The New York herald., 1877-10-19
TWO HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE sLw UTRECHT REFORMED
DUTCH cHURcH-ITs INTERESTING HISTORY

ANNIVERSARY OF THE NLw UTRECHT REFORMED
DUTCH cHURcH-ITs INTERESTING HISTORY
PROGRAMME OF To-DAY's CELEBRATION.
New Utrecht L. l., 10 httie elaee OF about two
hundred and ay Inhabitants, situated on the copey
Island Railroad, about four miles rroid Greenwood
Cemetery II Is one OF the oldest Dutch settlements
In the country. Here are some weatheroeaten Dutch
farmhouses which nave wthstood the changes Of two
centuries Close by tho station stands the venerable
house occupied by the Van Brunt family for the last
2os years The old graveyard is also pointed
curious relic OF antiquity, for on lis site stood the
quaint Dutch Reformed church, the hrst IN New
Utrecht which was founded October ls 1914 The two
hundredth anniversary OF the church was celebrated
yesterday by the good people Of New Utrecht Bath,
Bay Ridge ana the surrounding villages The build
ting was pulled down in isaS and tho present church
edAce erected In the following year. In the consruc
ton OF tho present structure where the celebration Is
to take place the stones Of tho old church used.
and in tho minds Of the Long Island people IL Is dcn
tihed with The temple built Two hundred years ago
the HISTORY NEW UTRECHT.
II Will be interesting at this lime to look bacx ut the
history of the church. and its "reminiscences during
tho last two centuries gathered from conversation
the old people OF New Utrecht New Utrecht. accord
Ing TO the statement of Mr.. 7. q. Bcrghen, who
has preserved the traditions OF the village with
especial care. was nrst settled in the year
The descendants OF some OF these stiu live ut the
place. For q long time after tho settlement oil tho
village no separate ecclesiastical organization cx-
listed, and tho honest burghers and their fraus al
tended worship at Flatbush. The Dutch church In
fiatianas, inaeoa' ID now ZIG years od having been
Utrecht As already stated 200 years ago tho church
in New Utrecht VAS founded aud the first consisory
organized. The hrst election of dcacons and eide RS
took place IN the year 100
now THE OLD CHURCH LOOKED.
There is u photograph exIant taken from an old
IL was octagonal, with an enormously high slant
whole building bong evidently erected on the
plan OF hsystack. Being a Collegiate Church It
shared Its pastor with four or five Of the ne.hborlng
preach alternate sundays. The nrst pastor tho
Rev Casparus Won Zuuren.
sERlgs DUTCH PASTORS.
The next head oil the church was the Rov. Ber-
nardus Freeman. who was called from Schenectady IN
quired great knowledge OF the language Of tho Mo-
hawk tribe, and ho translated portions OF the English
liturgy INTO the Indian tongue He was succeeded by
the Rev. Vincentps Antondes, whose descendants
still hve at Now Utrecht, ana vino here
Amsterdam in l705. Tho collegiate churches OF Tho
county at that time embraced Busbwck, Fiatbush,
Fiatlands, Brooklyn. New Utrecht and oven jamaica
All we now know Of the history Of the church NJ that
time IS the names OF It's pastors, and an odd army
OF names thoy are-Jonannes Arondeus, Ulpauus
Van Sandern, Antonus Curtcnius, Johannes Casparus
Rubel, NC.
vIolssrUDEs or THE OLD CHURCH..
During the war OF Independence New Utrecht was
ovcrrun oy the English General Howe with his army
aud fixed his headquarters ut Bath. Tho British
seemed to have little rcspect Tor this already thcn
venerable church editce They turned II alternately
into prison and hospital. and when 1t was OF no
iurthor use TO them Tor these purposes they made
riding school out of keeping their horses there and
taking horseback exercise along the circular track
which they had cut out
lu 1928 tho old church pulled down, and, as al
ready stated replaced by the The pastor at that
time was thc Rev. Dr. Beatty. He was strongly in
avor oil building new cnurch, but many OF the
gregaton clung with love 70 the old and veneraied
pile and would not abandon It, DR.. Beatty carried
the day, Dut there was SO mucn dissatisfaction
this result among the congregation that he finally left
New Utrecht III disgust. Dr. Curry was identified with
the now church cdllce Tor thirty years and tor
the last ten years tho Rev. David 5. Sutphen has pro-
sided erit
THk CELEBRATION.
The celebration yesterday attended by not only
tho present. members Of tho church. but also by
church people OF adjacent villages The lntcrior OF
the church wss decorated with bunting and evergreen
and presented a brilliant appearance. The American
colors also loaed IRON the pinnacle Of liberty pole
front Of the building and al the base Of tho polo
| an od-lasnioned wagon labelled John 4. Lott's
| Church Carriage IN 1914" Among other relics OK
hiDtcd in the church yesterday Bible $50 years
old, printed IN Dutch, being tho nrst used in the
structure. Rev. ID. S Sutphcn conducted tho morn
Ing oxerclscs, and Rev. A. r. The pson, ID. d., Pres
dent OF the South Classis OF Long sland, the alter
noon, both OF which consisted OF singing aud ad
dresses. special train was run from 3rccLv0od
Cemetery al fifteen minutes TO ten O'Clock.