Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam
Members List http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/rdcmembers.htm Marriage Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of New York http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/rdcmarr.htm Baptismal Records of the Dutch Reformed Church 1639-1730 http://www.altlaw.com/edball/dutchbap.htm New York City Directory, 1786 - Churches Jacqueline Bunnell~Ogden There are three houses of public worship belonging to the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, one is called the Old Dutch Church, which was built in the year 1693, and rebuilt in the year 1766; and another is called the North Church, which was founded in the year 1767, and dedicated to the service of God, in the year 1769. This last church being ruined by the British during the late war, was repaired in the year 1784, and has been used with the old church for the performance of divine service. The middle church generally called the New Dutch Church, was built in the year 1729: it is the most spacious of the three, but was also ruined in the war, and is not yet fully repaired. � The people of this denomination were the first settlers of this State, and make a respectable part of the citizens. The church in city is considered as one church or congregation, though worshipping in different places. Th charter, or act of incorporation, was granted by William the Third, in the year 1696, when Benjamin Fletcher, Esq. was Governor of the Province. The Ministers, Elders, and Deacons, are the body corporate, and hold considerable property. Many years before the war, they found it necessary, by reason of the decline of the Dutch language, to have service performed in English, and had then two Dutch and two English Ministers. Since the war, it has been performed chiefly in English, and they have a present only two Ministers. � The third Presbyterian Church was erected in the year 1768, is a genteel stone building, sixty-five and a half feet long, and fifty-five and a half feet wide; and stands in Little Queen Street, not far from the Broadway. This church is also incorporated agreeably to the same law. � The fourth Presbyterian church was erected in the year 1787, is a neat frame building, fifty feel long and twenty-four feet wide, and stands in Nassau street. � There are three Episcopal Churches in New York, under one charter, which was granted the sixth of May, 1697. Trinity Church was built in the year 1696, and at several times afterward, improved and enlarged. It was situated on the West side of Broadway, in view of the Hudson, with a spacious cemetery on each side; including the tower and chancel, it was about one hundred and forty-eight feet in length and seventy-two in breadth; and the steeple one hundred and seventy-three feet in height. This was supposed to be the most stately building of the kind in America, but it was destroyed in the fire which happened just after the British troops entered the city, in 1776. It is now in contemplation to rebuild it; and several thousand pounds are already subscribed for the purpose. � Hudson River was first discovered in 1608, by Henry Hudson, an Englishman, who sold his claim to the Dutch. In 1614, the States General granted a Patent to several merchants for an exclusive trade on the river Hudson. The same year this Company built a fort on the West side of the river, near Albany, and named it Fort Orange. The next year a fort was built on the South west point of Manhattan's, now York island; but the first settlers planted themselves about two miles from this fort and built a church, there, the ruins of which, it is said, are still visible, near the two mile stone on the public road. In this situation, finding themselves insecure during the Wars between the English and Dutch, they left this place and planted their habitations under the guns of the fort; which laid the foundation of the present city. The Reformed Protestant Church of East New York (a.k.a. the Reformed Dutch Church of East New York) was originally located on New Jersey Avenue in a section of Brooklyn known as New Lots until 1910 when the church relocated and adopted the new name of Forest Park Reformed Church. The old records are kept at the "new" location: Forest Park Reformed Church 86th Avenue between 85th and 86th Streets Woodhaven, NY 11421 (organized in 1839, according to their letterhead.) 15 October 1877 From the Brooklyn Standard Union 1677 - 1877 A NOTABLE EVENT IN NEW UTRECHT CHURCH HISTORY How The Ancient Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of New Utrecht began it's Third Century To-day - A Grand Gala Occasion among it's Congregation - The Order of Exercises - Interesting Relics, Addresses, etc. The commemoration of the two-hundredth anniversary of the organization of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of New Utrecht, to-day, was made a gala occasion by its congregation and the church folk of the surrounding villages. The present church, which was built in 1828, was elaborately decorated with flags, flowers, evergreens, and mottoes. On either side of the pulpit were the figures "1677" and "1877" in evergreens, and in the vestibule the word "Welcome" was conspicuously displayed in large letters of evergreen relieved by a large American flag, tastefully arranged. In front of the church the national ensign floated from a tall liberty pole, and near by stood an old-fashioned wagon labeled "John E. Lott's church carriage in 1817." Among the relics displayed in the church were two very old, shield shaped blackboards, on which used to be displayed the number of the hymns and verses, as they were sung, so that tardy worshippers might readily find the places in their hymn books; the first Bible used in the church, an antique volume, 205 years old, printed in Dutch; the old hour glass, which formerly stood on the ends of sticks like (??? uets) and used in taking up church collections Judy PLACE Maggiore Back To WORSHIP Main Back To BROOKLYN Main