The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-11
CHURCH 200 YEARS OLD.
A CELEBRATION IN KEEPING WITH
SLEEPY BOLLOW MEMORIES.
Afternoon Service IN the Ancient Church In
the noiIow-Addressea by Former Pastors
Pleasant Anecdote OF william Ilnndrcin.


day the 2ooth anniversary OF its iounu''Ton'
The ceremonies were characteriLeu oy . sun
pncity ana oirecthesS th"l was III % i'H't"''
cent OF the adventurous iioii"huerS u o"no
into the Now World ana pun" pIaco ot worship
among the camps OF the lhui"ne'
The old church itself hau ooeh repaired IN
preparation Tor the anniversary, ana INC re,
pairs, 90 tar as possioie' hau Iahoh tue Shape
OF restoration OF the Arrangement ana oet"nS
OF the churcn arcniIecturot 'noSe "hl0h oriki"'
ally existed.
Tho celebration began win tho morning scr
vice at the First Dutch reformed ohurch. ms
church was quilt IN superseoe the ola church'
and since IL was quit inc ou ohurcn mas oeen
used for W or three services only each year.
The HcV. Dr. John Knox Allen' pastor Oh INC
churcn, preached a sermon on INC preservation
Oh the Church doctrine.
Inc congregations OF ooth the flrst ana sec
ond churches listened to him. Inc second
Dutch Reformed Church is another daughter of
the old church. The seryice in tho afternoon
was held in the old building, and was more d.
rectly emo The church is built OF
gray stone, and will hold hardly 200 people: 1t
ID on q knob at the lower emu OF inc sleepy hoi'
low burying ground. not five hundred feet
IRON tae sue . ! inc pfiuso mao0 rs amI m'. oy t nn
tale OF the headless horseman. Inc Dutch he.
be inferred from the presence Of old Dutch
~ ~ - 'uv S
mons signs through tho town. Even those of
the community whose family history was not
directly connected with the Church felt patri.
noon
1t had been announced that the doors OF tho
church would be opened at 2:so o'clock. At
-, .S0 'o ,ho 'p hro,, "et .S. saSusn peSp'e s'" mo-
ing on inc broad threshold and on the
whole church. when the doors wer, onened
~ manv had satbsrsd that n second onn.
Eregation could have been gathered outdoors
as large as that which found room in the church,
Those who were crowded out gathered six and
sight deep about the windows and listened.
They Joined in the singing also, and sent the
solemn Old hymns rolling up the Hollow along
the sluggish Pocantico. Others wandered among
,o,tsreS onitanbs or sought tbe lonsIinass ~ NY
s Upper part GP' Of shs great OF sSn sary ins i sroanS. It e w sss
all 1--we very ~ q Ibs RAN and NJ very TyoD TeI \ Tntd 40; after a
I Pr Sirt Iy sne ra nes' n pF; So OF "A; 4; t secon% %h ~, was
up into the pulpit to explain the alterations
The committee had found. he said. that the
side walls were bullying and in imminent danger
ened and then strengthened by the restoration
Of cross beams mat the srchitect, MT: Meserole.
to give place to q false ceiling.
The S beams nst that liver were put in are Of rough.hewn
Of the old wooden carved Ceiling. It Was de-.
ci7ed not to attempt to put back the side gal
,ery: and ND not not to attemPt to change the entrance
east corner.
The mint was much put to 1t in tho
restoration OF the pulpit. They. learned, how
ever. that the pulpit that originally stood in
the church was the exact duplicate of that in
They therefore had the North, Church pull
pit copied and put in place; As it
Flemish oak. len or twelve feet high. The pulpit
proper stands lands on a turned pedestal Tn not six
reaches his place BY q winding stair,
The congregation. led by the picked choir from
my soul, and stretch thy Wings. Then Snns The R Res..
Or. John B. Thompson. pastor OF the church
from y fs in , 10 is st3a told ns OF rs 6dI memories nc rssn OF the
nifty. years, and the spreading Of the saera:
of the Lords Supper. In men.
tioni1g the names of pillars Of the church he
ca!'ea up memoT1ss o. lillian tandrein.
tion OF this eonsecrated spot than did William
would harness his horses and drive from
his home. over on the Eastern Hill. to this
tie his horses to the fence and then repair
to the threshold OF this house. although no ser.
VICES were going on, and sit there for two and.
tl9ss a1sg0l himself +. HIM in . sSnte Mn2sSiS ,es ans P mors
dominic in a, new church. When l
came here he had grown 50 feeble that
he could not hitch up the horses any more. But
he never permitted me to leave his house aftera
pastoral call without pressing into my hand two
for the mistress Of the manse., We can we'll
n ms0 "a e %i fheT1sh ha tine memory Of such sterling
Dr: Th9mpson recalled o~thers-sister Susan
Van Tassel. and William H. Plat, n brother Of
The Senator He told Of Lie1tenant Emanuel
Davidson, who ever lived a Rodly life because Of
the charge received from his father on leaving
home. to wit: My boy, II ever you are tempted
to do a mean or an unworthy thing, reniem-
Der whose you are. When temptation stirs
n YOU though you be in India or the
Martin's-in.the-Field here In London and ask
to see the record OF your birth. Read there
whose you are, and c~ogitate that you were there
given to Christ Jesus our Lord, of which your
Christian name Is the sign. Go, and may God
go with you"
bodies lie beneath the sod upon the grassy slopes