USA > New York > Queens County > History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals. > Part 61
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At a stated session of the classis lield September 20th 1854 an application was received from 24 German resi- dents at Astoria praying for the organization of a church. Rev. Messrs. W. H. Ten Eyck, John W. Ward and Giles H. Mandeville were appointed a committee to effect the organization, which they did October 8th 1854, under the title of the German Second Reformed Protestant Church of Astoria, L. I. They examined and received the following persons: Philip Becker, Andrew Riehl, Conrad Schenck, John Jost Moenberger, Peter Green, Michael Claus, Conrad Webb, Henry Kral, Maria Lau- tenschlager. John Bruder and his wife, Helene Rott, were also received by certificate from the German Re- formed Church, of Houston street, New York. Conrad Schenck and Conrad Webb were chosen elders, and An- drew Riehl deacon.
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Mr. Boehrer continued to labor as a lay missionary, both in Newtown and Astoria, until December 5th 1855. when he was licensed to preach. His labors as a licenti- ate missionary continued . until April 1856. From the fall of 1856 until the summer of 1861 Rev. Conrad Dick- haut statedly supplied the German church at Newtown, rendering occasional services at Astoria. He was suc- ceeded September 29th 1861 as a stated supply by the Rev. John Wenisch, who, November 4th 1861, was re- ceived as a member of classis by certificate from the south classis of New York. Mr. Wenisch was installed pastor for Newtown and Astoria June 2Ist 1863. Dur- ing Mr. Boehrer's time Sabbath services had been held
in the village court-house. When Mr. Wenisch began his labors at Astoria the consistory of the Reformed Dutch church gave him the privilege of holding service statedly on Sabbath afternoons in their lecture room. The Second church continued to occupy it in this way until the erection and dedication of its own house of worship.
The need of better accommodations had long been felt, and on the 5th of December 1865 a meeting of the consistory was held at the house of Rev. W. H. Ten Eyck to consider the subject. Steps were taken and resolu- tions adopted to secure funds for the purchase of lots and the erection of a church building. John J. Bruder and Henry Mencken were appointed a committee and the Rev. Mr. Ten Eyck was requested to help them raise money. Four lots on Second avenue were bought, and an edifice was built, which was dedicated June 23d 1867. On the following Sunday C. D. F. Steinfuhrer, a candi- date for the ministry, who had just finished his studies at New Brunswick, N. J., was ordained and installed as pastor of this church, Rev. J. Wenisch having resigned and gone to West Newark, N. J., in the latter part of December 1866. Mr. Steinfuhrer is still pastor of this his first choice.
November Ist 1868 a parochial school, in which both English and German are taught, was established. This school is under the supervision of the pastor and the consistory of the church. It has achieved good results and continues to exercise a healthy influence.
The parsonage, next to the church edifice, was built in 1871. In 1873 the connection existing between this church and the German Second Reformed Church of of Newtown was by mutual request dissolved. Since 1874 this church has been numbered among the self-sus- taining churches of the north classis of Long Island. The membership at present (1881) is about 200. An equal number of scholars attend in the Sunday-school. The average attendance of the parochial school is from 50 to 60. The pastor is president of the Sunday-school and the principal of the parochial school, assisted in both by able teachers.
The "Frauenverein," a society of ladies and an aux- iliary of the church, has existed for about 10 years and is doing a noble work in the interest of the congregation. The members meet semi-monthly at their different homes and spend together sociably a few hours in the afternoon sewing, reading, etc. The proceeds of their work are contributed either to the maintenance of the church or to the relief of the poor among them. The presidents of this society have been Mrs. D. Roeder, Mrs. Anna Mencken and Mrs. Louise Steinfuhrer.
The value of the church property is about $10,000. The condition of the church is prosperous and prom- ising.
ST. JOHN'S PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH, HUN- TER'S POINT.
This church was established about the year 1867. It was practically an offshoot of St. Thomas's church, Rav-
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CHURCHES-EPISCOPAL, METHODIST, CATHOLIC.
enswood, and was due in great measure to the gifts and efforts of the late William Nelson. In Hunter's Point Mr. Nelson was the owner of considerable property, and foreseeing the growth of population in the neighborhood he resolved to provide for its religious and educational wants according to the tenets and usages of the Protes- tant Episcopal church. He therefore gave an eligible plot of land in what is known as Seventh street for the erection of a church, and with this a large contribution in money toward the building of the same. Through the instrumentality of Mr. Nelson and his family a number of other subscriptions were obtained, and ultimately the present church was erected, at a cost of about $15,000.
The church is a frame building, designed in the gothic style, and is very harmonious and complete in all its pro- portions. At present it is without a proper chancel, but a chancel arch was originally built, and at a compara- tively small cost the church might be completed by the addition of a chancel, with an organ chamber on one side and a vestry on the other. There is accommoda- tion for about 350 persons. All the seats are free, and the church is supported by the offertory and by voluntary contributions. The basement of the church is fitted up for a Sunday-school, with a room for an infant class, and another for a library, etc. In the church there is an or- gan, and another in the school; and both church and school are well supplied with the necessary books and utensils for worship and instruction. The property is deeded forever to the Protestant Episcopal church in the Long Island diocese. It has been consecrated accord- ing to the usages of the church, and is entirely free from debt. During his lifetime Mr. Nelson was a generous supporter of the church, and the removal of his family, after his death, inflicted upon it a heavy loss.
There have been several rectors in charge of this church and parish during its existence of fifteen years. The first was the Rev. Mr. Neilson, and then in succes- sion came the Rev. Messrs. Appleton, Stadermeyer, Mul- holland, Turner and Cartwright. The latter clergyman had charge of the parish for about five years, during which time he made great efforts to improve the church property and extend the interest of the parish. His la. bors were attended with much success, and his retire- ment from the parish has been felt as a heavy loss. Mr. Cartwright is a journalist of considerable experience and power ; and the large demands made upon him in his editorial capacity have prevented him from devoting his full time to his parochial work. In retiring from the par- ish Mr. Cartwright received a complimentary address signed by the wardens and vestry of the parish, acknow- ledging in graceful terms the able and devoted services he had rendered to the parish in the pulpit, in the school, in the visitation of the people, in the payment of church debts, and the improvements of church property, and ex- pressing deep regret that he had felt it to be his duty to sever his connection with the parish.
The present vestry of the parish consists of J. J. Tur- ner and D. Fitzpatrick, wardens; C. Crawley, treasurer; W. Marshall, clerk; and R. Armstrong, D. Hitchcock, J.
McIlroy, J. H. Livingston, A. T. Payne and F. Hall, vestrymen. According to the last report presented to the diocesan convention there were in the parish 87 fam- ilies, comprising 220 individuals, while the contributions of the parish for church purposes during the year amounted to $1,676.50, There has been a large and flourishing Sunday-school in connection with the parish, consisting of about 150 scholars and 15 teachers, with a library of more than 200 volumes. In addition to the services and school in St. John's church, the late rector, the Rev. T. S. Cartwright, opened a mission school and service at Dutch Kills, which under his able superin- tendence attained much vigor, and promised very satis- factory results. By some of the members of the parish it has been suggested that the church should be removed from its present location to a more eligible site in the neighborhood of the court-house, at the junction of Eleventh street and Jackson avenue. This would un- doubtedly be a more central position, and the suggestion of a removal, if not made, was warmly supported by the late rector. But his retirement from the parish will in- terfere with the realization of that project.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL, HUNTER'S POINT.
The Methodist Episcopal church of Hunter's Point was organized in March 1860, by a few members who had been previously identified with the Methodist Episcopal church of Greenpoint and whose names the writer has been unable to learn. The place of meeting was in the public school building.
The house of worship of this church was dedicated in 1864, Rev. John F. Booth, then of Greenpoint, officiat- ing. It is a frame building on Sixth street. In 1877 it was placed on a higher foundation, on account of an ele- vation of the grade of the city, and a Sunday-school, lecture and class room was finished in the basement. The value of the church property is about $7,500. The total indebtedness of the church at this time (1881) is about $1,800.
The first superintendent of the Sunday-school was Thomas L. Butler. The number of scholars present at the first session was about 5. The present membership is about 160. The number of volumes in the library is 150.
The following named pastors have successively served the church: Revs. B. F. Downing, 1862, 1863; Benja- min Wilson, 1864; Joseph Henson, 1865, :866; Samuel. W. King, 1867-69; Alexander Graham, 1870-72; Nathan Hubbell, 1873; Henry C. Glover, IS74-76; Alexander Graham, 1877-79; Edward H. Dutcher, ISSo; William W. Gillies, the present incumbent.
ST. MARY'S, HUNTER'S POINT.
The Catholic population living in the westerly portion of the township of Newtown, extending from the limits of Brooklyn on the south to Long Island Sound on the north, until 1868, belonged to the parish of St. Anthony, Brooklyn, and to the parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Astoria. The growing importance of the locality be-
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IIISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.
tween Webster avenue and Brooklyn, on account of the great advantages offered by railroads, ferries and manu- factories located there, induced many families of moder- ate means to leave the city of New York, to purchase lots, and to settle at Hunter's Point, Dutch Kills and Ravenswood. The majority of these later settlers were Roman Catholics.
In 1865 a plot of ground 100 by 150 feet, on the cor- ner of Central avenue and Fifth street, was purchased by Rev. John Brady, pastor of St. Anthony's church, Brook- lyn, for church purposes. December 24th 1868 Rev. John Crimmin, then assistant priest at the church of St. Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn, was placed in charge of the new congregation and parish of St. Mary's, Long Island City. The district set apart for the new parish comprised that portion of the town of Newton bounded on the north by Webster avenue, on the east by Dutch Kills Creek, on the south by Newtown Creek, and on the west by the East River.
The trustees of St. Mary's church at this time were Rt. Rev. John Loughlin, Rev. John F. Turner, vicar-gen- eral, Rev. John Crimmin, pastor, Edward Brown and Matthew Smith. The school trustees kindly gave the use of the public school-house to the Catholic people as a place of worship until services could be held in the proposed new church. An effort was made to purchase a site for a church at or near the center of the above described district, but the property was not then graded and could not be secured. It was therefore concluded to buy four additional lots adjoining the property on Fifth street, and to build a frame structure which should serve as a temporary church untill a more suitable loca- tion could be secured, and afterward to transform the temporary church into a parochial school-house. Ac- cordingly four additional lots were bought by Rev. John Crimmin as the site for the temporary church. There were then ten full lots, 25 by 100 feet, at the corner of Cen- tral avenue and Fifth street, the original cost of which was $8,000. A brick house on the southeast corner of East avenue and East Third street was bought by Father Crimmin as a residence, for the sum of $3,800. The plans and specifications for the erection of the new church were prepared by P. C. Keely, architect, Brook- lyn. James Dennen, of Long Island City, was awarded the contract for building the edifice. The church is a frame building, 60 feet wide within the buttresses by 100 feet in depth, with clere story. It has a tower and steeple 115 feet in height, surmounted by a gilt cross. The ceil- ing in the nave is 57 feet high. Services were first held in the unfinished edifice Sunday April 11th 1869, and the church was dedicated by Bishop Loughlin on the Feast of the Assumption, Sunday August 15th of the same year. The building cost about $24,000, and was at the time the largest edifice in Queen's county.
To meet the expense of so great undertakings with only comparatively a small and poor congregation re- quired great efforts and sacrifices on the part of both pastor and people. Many of the congregation neglected their own business in order to devote their time to the
raising of funds to defray the expenses. Large sums of money were collected from outside sources, and although the adult Catholics of the district numbered only about 600, they raised $23,000 within one year.
In the spring of 1873 Father Crimmin, with the con- sent of the board of church trustees, bought from the trustees of Union College ten lots of ground at the cor- ner of Jackson avenue and Twelfth street-the location which was sought in 1869. He afterward succeeded in securing seventeen adjoining lots, to be held and used for church purposes, the cost of which was about $43,000, most of which was secured by bond and mortgage. On this property Father Crimmin built a new brick pastoral residence 26 by 50 feet and three stories high, with basement and attic. The grounds were enclosed and ornamented with shade trees. He also erected three frame houses on Jackson avenue, with stores, the revenue of which was to aid in paying the in- terest on the property. It was the intention to build on this property a larger and more substantial church than the one erected on Fifth street.
During Father Crimmin's residence in Long Island City he suffered from frequent attacks of typho-malarial fever and congestive chills, which brought on asthma and weakness of the eyes. His constitution had been greatly impaired by these attacks, and, although he had labored hard and employed all his influence to secure those improvements which would remedy the causes of disease in the district, still he succeeded in obtaining those improvements only when his system was so shat- tered that a change to a more healthy climate became necessary in order to regain the health which he had lost. In 1878 he was prostrated by simultaneous attacks of typho-malarial fever, pneumonia and congestive chills which caused paralysis of the limbs and increased the weakness of the eyes. His physicians advised him to reside in Colorado until his health should be restored, but owing to the long continuance of the paralysis of the limbs and the approaching winter it was decided to post- pone his journey until spring. Meanwhile, on the Ist of January 1879, after a residence of ten years in Long Is- land City, he was placed in charge of the church of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Brooklyn, and Rev. John Maguire was sent to St. Mary's, Long Island City.
Rev. John Crimmin was born in the County of Cork, Ireland. When he was about five years of age his par- ents emigrated to America and settled near Poughkeep- sie, N. Y. They were farmers and Father Crimmin re- ceived all his early education in the country district schools of that vicinity, until he entered the old and fa- mous institution of learning, Mt. St. Mary's College, Em- mittsburgh, Maryland. Here he remained five years and received the degrees of Bachelor and Master of Arts. In 1863 he went to France and entered the theological seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris. Here he spent four years, and having completed his theological course he was or- dained priest at Meaux on the 29th of June 1867. On the 24th of December 1868 he was sent to build the
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CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER, ASTORIA.
church and take charge of the congregation known as St. Mary's, Long Island City. In his teaching Father Crimmin strictly adheres to the principles and the prac- tices of the Roman Catholic church. He regards the negligence of parents in the religious instruction of their children and the formation of their consciences as the greatest of our present social evils. As a citizen he has been from his boyhood an abolitionist and a firm sup- porter of republican principles, and especially the equal- ity of all men before the law.
CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER, ASTORIA.
The Church of the Redeemer, Astoria, is situated on the corner of Temple street and the Crescent, occupying a frontage of two hundred feet on each street. It is a beautiful building, of early English gothic, built of dark granite, one hundred and six feet long, with recessed chancel, organ chamber and tower.
The first meeting, called to take the preliminary steps for the formatian of the parish, was held August 19th 1866, Rev. A. T. Twing, D. D., officiating in the morn- ing, and the Rev. Walton W. Battershall in the evening. At a meeting held the 27th of the same month the par- ish was regularly incorporated as the rector, church wardens and vestrymen, of the Church of the Redeemer, Astoria. The following persons were duly chosen ward- ens and vestrymen: Wardens, James Welling and Wil- liam Mulligan; vestrymen, Edward W. Hewitt, James W. Carrington, George B. Sargent, James M. Carrington, Edward M. Hartshorne, Theodore W. Hewitt, Edwin A. Montell and George Miller. The Holy Communion was administered for the first time in this parish, to 17 per- sons, September 2nd, by Rev. William D. Walker, of Cal- vary Chapel, New York. September 27th the parish was admitted into union with the convention of the diocese of New York.
October 30th the vestry tendered a unanimous call to the rectorship the Rev. Edmund D. Cooper, and De- cember 2nd 1866 he entered upon his duties as rector of the parish.
At this time he found the seventeen communicants, with a few other devoted friends, worshipping in a roomn since known as the drug store of Mr. Lange. Six months having expired, so earnest, zealous and prayerful was the spirit manifest among the members, and so steady and sure was the growth of the congregation, that an enlarge- ment of the hall was rendered necessary.
In the meantime land had been purchased and arrange- ments made for the erection of a church building, the corner stone of which was laid by Rev. Dr. Morgan, rec- tor of St. Thomas's church, New York, in the unavoid- able absence of the bishop. The church was built by Messrs. Hollingsworth & Meserole, Mr. Hallett, of New York, being the architect.
On Sexagesima Sunday 1868 the first service was held in the church, the sermon being preached by Rev Dr. Haight, of Trinity Church, New York, Rev. Dr. Morgan preaching in the evening.
So great an undertaking by a congregation so small
and feeble was not completed without great exertion, toilsome solicitations, and severe discouragements, and even then was left heavily burdened with debt, the in- debtedness being not less than $24,000, and the church was without organ chamber, large organ, Sunday-school building, tower or chimes.
The years 1872 and 1873 witnessed the erection of the organ chamber, the completion of the tower, and the placing therein of a chime of bells, through the liberality of the late Mr. Trafford. The year 1874 saw the com- pletion of the organ chamber and the introduction of a grand organ from the house of the Messrs. Odell, of New York.
The Sunday-school, under the management of the only two superintendents from its first organization (William Mulligan and John B. Moore) had by this time outgrown its accommodations, and an effort was made, though at- tended with great difficulty and depression (caused by the death of R. S. Fanning, its ardent supporter), to erect a suitable building of stone. The effort was crowned with success, and the building now stands as a memorial to that departed friend.
The following is an extract from the rector's 13th an- nual sermon, preached on the first Sunday in Advent 1879, upon the occasion of the freeing of the church from debt:
" There have been more special providences in the his- tory of this parish, than in that of any other that I have ever known. During the first twelve years, in addition to the value added to the church property, to which allusion has been made, through the liberality of the bondhold- ers, the Ladies' Church Aid Society, special contribu- tions, the regular quarterly collections, the mite chests, and one bequest, the $24,000 indebtedness of 1868 was in 1878 (just ten years) reduced to $8,000. This indebt- edness (although greatly diminished) was a burden, an incumbrance and a stumbling block in the way of many good works which might otherwise have been done, and positively prevented our offering of this church to God as a free will offering. In expressing these feelings to a warm friend (and member of the church) he promptly of- fered all his bonds (the bonds issued were of $100 each) if so desirable an object could be attained. His example was followed by another, and another, and another, until I was enabled to say to the vestry that five gentlemen, aided by the Ladies' Church Aid Society, the Sunday- school and the Grain (a society of young ladies) would guarantee $4,000 or one-half of the entire debt, provided the remaining $4,000 could be raised.
A committee was appointed and * *
* it only re- mains for me to tell you that they have accomplished more than they set out to do. There is not to-day upon this parish one dollar, or one penny's indebtedness.
The church is still prosperous and free from debt. The work of the church during the fifteen years of exist- ence may thus be briefly summed up: Nearly 400 per- sons baptized, nearly 300 confirmed, 50 marriages and 160 burials, and the number of communicants increased from 17 to over 300. The rector still stands in his place, and the church has a Sunday-school numbering nearly 300 scholars and 25 officers and teachers, with a property which has cost over $50,000, as will be seen by the following statement: cost of church edifice and
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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.
ground, $32,500; cost of organ chamber and organ, $5,177; cost of tower and bells, $10,020; cost of Sunday- school building, $7,056; total cost, $54,753; amount paid for support of parish, $69,406; total amount expended, $124,159. Of this amount the Ladies' Church Aid Society have raised $18,185.
The church was consecrated December 4th 1879. The congregation being standing, the senior warden, William Mulligan, presented to the bishop the instrument of do- nation, when the concluding act of consecration took place, the prayers being said by the bishop, and the sen- tence of consecration was read by the Rev. Dr. Drowne. The communion service following was read by Dr. Scarborough, bishop of New Jersey, the gospel being read by Bishop Southgate. Rev. George F, Sey- mour, D.D., LI. D., bishop of Springfield, Ill., was the preacher.
ST. RAPHAEL'S, BLISSVILLE.
The ground on which this church stands was bought in 1867 and the church was built thereon in 1867 and 1868. The building, so far as completed, cost, including the steeple, about $40,000. It was built under the man- agement of Father Theodore Goetz, the first pastor, who organized the church in 1867.
The building was found to be unsuitable for the con- gregation and had to be taken down. A new edifice is being built at this time (September 1881) by Father Mat- thias Farrelly, the present pastor. This structure is 60 by 138 feet in size. The membership of St. Raphael's is about 2,000.
EAST AVENUE BAPTIST, HUNTER'S POINT.
This church is on East avenue at the corner of Eighth street. The first meeting of persons interested in the Baptist cause in this neighborhood was held in Smithson- ian Hall, January 27th 1869. The church was organ- ized April 10th of the same year.
The nine original members were: Rev. J. S. Ladd and wife, Saxton Mount and wife, C. E. Comstock, Phebe Ann Tewksbury, Abbie Lash, Mary Ann Combes and Horace Waters. They worshipped in Smithsonian Hall until the present church edifice was built. Rev. Way- land Hoyt, D. D., preached the first sermon in the new place.
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