply pastors, using the meeting house as a place of worship. In 1858, with the help of Rev. Benjamin Romaine of Canajoharie, plans were made for the reorganization of the church. The Reformed Dutch Church of Sprakers, with thirteen members, was built on land given by George Spraker, With Rev. E. Vine Wales as pastor. By 1869 the church was flourishing with thirty-eight members. In 1876 a series of revival meetings was held, resulting in the addition of twenty-one new members.

The West Shore Railroad bought the land on which the church stood in 1882, and it was relocated to its’ present site.

The white siding on the church was chosen to denote purity, and our green doors, which extend a welcome to all who would seek Jesus, are a symbol of everlasting life.

In 2011 it became necessary to replace our steeple. The weight of the large bronze bell was too much for the aging timbers. However we wanted to preserve our bell and continue to use it. Our bell tower houses the bell made in 1897, and we still ring it for special services.