To Knight Family Members:
The Colesville Restoration Group (who live in AZ) are the owners of the Josiah Stowell Home and Knight Farmhouse in Nineveh N.Y. (Colesville area). They have been working on the Joseph Knight house in New York for a few years when they can to restore the house. They and the local Stake are having a dedication/open house for the Knight Farmhouse in the afternoon on Sunday June 3rd. They, with the help of the local LDS Stake, institute students and missionaries, have restored the inside of the house and made the outside nice with a parking area for visitors etc. The Church Educations System has also added the Knight House and the Stowell House to the locations studied as part of Church History so students can learn more about the Colesville Branch and Joseph and Emma Smith’s early years. They would love it if any of the Knight Family could be there. Perhaps there is someone who needs to be in that area for business, family, or vacation at that time. Does anyone know if there are any Knight relatives living in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, or near enough to travel there? This house will become a popular stopping point when the Harmony Pennsylvania visitors center is finished.
If you would like to contribute to this project, you can do so at the reunion, or if you are not able to attend the reunion, you may contact James Knight at jamesk@eatonarch.com for more information.
Also, if you are not able to attend the reunion and want to purchase some of the other items that will be for sale there, you can use the attached order form to purchase those itemsor contact Gordon Knight at gwknght@comcast.net.
Many of you have emailed requesting more information about the Knight Farmhouse Dedication in Colesville. Here is the information that we have:
First, the Dedication has been changed to Saturday, June 2nd at 4:30 p.m.
The location of the farmhouse is:
Knight House - Latitude - 42°11'13.78"N Longitude - 75°36'19.03"W
That would be on the west side of Hwy. 233 a half mile south of the bridge from the village of Ninevah. (Not far from I-88, but there is no exit right there. The closest exit is Exit 6 to Ninevah.)
In case for some reason no one is at the house when you get there, here is the contact info of a neighbor who can let you in: Phil Sherman at 607-967-8059.
Here is the information from the Knight Family contact person, Raphael Mecham - Colesville Branch Restoration Group:
"The parking lot is being donated by the local Stake, material (within reason), and labor. However, we do have an expense that we would welcome and appreciate any financial assistance. We are installing a bronze statue of Hyrum Smith, 1st Branch President, and the Prophet Joseph. They will be half life size, situated on a beautiful granite slab atop a stone pillar with a raised letter bronze plaque as follows:
The Prophet Joseph Smith
And his Devoted Brother Hyrum
In October of 1830 Hyrum brought his family from
Palmyra, New York to the home of his longtime
friend Newell Knight. He came by appointment from
Joseph Smith to become the first Branch President of
the newly organized Colesville Branch
of the LDS Church.
Newel Knight recorded, “Most of Hyrum’s time, as also
That of my own, was spent in the villages around,
Preaching the gospel wherever we could find any who
would listen”. The fullness of the gospel of
Jesus Christ was restored through the
Prophet Joseph Smith with his family and friends
Always by his side.
John Taylor said of Joseph and Hyrum,
“In life they were not divided and
In death they were not separated”.
D&C 135:3
Monument erected May 2012
Colesville Branch Restoration
The cost of the Bronze, plaque, granite slab plus shipping is about $5 thousand. If the Knight family wishes to participate in the sharing of the costs we would be thrilled."
As the Knight Family Organization, we want to help, financially, with this restoration project and the bronze statue. James Knight has done an amazing job of putting together a special plaque that includes a slab of granite from Lydia Knight's original headstone (that was vandalized and had to be replaced - will be rededicated during the reunion) and will be offering these at the reunion. There is a suggested donation amount of $27 for each plaque including the stand. There will also be a DVD of the Knight House available for a $15 donation as well. [Of course separate donations are welcome as well.] The money will go to the Colesville Branch Restoration Group to help fund their restoration efforts and for the new monument featuring Hyrum Smith (first Colesville Branch President – first branch of the church) and his brother Joseph.
Attached are pictures of the plaques and statue found at the Knight Farmhouse. We hope you will consider donating to the restoration project.
