A history of the churches, of all denominations, in the city of New York, from the first settlement to the year 1846, Part 13

Author: Greenleaf, Jonathan, 1785-1865. cn
Publication date: 1846
Publisher: New York, E. French; Portland, Hyde, & Duren
Number of Pages: 784


USA > New York > New York City > A history of the churches, of all denominations, in the city of New York, from the first settlement to the year 1846 > Part 13


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1813


Mulberry Street Church,


1809


1839


Zoar Church,


.1811


1812


Provost Street Church,


1825


1829


Mission Church,.


1827


1833


Elizabeth Street Church,


1827


1830


East Baptist Church,


1829


1838


Emmaus Church,


1830


1836


Bethel Church (under Mr. Miller)


1831


1840


Broome Street Church,.


1833


1838


Bowery, or Central Church,


1833


1838


West Church,


1835


1838


Sixth Street Church,


1840


1845


Particular Baptist,


1841


1844


Churches 15


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MORAVIAN CHURCH. 1748.


IN tracing the history of the Moravian Church, or Church of the United Brethren,-as it is also called, in the city of New York, we are led back something more than one hundred years. It was in the year 1736 that the Rev. Messrs. Spangenberg and Nitschman, two Bishops of the Moravian Church, arrived in New York from Germany, on their way to Pennsylvania. During a brief stay in this city they made the acquaintance of Mr. John Noble, who was at that time a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in Wall street, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Pemberton. Mr. Noble was a man of . estimable character, as well as a man of wealth. He subsequently withdrew from the Presbyterian Church, and was a leading man in the Moravian Church until his death.


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MORAVIAN CHURCH.


Mr. Beomper, another merchant, was asso- ciated with Mr. Noble at this time. A few meetings for social worship were held at that . time in the house of Mr. Noble, but when the two bishops left the city, the meetings were discontinued, and all things remained as they were for about three years.


In the year 1739 the Rev. Martin Mock and the Rev. Henry Rauch, two missionaries from the Moravian Church in Germany, landed in New York. The meetings for re- ligious worship were then renewed ; and in a little more than a year after this, in the beginning of the year 1741, the Rev. Peter Boehler, a bishop of the Moravian Church, came to New York for the purpose of em- barking for Europe,-accompanied thus far by Bishop Nitschman, who had been here five years previous. During their stay in the city meetings were frequently held, and con- siderable interest excited; and before they left, a society of nine persons was formed, who continued to assemble for social wor- ship. Towards the close of that year Count Zinzindorf, the founder of the Moravian Church in Germany, arrived in New York, with a considerable colony of Moravians, on


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their way to Pennsylvania. His presence greatly encouraged the brethren at New York. He tarried but a few days, but before he left he appointed elders from among them- selves, and thus things remained until the year 1743. Up to this time meetings had been held for reading the Scriptures, prayer, and singing, but they had enjoyed no sac- raments.


In December, 174S, the Rev. Johannes de Wattivel, a Bishop of the Moravian Church, came from Europe, and, while he tarried in New York, he made a regular organization of the church, and administered the Lord's Supper. The total number in the congrega- tion at this time was less than one hundred, and for two years they met for worship in the house of Mr. Noble.


In the year 1751 the congregation pur- chased two lots of ground on what was then Fair street-now Fulton 'street, between William and Dutch streets, where they erected a small frame building. The corner- stone was laid by the Rev. Owen Rice, June 16th, 1751, and the building was dedicated by Bishop Spangenberg on the 18th of June, in the following year. Here was their place


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MORAVIAN CHURCH.


of worship for almost 80 years. Here the fathers worshipped and went down to the grave ; and here, also, the children succeeded, and the third generation came, and the house was filled. In the year 1829 the old house of worship was taken down, and rebuilt of brick, 40 feet wide and 60 feet long. The corner-stone of this edifice was laid August 13th, and the building was dedicated by Bishop Anders, on the 29th of November, in the same year. In 1S36, Fulton street was widened, and it became necessary to cut off eight feet of the building. In 1843, it was thought advisable to remove the place of worship, and the church edifice was taken down, and the ground sold. A new pur- chase was made of ground on the corner of Houston and Mott streets, and a large and substantial brick building erected, which was .opened for worship June 29th, 1845.


One singular circumstance may properly be noticed. When the church edifice on Fulton street was taken down, the corner- stone was preserved, together with the box which was deposited underneath it in 1829, and, in digging up the other parts of the foundation, the corner-stone of the old first building was also found in a good state of


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.MORAVIAN CHURCH.


preservation. These were both deposited in the foundation of the church on Houston street, with a third stone, specially appro- priated to that building.


The pastoral office in the Moravian Church in New York has been held by a considerable number of very respectable clergymen, but it is somewhat difficult to fix the precise dates of their accession or resig- nation. The Rev. Owen Rice labored with this congregation soon after the organization of the church, and was with them previous to the erection of their first house of worship in 1751. The Rev. Thomas Yarrell held the pastoral office from 1757 to 1765, when he was succeeded by the Rev. G. Neiser, who remained here ten years. In 1775, the Rev. Gustavus Shewkirk ministered in this church for a short time, until the revolutiona- ry war broke up this congregation, as it did most others in the city. After the peace, and when order was restored in the city, the congregation again collected, with the Rev. Ludolph A. Rusmeyer as pastor. He was succeeded by the Rev. James Birkby, and he by the Rev. Godfrey Peters, who died here October 27, 1797. He was the first minister who had died while in the service


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MORAVIAN CHURCH.


of this church. The Rev. Mr. Meder, the Rev. Mr. Bardill, and the Rev. Mr. Moulther, successively officiated in this church, the · last named for seven years, closing his min- . istry with the year 1812. In that year the Rev. Benjamin Mortimer, who had been a missionary among the Indians, succeeded to the pastoral office in this church, and labored faithfully and successfully for seven- teen years, until he was removed by death in 1829. When Mr. Mortimer became in- firm, about a year previous to his death, the Rev. William Henry Vanvleek commenced , his labors in the Moravian Church, which were continued most acceptably to the peo- ple until the autumn of 1836, when he was appointed to the office of a bishop in the church, and resigned his charge. Bishop Vanvleek was succeeded in the church at New York by the Rev. C. F. Kluger, who served two years ; and in 1838, he was suc- ceeded by the Rev. Mr. Bleck, who left in 1842, under a call from a church in Salem, N. C., when the present pastor of the church, the Rev. David Bigler, commenced his labors. The church and congregation are in a flour- ishing state. The number of communicants is one hundred and twenty.


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METHODIST CHURCH. 1766.


THE first Methodist church in America was formed in the city of New York. In the early part of the year 1766, a few Irish families who were Methodists, arrived here, among whom was Mr. Philip Embury, a local preacher, of this denomination. He commenced preaching in his own house, which stood on what is now called "City Hall Place," and gathered a small society of his countrymen. After a few months spent in this way, a room was rented adjoining the soldiers' barracks, and meetings were held there. Before the close of that year they were joined by Capt. Thomas Webb, bar- rack-master at Albany, a zealous and gifted man, who preached to the people in his regimentals. The novelty of this brought numbers to the meeting, and the society was


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METHODIST CHURCH.


greatly enlarged. A room formerly used as a rigging loft, was procured, and fitted up as a place of worship. That building is still


standing. It is a high, one story frame building, with a sharp roof, standing end to


the street, after the old Dutch fashion. It


stands on the east side of William street, about half way between Fulton and John streets, and now bears the street number of one hundred and twenty. Here the congre-


gation remained about two years, when ground was purchased on John street, near Nassau, and a house of worship was built, sixty feet in length, and forty-two in breadth, and called " Wesley Chapel." Mr. Embury preached the first sermon in this house on October 30, 1768. During the next year Mr. Boardman and Mr. Pilmoor* came over from England, and labored in New York and Philadelphia, interchanging with each other, and the societies were considerably en- larged ; yet at the first conference ever held in America, which was convened in Philadel-


* This Mr. Pilmoor, or Pillmore, as the name is sometimes spelt, afterwards became an Episcopa- lian, and was the first Rector of " Christ's Church" in this city. He died in Philadelphia in July, 1825.


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METHODIST CHURCH.


phia, July 4, 1773, there were no more than one hundred and eighty members reported in the church in New York, and about the same number in Philadelphia. Thomas Rankin and George Shadford were then stationed at New York and Philadelphia, with directions to exchange places every four months.


Rev. Francis Asbury and Rev. Richard Wright labored after this. Mr. Asbury was afterwards bishop, and the most promi- nent man in the Methodist connection in America.


The war of the Revolution soon came on, and no very great advance was made until after the peace, and the regular establish- ment of the " Methodist Episcopal Church" in the year 1784.


JOHN STREET CHURCH.


. This, as we have seen, was the first Methodist church in New York city, the mother of at least twenty-four others. Al- though, perhaps, not many formalities were observed at its formation, yet it may be considered as having been formed in the house of Mr. Embury, in 1766, with four or


284


METHODIST CHURCH.


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five members. The first house of worship was built, as has been stated, in 1768. This was taken down in 1817, and another erect- ed on the same spot. In the year 1840, John street was widened, and it became necessary to remove or rebuild the meeting- house. It was accordingly taken down, and the present building erected. It looks small on the street, being but forty-two feet wide, but it is eighty feet deep, and is so arranged as to accommodate a large congregation. is, altogether, one of the neatest places of worship in the city. There are now on the roll of communicants, three hundred and seventy-five members. Rev. Aaron Rogers is pastor.


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FORSYTH STREET CHURCH.


This was the second Methodist church formed in the city, and was founded in the year 1790. It commenced with about thirty members. The first house of worship was a frame building, erected at a cost of about $2,000. It stood on the site of the present building in Forsyth street, near Division street. This was taken down in 1833, and the present building erected at a


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METHODIST CHURCH. 285


cost of $20,000. This has always been a numerous assembly. Two churches have colonized from this since its establishment, and it now numbers six hundred and fifty communicants. Rev. Sanford Washburn is now preacher in charge.


DUANE STREET CHURCH.


This church was formed in 1797, and was the third Methodist church in the city. The original number of members was forty-five. In the same year a house of worship was built on Duane street, near Hudson, at a cost of about $10,000. The house is now standing. It is a large and flourishing con- gregation. The number of communicants is six hundred and twenty-five. The Rev. John Poisal is the present minister.


SEVENTH STREET CHURCH.


The origin of this church is interesting. About the year 1788, when the Methodist Church in John street was the only one of that denomination in the city, two members of that church, Mr. Philip I. Arcularius, and Mr. John Spruson, being desirous of carrying


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METHODIST CHURCH.


the Gospel to the more scattered population, established a weekly prayer-meeting in the northeastern section of the city, on the road leading to Harlem, about two miles from what was then the centre of the city. This meeting was called, for distinction's sake, the " Two Mile-stone Prayer-meeting." This meeting was continued for several years, and many people around became in- terested in the things of religion. At length a class was formed, preaching was occa- sionally obtained, and about the year 1800, a church was organized-Forsyth Street and Duane Street having preceded it, so that it constituted the fourth Methodist Church organized in the city. For some years it was more generally known as the " Two Mile-stone Church." An old building was occupied as a place of worship, which stood on what was then called " Nicholas- William street," near the present " St. Mark's place," which was hired on a long lease. About the year 1830, before the lease expired, the owners of the land, where the old house stood, wishing to improve it, offered the Methodist congregation a still longer lease on another spot, nearer to what is now


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METHODIST CHURCH.


Seventh street. To this place the old build- ing was removed, enlarged, and repaired. They had been here but a few years, when the owners of the land, being desirous of making still farther improvements, offered the congregation a free gift of lots on the south side of Seventh street, if they would again remove. 'l'o this they consented, and built a substantial brick edifice, measuring seventy-two feet by fifty-four, at a cost of about $17,500. The house was completed in 1836. The old building was then taken down and removed to Yorkville, and is the present Methodist Meeting-House at that place.


ALLEN STREET CHURCH.


This church was formed in the year 1810. Meetings had been held in that neighborhood during the previous year, and a house of worship was completed near the close of 1810. It was a stone building, seventy feet by fifty-five, and stood on the site of the present building, which was erected in 1836. It is a large brick edifice, seventy-four feet by sixty-two. A large and flourishing congregation assemble here. The number


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288


METHODIST CHURCH.


of members in the church is nine hundred and fifty-four. Rev. L. M. Vincent is the present minister.


BEDFORD STREET CHURCH.


This church was formed in the same year with the church in Allen street. A private room was first used for meetings, then a hall owned by an individual, and at length a small frame building was erected on Bedford street, corner of Morton street. Like most of the other churches, this has greatly in- creased, and after having enlarged their house of worship twice, and still found it filled to overflowing for several years, in 1840, a very large brick edifice was erected on the same spot. r. John Seys is the present minister.


WILLET STREET CHURCH.


Toward the close of the year 1817, a few members of the Methodist Church living in the eastern part of the city, established a meeting in a school-room on Broome street, which was just vacated by the Seventh Presbyterian Church. Shortly after, they re-


289


METHODIST CHURCH.


moved to a building called " The Mission- House," standing on Broome street, between Cannon and Lewis streets, which they hired. They then organized as a church, and remained in this building for six years. In 1825, on the 16th of October, they laid the corner stone of the " Willet Street Me- thodist Church." . This building was finished in May of the next year, and the church and congregation removed hither. 'The congre- gation is a prosperous one. Rev. Phineas Rice is the present pastor.


EIGHTEENTH STREET METHODIST CHURCH.


This church was commenced in the year 1829, when a small class was formed in the scattered settlements which then lay along the North river, above Greenwich. A'small wooden building was put up for a meeting- house, standing on what is now " West Twentieth street, a few doors west of the Eighth avenue, and the Rev. Stephen Mar- tindale was stationed there by the Confer- ence for two years. The society increased, and the place of worship was filled, and soon found to be altogether " too strait" for the rapidly increasing congregation.


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METHODIST CHURCH.


Arrangements were therefore made to ob- tain better accommodations ; and in 1835, the society opened for worship a spacious brick edifice, capable of seating nearly 1000 persons, situated on Eighteenth street, be- tween Eighth and Ninth avenues. The old meeting-house was converted into a dwell- ing, and is still standing. The Rev. Mr. Martindale, who was their first minister, and who saw their feeble beginnings, is again their pastor, having now around him a numerous and flourishing church and con- gregation.


GREENE STREET CHURCH.


The Methodist Church in Greene street was formed in the year 1831. In that year, a large brick edifice was built on Greene street, where a numerous congregation now assemble. The Rev. Nathan Bangs, D.D., has the pastoral charge of this church at the present time.


SECOND STREET METHODIST CHURCH.


The methodist meeting-house in Second street was built in the year 1832. It was


291


METHODIST CHURCH. i


situated on a kind of missionary ground, and has been instrumental of great good. It is numerously attended. The Methodist churches changing their ministers every two years, and sometimes every year, it cannot. be expected that we can follow the ministers of each church in detail. The pastor in charge at Second street, at the present time, is the Rev. F. W. Smith.


" HARLEM MISSION."


About the year 1830, a missionary cir- cuit was established by the Methodist Epis- copal Mission of this city, which was tra- velled by the Rev. Mr. Ferris for one year, and by the Rev. Dr. Seaman for the two following. It was called the " Harlem Mis- sion." They had six principal stations, viz., Harlem, Yorkville, Manhattanville, Fort Washington, Forty-first street, on the North river, and Twenty-seventh street, toward the. East river. At these places the Sabbaths were spent, and lectures and prayer-meet- ings held occasionally during the week in other places. The circuit was travelled in about two weeks. After a time, two preachers were appointed to this circuit.


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METHODIST CHURCH.


The Methodist churches at Harlem, York- ville, Forty-first street, and Twenty-seventh street, owe their origin to this effort. 'The first of these which ripened into an inde- pendent church was,


YORKVILLE.


A considerable congregation was accus- tomed to assemble here, and a class was formed in the very early movements of the Mission, and Divine influences being afford- ed, quite a number of persons were hopeful- ly converted. The regular establishment of the church took place in the year 1832. In the year 1836, an effort was made to obtain a house of worship. The Seventh street Methodist Church having about that time completed a new house of worship, their old building, then in a good state of repair, was obtained, taken down, and removed to Yorkville.


The Methodist congregation at Yorkville is not large ; about thirty-five members are found in the church. Rev. William McK. Bangs is the present mi


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METHODIST CHURCH.


TWENTY-SEVENTH STREET CHURCH.


The station established by the preachers on the Harlem mission circuit at what was then generally known as "Rose Hill," was the next which became an independent congregation. This took place in 1834, and it was generally known as the "Rose Hill Church." A small frame building was erected about that time on Twenty-seventh street, and, the population soon increasing in that section of the city, this house became crowded, and in 1813, the congregation com- pleted a substantial brick edifice, measuring 72 feet by 48. The Rev. Daniel Curry is the present minister.


FORTY-FOURTH STREET CHURCH. 1 ·


Connected with the Twenty-seventh Street Church a class of about ten members was formed, in November, 1844, a short dis- tance above, on the Third avenue ; and the second floor of an old building, standing on Forty-fourth street, was fitted up as a place of worship, and for the accommodation of a Sabbath-school. Preaching is maintained here most of the time, but the relation of the people is still to the Rose Hill Church.


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METHODIST CHURCH.


HARLEM METHODIST CHURCH.


This was the third of the mission stations which became a church. Preaching was maintained here with considerable regularity from the year 1830, but it was not until nearly six years after that a church was formed. It was in the year 1836 that the meeting-house was built, and the permanent establishment of the church may be dated from this time. The Rev. M. E. Willing is pastor of the church.


FORTY-FIRST STREET CHURCH.


This church, also, was the offspring of the " Harlem Mission," and became a distinct church in the year 1S40. In 1843, their present house of worship was built. The assembly is not large, but it is now a per- manent body, and the church is doing good in the population around it.


VESTRY STREET CHURCH.


For many years all the members of the Methodist Church, residing on the western . side of the city, were constrained to travel to


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METHODIST CHURCH.


Duane street on the south, or Bedford street on the north, in order to reach a church of their own denomination. An intermediate place of worship seemed, therefore, highly expedient. Vestry street was pitched upon as a suitable location ; a very handsome and commodious house of worship was built here in the year 1833, and a church was or- ganized. The Rev. Moses L. Scudder is the present pastor. There is one peculiarity in this house of worship: it is finished with pews, and not free seats. Of all the Methodist Meeting-Houses in the city there are but two such.


MULBERRY STREET CHURCH.


The house of worship occupied by this church is built with pews and not free seats, like the church in Vestry street. A large congregation assembles here. The church was organized in 1834, and the house of worship was built in the same year. The present pastor of the church is the Rev. Edward L. Janes.


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METHODIST CHURCH.


TWENTY-FOURTH STREET CHURCH.


In the month of August, in the year 1841, a Sabbath-school was established in the basement of a dwelling-house, in the Tenth avenue, between Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth streets,-a part of the city at that time exceedingly destitute of the ordi- nary means of grace.


Soon after, a prayer-meeting was opened in the same place, and, a few hopeful conver- sions occurring, a class of about twenty per- sons was formed and attached to the Me- thodist Church in Eighteenth street, to which the leaders of this enterprise belonged. Arrangements were made soon after to erect a house of worship, and a small frame build- ing was put up, standing on Twenty-fourth street, near Ninth avenue, which was opened for worship in December, 1843. The church was constituted some time previous. It is a flourishing little church, and doing great good among the population where it is situated. Its present pastor is the Rev. S. A. Seaman.


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METHODIST CHURCH.


GERMAN MISSION CHURCH.


The number of Germans who have emi- grated to New York is very great ; and with commendable zeal most of the evangelical denominations have done something for their religious instruction. A Methodist meeting of this description was established in Second street, in the year 1811, and during the next year a church was organized called the " German Mission Methodist Church," and a substantial brick edifice, measuring 70 feet by 44, was erected. The Rev. J. C. Lyon is the minister. 'The exercises are conducted in German.


ASBURY CHURCH.


In the early part of the year 1842, a socie- . ty was formed by members of the various Methodist churches in the city, called the " Asbury Society," the. special objeet of which, as expressed in their constitution, was, " to increase the number of Methodist Episcopal churches in the city of New York."


In the summer of that year, this society resolved to commence a new congregation


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METHODIST CHURCH.


somewhere in the city, and appointed a committee to select a suitable place for a commencement. This committee accordingly hired the Columbian Hall on Grand street, and engaged the Rev. Ezra Withey to preach there. The experiment proved successful. A considerable congre- gation was collected within a few months, and a church was formed of a few mem- . bers from other churches, and called the " Asbury Church," and to this church others were soon added by profession. Seeing the success of the enterprise, measures were taken to build the house of worship. A site was purchased on Norfolk street, near Stanton, and the house was completed and opened for worship October 5, 1843. Up to this time, all the affairs of the congrega- tion had been managed by the " Asbury Society," but they then retired by request of the trustees of the congregation, and the peo- ple now stand independently. Rev. Mr. Withey, who was instrumental in collecting the congregation, remained as their stationed preacher until the summer of 1845, when he removed to Jane street, to commence a new enterprise there. The present minister is the Rev. Nicholas White.




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