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On Saturday, Wright Memorial Presbyterian Church will celebrate its 200th anniversary. Founded on Aug. 10, 1823, on the Buffalo Creek Reservation, the congregation is located on the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians. The celebration will begin with a service of Thanksgiving at 1 p.m. and will be followed by lunch. Many displays will be set up in the Fellowship Hall to recall the history of the congregation.
Founded under the leadership of the Rev. T.S. Harris, a Presbyterian minister, the congregation built a chapel to seat 400 people that stood on Indian Church Road in South Buffalo. The Rev. Asher Wright became the pastor in 1831 and he and his wife Laura lived at Buffalo Creek and moved with those who relocated to Cattaraugus in 1845. Wright was active in the church and community until his death in 1875.
Called the United Missions Church, the congregation built a church, fondly called "Big Church" in 1857. This congregation united with the Pinewood Presbyterian Church in 1964 to become Wright Memorial Presbyterian Church. A historical marker was placed in front of the building in 1975.
Members of Wright Memorial have served the Seneca Nation of Indians in many capacities including SNI Presidents: Sylvester Lay, 1882, Henry Silverheels 1864 and 1865 , Chester Lay 1889, Cornelius Seneca 1940, 1944, 1956, Francis Kettle and Calvin E. Lay 1976, 1984, .
Today the congregation holds Sunday worship services at 11 a.m. each Sunday, serves a breakfast on the first Saturday of each month to raise funds, offers weekly sewing classes, hosts mission groups, and sponsors a Christmas bazaar and a soup and salad lunch.