Yard and Bake Sale Benefits Waits Church

By JoAnn R. Walter —

The Waits Cemetery Association is hosting its second annual Yard and Bake Sale on Saturday, Aug. 30 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The rain-or-shine event will feature displayed items for sale inside and outside the historic Waits Church building. From general household items to books, and then kitchenware to furniture, and decorative items, to name a few, there will be something for everyone.

All proceeds will benefit the continued preservation of the church, which dates back to the mid-1800’s.

The public is also encouraged to take in and view the inside of the church, which is listed on both the New York State and National Historic registries. It’s a step back in time and conjures up memories of past generations who, through faith and hard work, improved their communities.

The Waits Church, originally known as “Waits Settlement Methodist Episcopal Church,” dates back to 1837, where services were first held in a schoolhouse. In 1853, Henry Wait, Jr. donated land for the church to be built. He now rests with several family and community members in an adjoining cemetery.

The church remained active until the late 1960’s, where it was not only a house of worship, it was a thriving social center for the community. By 1974, the Wyoming Conference declared it abandoned and deeded it to the Waits Cemetery Association.

The church is one of the few pre-Civil War era country churches still standing. Members of the Waits Cemetery Association have been working to maintain it and would like to continue projects to keep the church thriving.

Kelly Faber, a volunteer of the association, encouraged people to come out and see the church and said, “You’ll be in awe, you just have to see it.”

Walk through the main doors, and to your left is the remains of a kitchen area. According to documentation from the National Historic Registry, the balcony area was converted into a dining room for the Ladies Aid Society in 1866, where visitors gained access via a set of stairs to the right of the main entrance. Alterations on the west side of the vestibule included the addition of a small kitchen with access to the second-floor dining area via a dumbwaiter, which is still intact today.   

Inside the church are two sets of pews, eight on each side, with two rows shortened slightly to make room for an original wood stove that still stands. On a wall near a raised dais and wood pulpit is an original hymn board, and accompanying the front of the church is an 1800’s concert grand piano made by the Girard Piano Company out of Philadelphia, Pa.  

One of the completed projects included the restoration of an original bell several years ago.

The church lives in the hearts of many in the community. More recently, a young couple had wedding photos taken with the church as a backdrop.

The church is located at 5108 Valley Rd. in Owego, N.Y., on the corner of Waits and Valley Roads.

The Waits Cemetery Association invites you to visit the church, which is surrounded by a lovely landscape dotted with wooded hills, tracts of agricultural land, and open meadows. If you are unable to make it to the Yard and Bake Sale, tax-deductible donations are welcome as well.