At the Corners of Church and Main Streets

by Erin Doane, Senior Curator

Map of the City of Elmira from actual surveys by G.M. Hopkins, C.E., 1865

Jervis Langdon was an entrepreneur, an abolitionist, a philanthropist, and the father-in-law of Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain). In 1863, he bought property from Anson E. Ely at the northwest corner of Church and Main Streets in Elmira. Jervis’s family lived there for over 75 years and the home became known as the Langdon Mansion. We currently have the exhibit “Grand, Domestic and Truly Comfy” on display here at the museum through May 2025 which showcases the mansion and its furnishings.

Residence of Anson C. Ely. Photograph, early 1860s,
courtesy of the Mark Twain House & Museum

Jervis had major renovations made to his new home soon after he purchased it. The original was in the Greek Revival style. It was cube shaped with wood siding and a square cupula on top. Had had the structure enlarged and transformed into a three-story Italianate brownstone with several wings that telescoped from the back. Throughout the years, the Langdon family made more changes to the home, including adding a porte-cochere and expanding the veranda in the 1890s.

The Langdon Mansion around 1900

So, what did Jervis Langdon see when he looked out from his home across Church and Main Streets in 1865? To the east, across Main Street, sat Trinity Episcopal Church which was founded in 1833. The church itself was built between 1855 and 1858. It was constructed entirely of brick, including its steeple, which is unusual. In fact, it is one of only 11 churches in the world with a brick steeple.

Trinity Episcopal Church, 1860s

South of Trinity Church, across Water Street, was the First Baptist Church. The church we see on that corner today is a massive brick building, but when Jervis first took up residence in the neighborhood, it was a much more modest wooden structure with a square steeple. It was originally built in 1830 and expanded in 1847. After a devastating fire, the new, larger brick church was built in 1892.

First Baptist Church, 1870s

First Baptist Church, 1890s

In the 1860s, there was still a burial ground next to the First Baptist Church. By the 1850s, they were running out of space for burials next to the church so Woodlawn Cemetery was created in 1858. Church sextant John W. Jones began moving graves from the First Baptist burial ground to Woodlawn Cemetery immediately after it opened but the task was not finished until 1877.

First Baptist burial ground, c. 1860

There were also strips of park land on either side of Main Street south of Church Street. It was probably nice for Jervis to have a park right across the street. His own property could be described as park-like, as well, with hundreds of trees and shrubs, flower beds, gravel paths, decorative urns, and fountains on the property. His wife, Olivia, personally oversaw the development and maintenance of the landscaped grounds.

View of the Langdons’ gardens, c. 1875

South of the Langdon Mansion, across Church Street and west of the park, was the Park Church. In 1846, 41 abolitionists broke from the First Presbyterian Church over the issue of slavery and formed the Independent Congregational Church of Elmira. Jervis and Oliva were among the founding members of the new church. The congregation built a white wooden church in 1851. Rev. Thomas K. Beecher arrived in 1854 and served as pastor until his death in 1900. By the 1870s, the congregation had grown so large that a new church was constructed - the large brick structure we see there today.

The Park Church and inset portrait of Rev. Thomas K. Beecher in 1854

The Park Church, 1905

Jervis Langdon passed away in 1870 and would not have seen most of the changes that made the intersection of Church and Main Streets what we see today, like the two large brick churches that dominate the area. The Langdon Mansion itself was torn down in 1939. We can, however, still enjoy of some of Jervis’s original view including the cool green space of Wisner Park and the red brick of Trinity Church’s steeple.

The Diarists of the 107th New York Volunteers

 By Rachel Dworkin, Archivist

The past is a foreign country, but, if you’re really lucky, you might just find a pen pal. As archivist at the Chemung County Historical Society, it is one of my great, and admittedly a little weird, pleasures to read historical letters and diaries. When it comes to the history of the Civil War, I am so lucky to work at the museum with the largest collection of diaries and letters from the 107^th New York Volunteers. History can be so dry with the dates and the facts and the battle casualty statistics. Letters and diaries though are intimate. They reveal not only what happened, but how the author felt about it in ways which help you get to know them as actual human people.

Although there were multiple Civil War regiments raised out of Chemung County, the 107^th is the only one to have a statue here in Elmira. The regiment was raised in the Summer of 1862 in response to Abraham Lincoln’s call for 300,000 more men. Two local congressmen, Robert Van Valkenburg of Bath and Alexander Diven of Elmira, personally raised and commanded the 1,021 men from Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben counties.  The regiment fought at the Battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg and participated in the Georgia Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea. They arrived home to Elmira on June 8, 1865 to a feast, a parade, and the start of the rest of their lives.

107th monument in front of the Court House on Lake Street

Here at the Chemung County Historical Society we have the letters and diaries of 18 different members of the regiment. In some cases, we have multiple accounts of the same day or battle from multiple people. What an author chooses to include (or not) and the way that they describe it, reveals interesting things about their personality, priorities, and education. We have several diaries from the regiment which cover the start of the battle of Chancellorsville. While they describe the same events, they are stylistically quite different.

One of my favorite diarists from the 107^th is Arthur S. Fitch of Company B. He was 18 when he enlisted as a corporal in July 1862 and quickly rose through the ranks. By Chancellorsville, he was a sergeant and ended the war as brevet captain. After the war, he opened a book store in Elmira and was a founding member in several veterans’ organizations. He described the first day of the regiment’s involvement in the Battle of Chancellorsville (May 1, 1863) like this:

“We had no more than got under way than the boom of the Artillery broke upon our ears not a mile in our front and we knew the ball was open. We went rapidly ahead, our Reg. having the advance. We were soon up with the artillery and the shot and shell flew over us pretty lively. No casualties, however and after an hour or two cannonading we were ordered to retire. It was only a move to feel the enemy’s position and no general engagement took place except in the left wing where the 5^th Corps had some fighting. Our Reg. had quite a skirmish for our knapsacks; while out, we had laid them off before entering the woods and on returning for them we were fired upon by Rebel skirmishers. We brought them all away, however, but ran a narrow chance of being captured, as the Rebs planted a battery on the very ground we had just left before we were out of range. We got back to camp about noon, quite fatigued as the weather was very warm. Nothing more transpired until near sun down when the enemy advanced and a fight commenced. Our Regt. and the 13^th N.J. were formed in the edge of a wood with the rest of our Brig. in our front. We were to support them and if they were forced to retire relieve them. Soon the Artillery joined in and then it became quite lively, the musketry volleys were rapid and we lay anxiously awaiting for our turn at the enemy, but the Indiana & other Regts. in our front held them in check and we lay quietly on our arms that night. Only casualty of Friday is Capt. N.E. Rutter of Co. I who was mortally wounded by a shell about sundown and died less than an hour after.”

Arthur S. Fitch, ca. 1880s

 Bartlet Bennett enlisted in Company E at age 25 along with his younger brother Sylvester in July 1862. He joined as a private, but was a sergeant at the time of the Battle of Chancellorsville. I don’t know much about his life before the war. After it, he lived in Elmira and worked as a railroad flagman. While Fitch practically wrote a novel, Bennett wrote a poorly-spelled haiku. “May 1, 1863, The enemy atact us; laid on arms all nite. Built brest works.”  

Bartlet & Sylvester Bennett, 1862

 Russell M. Tuttle was a 22-year-old from Almond, New York who enlisted as an orderly sergeant in the 107^th immediately after graduating from the University of Rochester. He joined Company K, which was under the command of his uncle, Allen Sill. Tuttle had been promoted to second lieutenant shortly before Chancellorsville. After the war, he went on to be the editor of the Hornellsville Times and founder of the Hornellsville Public Library. His diary entry is happy medium between Fitch’s and Bennett’s.

“May 1st: Advanced on the road to Fredericksburg to cover a movement of Gen. Mead on Bunk Ford. Came back, and then went back to get knapsack. Slight skirmish. Back to camp and had a fight. 27^th Ind. ahead of us. Capt. Rutter was struck by a shell. Poor fellow, a sharp fight along the line. Slept on our arms.”

Russell M. Tuttle, ca. 1860s

I keep a diary myself every night. On the scale between Bennett and Fitch, I’m more of a Tuttle.