The first musical instrument used in the church was a melodeon purchased in 1852. In 1994, a new Sunday School wing was built measuring 54 x 41 feet. A kitchen was placed on the south part and a small basement with restrooms was dug under the kitchen. The congregation built a Sunday School in 1931 measuring 30 x 56 feet. The pulpit was originally located behind the present choir loft in this apse. An apsidal projection was also added at this time, at the other end of the church. The bell originally used in the 1839 building was incorporated into the new belfry. The frame of the original roof remains under the present roof, which is much higher than the old one. A porte cochere allowed passengers to disembark from their carriages to enter the vestibule. It was lengthened to 69 feet, to include the front vestibule with the steeple above it, a prayer meeting room (the present church parlor) and a Sunday School room. The building was reconstructed into the present edifice in 1886. The church building was enlarged in 1861 to 56 feet wide facing Main Street with the addition of two side aisles - one on the east and the other on the west - each measuring 13 feet wide. The Presbyterian Church of the Moriches was incorporated in 1849. In 1839, a new building was constructed that was 30 x 40 feet long and named the Union Church of Moriches. Alfred Ketchum serving as its first "settled" pastor. On Novemthis congregation was reorganized as a Presbyterian Church, with the Rev.
In those early years, the building apparently was used for town meetings, a school, and a social hall. This building was 30 x 26 feet and was located on the property where the present edifice stands. The first church building in Center Moriches was erected in 1809 as a Union Meeting House for use by the Presbyterians and Congregationalists. Several other men of our parish also served the patriots' cause for freedom. At the war's end, he continued as our pastor and added to his pastoral duties by becoming one of the leaders in rehabilitating and rebuilding the southern section of Brookhaven Town. He was highly regarded as a soldier during the war. Pastor Rose fled to Connecticut with his family for the duration of the Revolutionary War. When the British won the Battle of Long Island in 1776, their response to the local churches was harsh and oppressive. In 1775, he was one of the signers of a statement to approve the Resolutions of the Honorable Continental Congress. David "Priest" Rose became pastor of the circuit in 1765. On November 6, 1755, Presbytery formally organized the parish of the Moriches, with Rev. Parishoners opened their homes for worship services. The parish extended from Quogue to South Haven, and was served by circuit riding preachers, educated in Yale, Dartmouth, and Princeton.
The Presbytery of Long Island formally established the parish on October 20, 1748. The first white settlers were English and trace their settlement to a deed signed in the late 1600's. The church building, with its tall, white, steeple and picturesque Victorian architecture, is still a distinctive landmark that is identifiable by land and sea. The Presbyterian Church has been a vital force that has contributed to the well being and charm of the community throughout most of the village's history. Center Moriches, centrally located on the south shore of Long Island, New York, still reflects the warmth of a small village tucked upon the shores of Moriches Bay.