A history of the churches, of all denominations, in the city of New York, from the first settlement to the year 1846, Part 8

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 8


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The life of Mr. Bruen was short. He died much lamented, Sept. 6, 1829. After calling and receiving a negative answer from the Rev. Dr. Beecher, then of Boston, the Rev. Erskine Mason succeeded Mr. Bruen, being installed Sept. 10, 1830. A large and intelligent congregation is now gathered at Bleecker street. The house of worship has been enlarged and repaired in far better style than before, and a church. of nearly four 14* 1


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hundred members collected. Rev. Dr. Mason continues pastor of the church.


Such is the result of the city missionary operations, which were commenced in 1816. One of the churches formed has ceased to exist, but four of them are living and flour- ishing, and embody at the present time, more than two thousand three hundred members.


THE EIGHTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.


In the commencement of the year 1819, there were seven Presbyterian churches in this city, viz., Wall Street, Brick Church, Rutgers Street, Cedar Street, now Duane Street, Canal Street, Laight Street, and the seventh church in Broome street, near the East River. The Scotch Church, now in Grand street, the Pearl Street Church, and the Murray Street Church, were also in operation; but being at that time in another ecclesiastical connection, they were not reckoned; and hence the new church, next formed, was numbered the eighth. This church originated in a division which took place in the summer of 1819, in the Reform- ed Dutch Church in " Greenwich village," as it was then called, of which, at that time,


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the Rev. Stephen N. Rowan was pastor. In consequence of this, Mr. Rowan resigned the pastoral office in the Dutch Church. On the 26th of August, 1819, a meeting for con- sultation was held in the " Free School Room" corner of Hudson and Christopher streets, attended by fourteen men. Ar- rangements were made for the orderly forma- tion of a Presbyterian Church, and for the establishment of public worship. The first meeting for worship was attended in a room in the " Eagle Factory," on Sabbath morn- ing, August 29th, when the Rev. Alexander Mc Clelland, then the pastor of Rutgers Street Church, officiated. The church was duly organized on the 9th of September follow- ing, Rev. Dr. McClelland presiding ; thirty- five male members were enrolled, and short- ly after twenty-six more, mostly females, were admitted on certificate, nearly the whole having been members in the Reform- ed Dutch Church. On the 11th of October following, a call was given to the Rev. Mr. Rowan to become pastor of the church, which he accepted, and was installed ac- cordingly.


About two years after this, a house of


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worship was erected on Christopher street. In the summer of 1828, Dr. Rowan was appointed an agent for the Society for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews, and his congregation consented to release him for twelve months. During this time the pulpit was supplied by Rev. David S. Bo- gert, Rev. Ebenezer Mason, and Rev. Sam- uel A. Bumstead. Dr. Rowan returned and resumed his ministry at the end of the year, but in May, -1830, he resigned his charge, having accepted the office of general agent of the society for whom he had labored, with a view to permanency. Soon after the dismission of Dr. Rowan, the Rev. Denny Ray Thomason, from England, was engaged as a stated supply, and in December follow- ing, rather informally, elected pastor, but in April, 1831, he was released at his own re- quest ; and in June of that year, a call was given to the Rev. Henry Hunter, who was installed pastor on the 29th of that month.


Mr. Hunter continued to discharge the duties of the ministry usefully, and very acceptably, until his death, which took place suddenly, August 27, 1834. In March, of


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the following year, a call was given to the Rev. William Chester, which he declined.


In July following, a unanimous call was made out for the Rev. Edward. Dunlap Smith, and he was installed pastor of this church on the fourteenth of the same month.


In the space of a few years, while the affairs of the church were going on with ordinary prosperity, pecuniary difficulties began to press very hard upon the congrega- tion. Their house of worship had never been paid for, and a great debt was con- · suming them. Thus they struggled on till the close of the year 1841, when an oppor- tunity presenting, the house of worship was sold to the free Episcopal Church, styled " St. Matthew's," for about $14,000. The


embarrassments of the congregation were thus relieved, and they retired to the Chapel of the New York University. . Here the , church continued to meet for about a year, when, in October, 1842, Mr. Smith resigned his charge. The church continued to meet together for about a month longer, when they resolved to disband, many of the num- ber expecting to unite with a new church then gathering in the upper part of the city.


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CHELSEA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.


As the population had increased, and was fast increasing in the upper section of the city, on the North River side, it was judged important to provide the means of grace there in greater abundance, and several members of Presbyterian churches living at Chelsea, as it is called, established a prayer- meeting in the spring of 1842. During that summer, arrangements were made, principally through the liberality of an in- dividual, to erect a house of worship, and in the summer of 1843, a substantial brick building was finished on Twenty-second street, near the Ninth avenue, on what is termed " Lennox Place." On October 22, 1843, soon after the house of worship was opened, a church of sixty-five members was organized by the Presbytery of New York, a large portion of whom had been members of the " Eighth Presbyterian Church," which, as related above, having no pastor, and no house of worship, and being in a broken state, had judged it expedient to scatter into other churches.


In November following, the Rev. Edward


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D. Smith, who had been the last pastor of the Eighth Church, was installed pastor of the " Chelsea Church," where he now re- mains. The church and congregation are in a flourishing condition. The present number of communicants is about one hun- dred.


VANDEWATER STREET CHURCH.


The Presbyterian Church which once ex- isted in Vandewater street, was originally or- ganized as an independent or Congrega- tional Church, and was under the ministry of the Rev. J. S. C. F. Frey, a converted Jew. On the 12th of December, 1820, Mr. Frey and his congregation applied to the Presbytery of New York to be received under its care, as a Presbyterian Church, which union was effected in October of the follow-


ing year. At that time the church contained 96 members ; but difficulties existed between them, and in September, 1822, Mr. Frey re- signed his charge, and shortly after the church withdrew from the Presbytery, and stood, for a time, independently. During this time their pulpit was supplied by several persons,-principally by the Rev. Hooper


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Cumming, though they do not appear to have had any stated pastor. Towards the close of the year 1825, Mr. Thomas E. Vermilye, a licentiate, was engaged as a supply, and the people were desirous of re- taining him as pastor, and, to effect this in an orderly manner, they applied to the Pres- bytery to be again taken under their care. After some little demur on the part of the Presby- tery, the church was again received, and Mr. Vermilye was ordained and installed pastor on January 16th, 1826. The ministry of Mr. Vermilye was acceptable and useful in this church; but the house of worship had not been paid for, and the congregation were pressed with pecuniary embarrassments, and at length, in June, 1829, Mr. Vermilye re- signed his charge, and the church shortly after disposed of their house of worship, and disbanded.


CENTRAL CHURCH. ·


This church was originally collected by the persevering labors of the Rev. William Patton. He commenced preaching on the first Sabbath in March, 1820, to a mere handful of people, in a schoolroom in Mul-


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berry street, just below Grand street, which he hired on his own responsibility ; and here, on January 8th, 1S21, a church was or- ganized, consisting of four persons only. Mr. Patton continued preaching, and that gratuitously, for more than two years ; divine influences were afforded ; the church was in- creased; and, in 1822, Mr. Patton was in- stalled its pastor. A convenient house of worship was erected on Broome street, near Centre street, 75 feet long and 60 wide ; the corner-stone was laid in September, 1821, and it was opened for worship May 7th, 1822. Here a large congregation was soon collected. Dr. Patton remained pastor of the church for about fourteen years, when, in September, 1834, he resigned the charge, having been elected Corresponding Secretary of the " Central American Education Society."


The ministry of Dr. Patton in this church was very successful. He began, as we have seen, with four persons only, and but one male among them. He was unaided, and sustained himself for several years. But when he left, the " little one" had literally " become a thousand,"-as about that num- ber of names had been enrolled on the 15


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church register, the largest proportion of whom had been received by profession. He was succeeded by the Rev. William Adams, D.D., who was installed November 13th, 1834, and is the present pastor.


VILLAGE CHURCH.


A little previous to the year 1822, a church of a few members was formed under the above name, in the westerly part of the city, near the North River. When they applied to Presbytery to be received under its care, some objection arose from a supposed inter- ference with some other congregations, but they were at length admitted under the con- dition of locating south of Leroy street, and their name was at this time changed to that of the " Tabernacle Church." In November, 1828, the Rev. Alexander G. Frazer became pastor of this church, at which time more than sixty members were enrolled in com- munion, and for a short time it seemed pro- bable that it might have grown up and lived among the churches of the city. But the ministry of Mr. Frazer was terminated by his resignation in the summer of 1830, aud after this the church became extinct.


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" PROVOST STREET," OR "14TH CHURCH." .


Toward the close of the year 1S22, the Rev. James G. Ogilvie commenced preach- ing in the westerly part of the city, near Franklin street, then called Provost street, and in January 10, 1823, a Presbyterian church of more than thirty members was organized, and on the 13th of the same month Mr. Ogilvie was installed its pastor. In the course of that year a house of wor- ship, now standing on Franklin street, was built and occupied by the church and con- gregation, and for a year or more the pros- pects of the congregation were encouraging. But, like many other church-edifices, the house was built on credit, and soon the debt began to press hard on the people, and after some severe but ineffectual struggles, Mr. Ogilvie solicited his dismission, the house was sold, and the church . was regu- larly dissolved by Presbytery, in October, 1825.


SPRING STREET CHURCH.


When the Laight Street Church removed to their new building in the summer of 1825,


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a part of the members found it more con- venient to remain behind, and accordingly on the 9th of December, in that year, a new church of forty-three members was orga- nized, in Spring street, continuing to hold worship in the old church building, which was purchased of the Laight Street Church. The Rev. Henry G. Ludlow was the first pastor of this church, being ordained and in- stalled, December 25th, 1828. Mr. Ludlow remained here until April, 1837, when he was dismissed at his own request, and settled in New Haven ; and in October of the same year, he was succeeded by the Rev. William Patton, D.D., who is the present minister. In the year 1835, the old house of worship was taken down, and a new one erected, much larger, and more convenient. Here there is now a church of nearly eight hun- dred members; a very large and flourishing congregation, and a Sabbath school of about one thousand children.


UNION CHURCH.


This church was organized on October 13th, 1829, with about twenty original mem- bers. 'A house of worship, situated on


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the corner of Prince and Marion streets, which had been built by a Universalist Society, about five years previous, was purchased, and on October 22d, 1830, the Rev. Herman Nor- ton was installed pastor. At this time the church had increased to about one hundred members. For a time things looked pros- perously, and the congregation were encou- raged. But the house of worship was encum- bered with a heavy debt, and at length, to relieve these embarrassments, the house was sold in 1835, for $20,000, and the debts paid. The church with its pastor retired to a hall, resolving to keep on, but after struggling for a year, Mr. Norton resigned his charge in April, 1835. The church, though weakened by dismissions, still kept together, supplying themselves as best they could, until April, 183S, when they were dissolved by Presbytery.


NORTH CHURCH, AND CARMINE STREET CHURCH.


The history of these churches is mingled. . On November 1st, 1829, a church was orga- nized called the " North Church," and met for worship in the Sixth avenue, near Amity 15*


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street. Before this church enjoyed the labors of a stated pastor, a division took place, and eighteen members removing to Carmine street, were called the " West Church." This colony took with them the church organization, the North Church re- maining the legal corporate body. This was in 1831, and in June of that year, a new church was organized as the " North Church," and on July 5th, of the same year, the Rev. Ebenezer Mason was installed its pastor. The ministry of Mr. Mason in this church continued less than two years, being termi- nated by his resignation in February, 1833. After this the church was scattered, and soon became extinct.


The " West Church " made an immediate effort to build a house of worship on Car- mine street, which was finished, and opened in May, 1832, two months previous to which the Rev. David R. Downer was installed pas- tor. The church was then but a feeble band, consisting of only thirty-two members, but the ministry of Mr. Downer was very suc- cessful; and although he might not have been a very learned man, nor yet what the world calls a very eloquent preacher, nor yet


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a man of brilliant talents, yet he was a pious, devoted minister, and was instrumental in gathering into the church more than four hundred members. He died of consumption November 28th, 1841.


The Rev. Edwin Holt was the next pas- tor. He was installed March 23d, 1842, and after sustaining the pastoral office about four years, was dismissed at his own request, in April, 1846. The church is now vacant.


FREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. ,


In the month of May, 1830, a meeting of a few gentlemen was held to consult on the best method of extending church privileges to the poorer`classes of the community, and more especially to those who, on account of high pew rents, and other causes, were al- most excluded from the Reformed Dutch and Presbyterian Churches. The result of this consultation was a pledge on the part of five individuals to take measures for the establishment of a free church. The Rev. Joel Parker, then pastor of a church in Rochester, N. Y., being in the city at the time, was present, by invitation, at that meeting, and gave encouragement that if .


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his church and presbytery would consent, he would embark in this enterprise. This consent was obtained, and Mr. Parker com- menced his ministry in New York, June 27, 1830, when public worship was com- menced in a room in Thames street, former- ly used as a lecture room by Rev. Dr. Ro- meyn. The first meeting was attended by about forty persons, but soon increased until the room was filled by nearly four hundred. On the 22d of September following, a church of 16 members was organized by the Presbytery of New York, and styled " The First Free Presbyterian Church of New York." . Of this church Mr. Parker became the pastor. The congregation continued in Thames street until Feb. 20, 1831, when they removed to the Masonic Hall, on Broadway, near Pearl street. Arrange- ments were immediately made, however, for the erection of a permanent house of worship, which was accomplished during that year. The building was situated on . Dey street, corner of. Washington street.


The ground floor was thrown into stores, the second floor making a large house of worship, capable of accommodating from


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eight hundred to one thousand persons. The cost was about $7,000. The seats were all free, and the necessary current expenses raised by voluntary subscription and contri- bution. This house was opened for wor- ship, Oct. 16, 1831. A numerous congre- gation assembled here, and the church was greatly enlarged. Nearly seven hun- dred members were admitted during the ministry of Mr. Parker. In Oct., 1833, Mr. Parker resigned the charge of this church, being about to take charge of a church in New Orleans. He was succeeded in the church in Dey street, by the Rev. Ephraim P. Barrows, who was installed July 28th, 1835. In the year 1837, Mr. Barrows was appointed to a professorship in the Western Reserve College, and was succeeded in the Dey Street Church by the Rev. Jacob Helffeinstein. In February, 1838, the Dey Street Church, taking their pastor with them, united with the " Tabernacle Church," re- linquishing their own name, so that neither the " First Free Church," nor the "Dey Street Church," are any longer to be found.


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SECOND FREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.


On the 14th of February, 1832, a colony of thirty-six members and three elders was dismissed from the First Free Church, and organized under the title of the " Second Free Presbyterian Church of New York." They met in " Broadway Hall," until the following May, with the Rev. E. P. Barrows as their stated supply. At this time the " Chatham Street Chapel," which had been an old Theatre, had been fitted up as a place of worship, and the Rev. Charles G. Finney had been invited to occupy it. 'The Second Free Church thereupon removed to the Chatham Street Chapel, and Mr. Finney be- came its pastor September 28, 1832. Mr. Finney continued his labors here until April, 1836, when he became pastor of the church then formed at the " Tabernacle" on Broadway. The Rev. John Ingersoll had been associated with Mr. Finney at Chatham Street Chapel, in 1834, as co-pastor, and was dismissed about the same time.


Immediately after Mr. Finney left the Chatham Street Chapel, the Rev. J. H. Martyn was called as pastor of this church,


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and continued his labors for about two years, when he was dismissed at his own request, in May, 183S. During the next three years this church had no pastor. They had oc- casional supplies of preaching, but were in a scattered and broken state. In the month of June, 1841, the Rev. Mr. Martyn, their former pastor, was recalled, and the church by vote changed their form to Congrega- tional, and the " Second Free Church" is no more to be found.


THIRD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.


This also was a colony of thirty-five per- sons, dismissed from the First Free Church, and organized under the above title, by the Third Presbytery of New York, on Decem- ber 9, 1832. They assembled for worship at the Masonic Hall, on Broadway, being supplied by the Rev. D. C. Lansing, D.D., of Utica, who was installed pastor of the church, February 10th, 1833. In the course of that year a house of worship was erected on the corner of Thompson and Houston streets, at a cost of about $11,000. Here the congregation first assembled December 29, 1833. On July 23, 1835, Dr. Lansing


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was dismissed at his own request, and was · succeeded in August following, by the Rev. Nathaniel E. Johnson, who remained be- tween two and three years, and was dismiss- ed in April, 1838. After remaining vacant for more than a year, the present pastor of the church, the Rev. Samuel D. Burchard, was installed on the 1st of May, 1839. This church has relinquished the free system, and now rents its seats, and consequently is no longer known as the "Third Free Church," but is called the "Houston Street Church."


FOURTH FREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.


On the 5th of January, 1834, a colony of thirty-five members was dismissed from the Second Free Church, and organized as the " Fourth Free Presbyterian Church." They first met in a hall on the corner of Hester street and the Bowery, and the Rev. Arthur Granger was a stated supply for several months. During the summer the meeting was removed to the " Millitary Hall" on the Bowery, opposite to Spring street, and in the month of October of that year, the Rev. Isaac N. Sprague was installed pastor


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of the church. Shortly after this, a large building on Catharine street, near Madison street, formerly used as a brewery, but which had been fitted up for a place of worship, was purchased, and hither the church re- moved. A large congregation assembled here, a considerable revival of religion took place, and many were added to the church. The place of worship, always considered temporary, was now found to be altogether too strait for the increasing assembly ; and during the year 1835, it was taken down, and a brick building sixty-eight feet by fifty-eight, was erected on the corner of Catharine and Madison streets, having a line of stores in the basement story on Catharine street. This building cost about $13,000, and was opened for public worship on the first Sab- bath in January, 1836. The health of Mr. Sprague soon failed, and in April of that year, he found it necessary to resign his charge. Rev. Joel Mann was the second pastor of this church. He was installed January 18, 1837, and dismissed at his own request, June 11, 1838. The Rev. James I. Ostrom succeeded Mr. Mann, being in- stalled in October, 1838.


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The ministry of Mr. Ostrom continued a little short of two years, he resigning the charge June 1, 1840. After Mr. Ostrom left, the Rev. William Whitaker became a stated supply, in this church, for about a year and nine months, the Presbytery de- clining to instal him, and the church there- upon becoming independent. But the so- ciety had now become weakened, many had removed to other congregations, a load of debt for the building lay heavily on the peo- ple, and it was thought impracticable any longer to sustain the church; and it was finally agreed by those who remained, to sell the house of worship, pay the debts of the concern, and disband. This was accom- plished in the summer of 1842. A Metho- dist Society bought the house, and the " Fourth Free Church" is no more. About . the commencement of the year 1835, some incipient movements were made for the for- mation of a Fifth and a Sixth Free Presby- terian Churches, but no other organization in this form has ever been accomplished here.


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TABERNACLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.


Connected with the foregoing account of the Free Presbyterian Churches, it seems pro- per to bring into view the church first organ- ized in the " Tabernacle" on Broadway.


The building well known as "The Ta- bernacle," was erected in the year 1835, and first opened for worship in April, 1836. The chief design of its founders was the exten- sion of the free church plan, then in its most successful operation in this city. Rev. Charles G. Finney, then pastor of the Se- cond Free Church in the Chatham street Chapel, was engaged to occupy the Taber- nacle. A church was formed of 120 mem- bers, about 80 of which were dismissed for this purpose, from the Second Free Church, and on April 10, 1836, Mr. Finney became its pastor. This church had some very pecu- liar features. It was called a congregational church, and yet the business of the church, both spiritual and temporal, was committed to seven deacons, who were to be chosen annually, and styled " The Session." This was a sort of Congregationalism which the New England Churches would not have


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acknowledged, and a sort of Presbyterianism which could not have been acknowledged by any Presbytery here. Such, however, was the Tabernacle Church. The ministry of Mr. Finney at the Tabernacle was termi- nated by his resignation in about one year ; and in June, 1837, he was succeeded by the Rev. George Duffield, who supplied the pul- pit, acting as pastor, but without regular in- stallation.




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