The South Bushwick Reformed Church in all it’s former glory. Photo by Alan Arichavala.
After a horrific blaze last Friday, a local historian retraces the history of the 174-year-old South Bushwick Reformed Church.
BY ALAN ARICHAVALA
news@queensledger.com
Last Friday, during what should have been a peaceful Juneteenth weekend, tragedy struck Bushwick when flames were reported coming from inside the historic South Bushwick Reformed Church. What followed was a three-alarm fire that caused the collapse of the church’s iconic leaning steeple and left the Greek Revival structure, along with its rectory, completely destroyed. Adding to the tragedy, the church had recently stabilized its steeple and renovated portions of the building which had suffered water damage. The irreversible destruction of the 174-year old landmark has been a major blow to the community.
The origins of the South Bushwick Reformed Church can be traced back to the Dutch Reformed Protestant Church of Boswijck, established in 1654 as the area was settled by Dutch settlers moving from the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam at the tip of Manhattan island. Boswijck, the original Dutch name of Bushwick, roughly translates to “neighborhood of the woods”. The settlement was one of six Dutch towns in Brooklyn and it was primarily settled by French Huguenots along with a small number of Dutch farmers. The community, like many
European communities, centered around a church that once stood near the intersection of what is now Bushwick Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue. In 1664, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the English sent a fleet to New Amsterdam. Instead of fighting against the English invaders, Peter Stuyvesant was forced to surrender the colony and New Amsterdam was renamed New York, in honor of King Charles II’s brother, James Stuart, Duke of York. The town of Boswijck was anglicized to Bushwick.
Almost 200 years later, Brooklyn was still a rural county dotted by farms and colonial-era settlements; however, its population was steadily growing from the influx of New Yorkers leaving behind the cramped and overpopulated neighborhoods of lower Manhattan. In 1851, members of the Bushwick Reformed Church petitioned the North Classis of Long Island for the establishment of a new church in an area known as Bowronville. The petition was approved by the Classis, and the Reformed Dutch Church of South Bushwick was established.
On September 6th, 1852, the cornerstone was laid for the new church. The church was designed by the architectural firm Messrs. Morgan, the building incorporated elements of both Greek Revival and Gibbsian Classical styles. Construction amounted to $5,900 of which $2,000 was provided through a grant from the Collegiate Church of New York. The church building was finally completed in 1853 and the first services were held by the church’s inaugural pastor, Reverend John S. Himrod, on January 29th, 1854. Reverend Himrod would also be honored with the naming of adjacent Himrod Street.
After decades of growth, Bushwick Avenue became a highly fashionable residential street lined with mansions owned mainly by German-American brewery owners, leading to Bushwick Avenue being dubbed as “Brewer’s Row”. The church, also known as the White Church, was the centerpiece of this fashionable neighborhood and had a consistent congregation by the end of the 19th century. In 1881, a fellowship hall annex, designed by architect J.J. Buck was constructed behind the church to serve as a Sunday School. Two years later, the church was enlarged.
Photo by Alan Arichavala.
By the 1960s, the church witnessed a slow decline in members as Bushwick began suffering the effects of white flight and city negligence. Nonetheless, the church still fostered a community and maintained programs that pushed for community outreach. In 1968, the church was designated a New York City Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the first building in Brooklyn to receive the designation. In 1982, it was also listed in the National Register of Historical Places. In 2006, the church’s steeple was damaged by a rare tornado, leaving it crooked. Despite concerns from the community, the steeple was stabilized but its distinctive lean became somewhat of a welcome sight amongst residents.
Residents from both Queens and Brooklyn have pointed out the similarities in the fires that destroyed both the South Bushwick Reformed Church and the First Reformed Church of Astoria. Some, such as Deacon Kevin Harris of Astoria, have pointed out that the destruction of these churches can be blamed on negligence but notes that their location in gentrifying neighborhoods have also led to some speculation if these fires were planned. Whatever the case may be, the loss of these two historic churches are deeply mourned in the communities they served.
