Complex sentence: In 1837 Duryea, together with other free people of color, helped found the First Free Church of Schenectady; it provided space in the basement for a school for African-American children.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1837 Duryea, together with other free people of color, helped found the First Free Church of Schenectady. It provided space in the basement for a school for African-American children.