USA > New York > New York City > Historical sketch of the South Church (Reformed) of New York City > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
R3E3IF3 F3
Rockwood Auto-type.
INTERIOR OF THE PRESENT CHURCH.
Our Sunday School
HE history of the Sunday School connected with the Church has not been touched upon, and this historical sketch cannot better conclude than with some extracts from an address delivered before the school in 1863 by Mr. Joseph B. Lockwood, its Superintendent.
As we are assembled in this beautiful house, dedicated to the worship of Almighty God, to celebrate one of the most interesting events in the annals of our Church, we can scarcely realize that it is but a few years since this locality was far beyond the city limits and this section of the island, traversed by a magnificent avenue · lined with palatial residences, once presented an unbroken land- scape, dotted here and there with the primitive and unpretending dwellings of our Dutch ancestors. At the time of the organization of this Sabbath School the population of the city did not exceed 100,000. The City Hall in the Park had been completed only one year previous, and so sparsely had the city been settled above the Park that from motives of economy red sandstone was used for the Chambers street front of the Hall, it being thought that the material of this side was of little consequence, as so few citizens would ever reside on that side of the town.
The South Dutch Church, on the north side of Garden street (now Exchange Place), was the oldest Church edifice of our de- nomination in the city. It was sheltered by tall old trees, which
50
OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL
had stood through many a wintry blast and afforded a grateful shade from as many summers' suns. The churchyard, with its beautiful greensward, extended for 200 feet on Garden street and was never disturbed except to occasionally remove the turf from the entrance of a vault when some wearied traveler had completed his earthly journey and was to be deposited in his last resting- place. The lecture-room or Consistory building stood on the op- posite side of the street, and it was in this building, on a Sabbath morning in the autumn of 1813, that a few ladies of the congrega- tion, one of whom was Miss Mumford, afterward Mrs. Dr. Bliss, planted the seed which germinated into the blade, then the ear, and which we this day behold as the full corn in the ear. We have no means of ascertaining the exact number of scholars, but in the be- ginning it was small, and it may be interesting to many of our pres- ent number to know that some of them were colored children.
One or two similar enterprises had already been commenced, but this school was the first that was organized under the imme- diate care and auspices of the Church.
The idea of a school on the Sabbath was a novel one, and the object of its originators not being thoroughly understood, was considered by some as an innovation, and even regarded as a Sabbath desecration. No one was more honestly opposed to the movement than the excellent Dr. John M. Mason, who visited the Sabbath-school room, and meeting the youthful Pastor of the church, Rev. Mr. Mathews, thus addressed him : " What ! teaching school on the Sabbath? I am surprised, my dear brother, that you should thus persevere in a systematic desecration of the Lord's Day; rest assured that such a course will most certainly be re- buked by the Master." He was subsequently invited to visit the school and judge for himself of the nature of its exercises. He took a seat by the side of a teacher with whom he was personally acquainted, and listened with great attention to the careful explan- ation of the lesson from the Word of God. Rising from his seat, he grasped the hand of the Pastor, and exclaimed : "Go on, go on, my brother. 'Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown.'" The glorious work did go on. Robert Raikes,
1
51
OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL
who had the honor of founding the first Sabbath-school in England, was then living, and correspondence was opened with Sabbath- school men in England for information and encouragement, and Sunday-school publications were imported from across the sea, as there was then no American S. S. Union to furnish the desired literature.
The Consistory building in which the Sabbath-school was held was the property of the Collegiate Church, and about the year 1815 the Consistory of the South Church erected a building on their own ground on the west side of the Church. The first floor was used as a lecture-room and the second story was commodi- ously fitted up for the Sabbath-school-the entrance to which was on the rear and was accessible without the aid of a staircase, the ground on which the building stood ascending from the street.
The first, or about the first, Superintendent of this Sunday- school was John Nitchie, who filled the office many years : he was a member of the Bar, but afterward retired from the practice of law and was appointed agent of the American Bible Society, in which he continued up to the time of his death.
Wm. Forrest, who is still living in the city and is well known by most of our old residents, was also Superintendent for several years.
In December, 1835, the old South Dutch Church in Garden street was destroyed in the most terrible conflagration that ever visited our city. The fire broke out on the night of the 16th ; the cold was intense and more severe than had been known for many years ; the little water that could be obtained froze in the hose be- fore it could be used. The flames raged fiercely for three days, completely laying waste the business part of the city and consum- ing 648 houses and stores, with millions of dollars' worth of prop- erty. Well do some of us recollect the blackened walls of the old Church, its interior entirely consumed, as we stood where we could look over acres of desolation and smouldering ruins.
The Consistory building escaped the devouring element and in it the Sunday-school and weekly Church services were held for about two years after the destruction of the Church edifice. In the latter part of the year 1837, the congregation commenced
52
OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL
worshipping in their new Church on Murray street, and the Sab- bath-school was held in the basement. In 1849 the Church edifice on the corner of Fifth avenue and Twenty-first street was com- pleted and opened for public worship on the first Sabbath morning in June of that year. The lecture-room on Twenty-first street was used by the Sabbath-school: subsequently another story was added to the building, and fitted up expressly for our use.
Of the history of the Sunday-school during the past twenty-five years there is nothing to record except continued prosperity and Divine blessing. The colored and congregational schools have for some years been separated from one another, the latter holding its ses- sions in the morning, the former in the afternoon.
One interesting detail, which belongs to the history of colored life in the city, refers to the terrible riots of 1863, and these words from the same historical report of Mr. Lockwood seem to make that period of terror more real :
The colored department was closed for the summer on the second Sabbath of July, 1863, and on the following day commenced the fearful riot which will long be remembered by the residents of this city. Our colored scholars, with their parents and friends, fled to the station houses and by every available conveyance from the city for protection.
The children of a colored man who was murdered at that time were members of our school and since the death of their father have removed from the city.
The work of visitation was very much increased on reopening the school in September in consequence of this disturbance, many of the colored families having changed their residences and our Missionary experiencing great difficultty in finding them. But by unremitting effort and perseverance, nearly all have been brought back and are now enjoying the benefits of Sabbath-school in- struction.
The Church Officers
HE following is a list of the Officers of the Church from its separation from the Col- legiate Church until the present time :
MINISTERS.
JAMES M. MATHEWS, D.D., 1813-1837.
MANCIUS SMEDES HUTTON, D.D. (Asso- ciate), 1834-1837.
JOHN MAGOFFIN MACAULEY, S.T.D., ·
1838-1862.
EBENEZER PLATT ROGERS, D.D., . 1862-1881.
RODERICK TERRY, D.D., . 1881- --.
ELDERS.
EGBERT BENSON, served five years. JESSE BALDWIN, served four years. THOMAS BOYD, served eight years. JAMES C. BLISS, served four years. GEORGE W. BETTS, served two years. SAMUEL C. BROWN, served six years. ERASTUS C. BENEDICT, served eleven years.
PETER Y. CUTLER, served two years. GEORGE S. CONOVER, served six years. ROBERT R. CROSBY, has served from 1873 to present time. PETER DUMONT, served six years.
54
THE CHURCH OFFICERS
LAWRENCE V. DE FOREST, served four years. THOMAS C. DOREMUS, served twelve years. WILLIAM FORREST, served eighteen years. DANIEL FANSHAW, served two years. JAMES M. GOOLD, served two years. EDWIN L. GARVIN, served two years. CORNELIUS HEYER, served eight years.
TIMOTHY HUTTON, served eleven years.
ZABDIEL HYDE, served two years. ALEXANDER C. JACKSON, served four years. JOHN JUST, served eleven years.
WILLIAM G. JONES, served eight years.
JOHN D. KEESE, served twenty-four years.
CHRISTOPHER N. KIERSTED, served ten years.
ALEXANDER KNOX, served eleven years.
JOHN N. LUFF, served two years.
DWIGHT LATHROP, served four years.
ALLEN N. LEET, served two years.
JOSEPH B. LOCKWOOD, has served from 1882 to present time.
CARY MURDOCK, served eight years.
JAMES M. MORRISON, served ten years.
ADRIAN H. MULLER, served eleven years.
JOHN NITCHIE, served eight years.
JAMES ROOSEVELT, served two years.
ALEXANDER G. RUSSELL, served six years.
THOMAS STORM, served eight years.
FRANCIS SALTUS, served two years.
CORNELIUS SHADDLE, served two years.
JOEL SEYMOUR, served two years.
JOHN STEWARD, served twelve years.
JOHN SLOSSON, served twenty-two years.
D. JACKSON STEWARD, has served from 1867 to present time.
SAMUEL SLOAN, has served from 1871 to present time. JAMES SUYDAM, has served from 1887 to present time.
55
THE CHURCH OFFICERS
WALTER W. TOWNSEND, served eleven years. AUGUSTUS C. TAYLOR, served five years. GUYSBERT B. VROOM, served six years. WILLIAM VAN ANTWERP, served two years. THOMAS L. VAN NORDEN, served two years.
DEACONS.
JOHN H. ATKIN, served six years. THOMAS BOYD, served three years. JAMES BRUEN, served two years. JAMES C. BLISS, served two years. R. V. BEEKMAN, served four years. HENRY BALDWIN, served two years. OLIVER E. COBB, served two years. SANFORD COBB, served two years. R. H. CORBETT, served four years. LAURENCE V. DE FOREST, served four years.
THOMAS C. DOREMUS, served four years. JOHN DAVIDSON, served four years. R. OGDEN DOREMUS, served ten years. EDMUND DUSENBERRY, served four years. ALFRED EDWARDS, served two years. WILLIAM FORREST, served two years. DANIEL FANSHAW, served eight years. BENJAMIN H. FOLGER, served two years. JAMES M. GOOLD, served two years. E. L. GARVIN, served four years. CORNELIUS HEYER, served two years. TIMOTHY HUTTON, served two years. ZABDIEL HYDE, served two years. RICHARD T. HAINES, served five years.
EZRA A. HAYT, served four years.
ALEXANDER C. JACKSON, served two years.
EDWARD G. JANEWAY, has served from 1872 to present time.
JOHN D. KEESE, served four years.
56
THE CHURCH OFFICERS
JONATHAN W. KELLOGG, served two years. CHRISTOPHER N. KIERSTED, served two years. JOHN M. KEESE, served six years. JOHN T. KENT, has served from 1883 to present time. FREDERICK KOBBE, has served from 1886 to present time. JOHN A. LENT, served four years. JOHN N. LUFF, served two years.
JOSEPH B. LOCKWOOD, served two years.
ABRAM B. LUDLAM, served sixteen years.
MENOT C. MORGAN, served twelve years.
CHARLES J. MANNING, served six years.
JOHN A. MCLEAN, served two years. HENRY R. McMURRAY, served four years.
WILLIAM H. MILLER, served six years.
ADRIAN H. MULLER, Jr., served three years.
FREDERICK A. MARQUAND, served one year.
JOHN NITCHIE, served six years.
ELIAS NEXSEN, served two years.
JOHN NEWHOUSE, served two years.
ROBERT N. PENOYER, served four years.
J. M. PELTON, served six years.
JONATHAN E. ROBINSON, served two years.
HENRY H. REYNOLDS, served two years.
G. A. ROLLINS, served two years. JOHN STEWARD, served three years.
FRANCIS SALTUS, served four years. BENJAMIN L. SWAN, served two years.
JOHN SLOSSON, served twelve years.
DANIEL R. SUYDAM, served eight years.
D. JACKSON STEWARD, served eight years.
J. LAURENCE SLOSSON, has served from 1878 to present time.
WILLIAM S. SLOAN, has served from 1885 to present time. JACOB TALLMAN, served one year.
PETER C. TAPPAN, served two years.
57
THE CHURCH OFFICERS
WALTER W. TOWNSEND, served six years. AUGUSTUS C. TAYLOR, served sixteen years. EUGENE THOMPSON, served nine years. JOHN VAN VECHTEN, served three years. JOHN V. B. VARICK, served one year. NICHOLAS VAN BRUNT, served two years. WILLIAM VAN ANTWERP, served five years. RYNIER VEGHTE, served seven years. GEO. M. VAN NORT, served six years. JAMES B. WILSON, served two years. FRANCIS S. WYNKOOP, served six years. J. H. WARDWELL, served six years. DAVID A. WILLIAMSON, served thirteen years.
FREDERIC C. WHITE, has served from 1872 to present time.
TREASURERS.
ABRAHAM BRINKERHOFF, from 1812 to 1813.
JOHN SUYDAM, from 1813 to 1836.
PETER J. NEVIUS, from 1836 to 1850. ALMET REED, from 1850 to 1854.
FRANCIS B. O'CONNOR, from 1854 to 1857. JOEL SEYMOUR, from 1857 to 1858. JOHN JUST, from 1858 to 1859. DAVID A. WILLIAMSON, from 1859 to 1861.
ISAAC LABAGH, from 1861 to 1863.
ABRAM B. LUDLAM, from 1863 to 1879. FREDERIC C. WHITE, from 1879 to present time.
SEXTONS.
JACOB J. ROOME, from 1812 to 1814. JAMES R. THORBURN, from 1814 to 1850. JAMES A. GARDINER, from 1850 to 1853. WILLIAM MILLS, from 1853 to 1859. JAMES YOUNG, from 1859 to present time.
MAN
O TO BILER
APR 75
N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.