New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-17
LITTLE OLD NETWORK.
Some Odd Phases of Her March
to Greatness.
XXV1-

To tell the history Of the entrance into New
York and the growth OF each Of the present re-
rS1ous denominations would require more time
than the writer has at his disposal and moro
patience IN separating the historical chaf OF
bigotry from the wheat Of truth than he pos
sesses What follows. therefore. is a skeleton
history, prior to the opening Of the nineteenth
century and beginning with the first religious
denomination the Dutch Reformed Church. with
events-not criticisms-set down as they We're
found IN various records.
When Peter Minuit. the first Director Gen.
eral appointed by the West India Company to
assume charge of the new Dutch colony. and his
council and secretary sailed from Amsterdam in
the Sea New on December 10. 1925. they had
with them two lay readers. CONSIDERS Of the
Sick sebastien Jansen Crol and Jan Huyghen
the latter a brother-in-law Of the Director Cen
eral. After the arrival Of the expedition at
Manhattan Island May 4. 1926, and the ac-
QUESTION Of the land upon which they were to
settle the organization Of the government Of
the province began, and. while it had been I'M
dertaken with no higher aim than commercial
speculation. the moral and spiritual necessities
of its people were not entirely overlooked. Ser
vices consisting OF the reading Of the Bible and
an occasional sermon were conducted every Sab
bath morning by the two CONSIDERS of the Sick
already mentioned, In the loft OF what was then
considered notable building we'll as a USE
full one-a mill for the grinding of corn. operated
by horse power located in what is now South
WiIliam-st-, near Pearl. On April z, 1923, the
Rev. Jonas Michaelius arrived at Manhattan
assume the position of spiritual director and
schooimaster at the request OF the directors
OF the West India Company. In a letter sent
four months after his arrival to the Rev. Adri-
Smoutius. at Amsterdam. he says: "Our
coming here was agreeable to ALL and 1 hope
by the grace OF the Lord. that my services
VIII not be unfruitful The people. for the
most part are all free. somewhat rough and
loose, but i find In most all of them both
love and respect toward me- We have
first established the form of a church (gemeente),
and. az Brother Sebastien Crol very seldom
comes down from Fort Orange, because the d.
rectorship OF that fort and the trade there is
committed TO him. it has been thought best to
choose two elders for my assistance and for the
proper consideration Of all such ecclesiastical
matters as might occur" The elders appointed
We're Director Minuit and his brother-in-law
Huyghen. and partly to their care and consid-
Grafton were the fifty communicates who consti-
tuted the first regularly organized church So
ciety Manhattan Island con6ded.
The loft in the horse mill was used as a
place Of public worship until the arrival Of the
second Director General of New-Netherland.
wouter Van Twiller. in April. 1888. With Van
Twiiier came Dominic Bogardus, "a man OF a
certain order of talent in large measure and
honored for his piety." The dominic seeing the
inconvenient place Of public worship In the
loft Of the horse mill. and knowing the value
put by the West India Company on the proper
religious observances of the people requested
that new and more commodious structure be
built. 1t was plain wooden edifice located
on high point of land fronting the East River.
near what is now No. SO Pearl-st AS the river
front came up as far Pearl-st. at that time
the structure was conspicuous object to vessels
coming up the bay. This was the first church
edihce on Manhattan Island
In 1912. during the administration OF the third
Director General OF the colony. the church in
the fort" was built. to supplant "the mean barn.
In which the Dutch worshipped their Creator. n
was OF stone. sevepty-two feet long aftv ,v,de
anc sixteen high. and cost to erect $500 puild
ers. II stood within the quadrangle of the fort
TO the south Of the Governors house and
against the east wall This situation nrotectad
Il from Indian depredations. The roof was COW
cred with oak shingles. which, from exno.urs
70 the weather. became blue like slate Over
the front door Governor Kieft caused to be erect
Cd q marble slab with the inscription:
Ammo Douini le42
Wilhelm Kieft. Directeur General .
Hssft de sefneents desen ternpel dozen bouwsn.
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