New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-27
NEW FIRST REFORMED CHURCH
A HANDSOME STRUCTURE NEAR PROSPECT
PARK.
TO BE DEDICATED To1DAY-THE FIFTH HOME
RTurT FoP A SOCIETY oat WEARS OLD

BUILT FOR A SOCIETY 231 YEARS OLD
Dedlcatory services will be held in the home Of
the oldest church society in the city to-day For the
| extended period of 231 years the First Reformed
Protestant Church has been in continuous existence
| and it is about TO occupy of the finest church
structures in the city, II is the fifth church that has
been built for IT,
For the first century and half after The settlement
Of the Dutch town OF Brcucken the Dutch Church
the only religious building in the community and 1t
stood III the middle Of the highway which ran from
Fulton Old Ferry to the interior Of the Island of
Nassau. Long Island, at point few blocks east
Of the present City Hall AS long ago LEGO the in
habitans OF the town, who had attended church ser
vices in Fatbush after the first church built there
in 1854, when they did not the ferry to New
Amsterdam, besought the authorities Of the Province Of
New Netherlands to permit the erection of church in
the midst of the community which growing up at
the westerly end OF Long Island grant Of land was
made by Governor Stuyvesant, and the first church
was erected upon the walls Of stone fort The high
way ran on each side If it, and to the northward be-
tween what now Lawrence ard Bridge sts the
first resting place Of the dead who not buried on
farms. For a century the worthy buIghers of Brook
Ign and those Of the English settlers who Joined them
wOrshippcd in the original structure. Ii then torn
down and another built in its plsce about 1865 This
square with a pyramida roof, surmOunted with
cupOa. In this bell brought over from Holland was
placed and called the villagers to the services This
bell is stn in existence having been placed in the
school house in Mddaghst. WHEN the church which
stood In FUon-st torn down in 1907 The vii
lage had begun to grow and it decided that the
street must be Strengthened. The church authorities
purchased plot the Joralemon farm, The lane
which down to the water the line Of what is
now Joralemon-st. Upon this q large and imposing
building erected.
When she city was incorporated in 1884 the
bers of the Oldest church decided to sgnaIize the
cident by erecting church and design was
adopted for structure of pure Greek architecture.
copy Of the Parthenon at Athens constructed of
marble. with eight columns in front and eight in the
rear the building occupying the centre Of large plot
Of ground fronting Joralemon-st. and extending
through the block to LvingstoD-st., where the par
sonage faced This building used by the society
for more than fifty years. In 1856 the church prop
erty in Joraemon-st. sold for quarter of
million of dollars to Charles L. Wiloughby, and it has
since passed into the possession Of the city and of the
Polytechnic Institute. The consistOry governing
body Of the church decided TO purchase site for new
church on the Park slope, and line piece Of ground
was secured at seyenth-ave and Carrollst. Here
large and wellequipped Sundly-school chapel was
erected It has been used for church services pend
ing the completion Of the church adjoining.
The handsome new building stands at the south
west corner OF Seventh-ave. and Carrollst, in the
heart Of the Park SLOPE region rapidly filling up
with fine houses, and which will have a large
population Of wealthy people. 1t is built Of indiana
limestone and is Of the thirteenth century Gothic ar
chiiecure. The striking feature OF its exterior
is the tall and graceful stone spre, rising 215 feet
from the pavement. There are only two other stone
spires in the city. The church and chapel adjoining
it in the rear site 100 by 1917 feet, and the
rest Of the block In seventh-ave. is owned by the
church authorities, measuring o. by 100 feet. The
church walls are lofty and the ceiling is 90 feet from
~ Tba ic afrau tbeDad nv nageiV
buttresses, flying buttress the eastery side form
ing a porte cochere for carriages over the main
entrance is some fine carving Of ecclesiastical symbols
and on the cornerstone are the dates 1860
and 1889. The and transept are
preserved in the general design and columns support
the roof but the seats are arranged in semi-circuar
rows so that the entire audience face the pulpit.
Great windows in the gables and side walls, filed
with stained glass, light the interior. The ceiling
has lofty barrel arches and is nicely decorated The
woodwork of antique oak, and the entire interior Is
richly ornate. The flooring Of the vesbule is mosaic
Three broad entrances lead In from the streets.
Saircases with landings lead to broad gallery eX-
tending across the lear end of the church. An
immense rose window is in the gable above the
gallery and it is filed with stained glass in harmonious
colors. In the Tansept gables are immense memorial
windows. The one the right contains three
cathedral glass figures the central one typlfyng The
saviour with lamb In His arms, while the mother
follows Him. On one side is tn sower going forth
to sow. and ON the other side laborer in vineyard
The pulpit end of the church. which abuts the chapel Is
richly decorated. An immense mural painting, rep
resentng Christ coming forth from the tomb stretches
across the recess for the pulpit, and below 1t are
Scriptual emblems.
The pulpit is simple and p design, and is of
oak match the pews. At the left OF the pulpit, as
1t, is the organ loft filing one corner OF the
church. A fine instrument, costing about $4,000,
occupies it, Tho church Is decorated I'm rich but quiet
coorS, the side walls il terra Gotta and yellow and
the ceiling in gold and green. The church Is nghled
by an immense central chandelier and smaller ones
on the sides and I'm the rear. The arrangements are
all made for electric lighting when this is desired
The chapel which adourns the church and is part OF
the same architectural design is in keeping with 1t
in its interior arrangements and includes spacious
sunday school hail. lecture room, parlor study,
k tchen, etc. 1t is finely decorated aud cost $1,000
Ihe church has cost double this SUN, ana with the
Site the entire cost is not far from S25OOOO
The present pastor is the Rev DR.. James ~ tarTar |
we're begun in Brooklyn the six Dutch churches OF the
county c0Ordinated rs c'leghte chuIches ana te
same pastors served them all The first Of these
Theoddrus PohemuS was his Goad!ut0F. lney -"G ic !
Rev. Rud6lphHs Van VarlcH, In 1850 the Rev. Vim |
oentuis Antondes IL 1922 the Rev; ba6naG n M
the Row. ulprainus Van slnleren IN lt4o inc I hen.
Johannes CaSperus Rubel in 1917. the Rev Maitnus
-chOoGmater in 1852 and the Rex Peter Srst Lone
preach In English and Mr. Schoonmaker the
last to preach in Dutch In lsO2 the Br0'Klyn
,hurch secured the Rev. John Il. Johnson but ne Only
lived year, and the Rev. selah strong Woo4hnll was
called in 1sOG. lie became profeSso" IN kutS gers
fbenezcr Mason was settled in 1926, but resigned
Two years later. The Rev. Peter =. Rouse tonowed
md remained pastor until his death In lo3t. Inc
Rev Maurice W Dwight was then pastor for twenty
Two years In 1855 the Rev. A. 7. Van Gleseh Was
allied but he remained only four years, when Ill
lealth led to his resignation. Then the Key: A. A.
illets accepted cal, and remained uatI loo. inc
nv klmbdll
ais installation. aud was succeeded by the Kew Henry
R. Dickson. The latter resigned In 1870, ana DI.
David W Vandervecr was called in the same year
When the church property in Joralemonst' wa, solG
DR.. Vanderveer rcsigIed. ana the church remained
without a pastor until 1880. Then Dr. Farrlr was
allied hOm the Fourth United Presbyterian Chlrh OF
Philadelphia. lie installed last fall ne i uhacr
ortv wears old lie was educated at Westminster
roleee and Princeton Seminary, an was giadtaiei
rom the latter in 1873. He received the degree Oh
D. D. from Princeton last summer.
The arrangements for the dedicatOry services next
sunday include a sermon In the morning By the Rev: