USA > New York > Essex County > Bloomingdale > The New York of yesterday; a descriptive narrative of old Bloomingdale, its topographical features, its early families and their genealogies, its old homesteads and country-seats, the Bloomingdale Reformed church, organized in 1805 > Part 19
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and gratitude to Mr. Harsen. The following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted:
Whereas Jacob Harsen, Senior, late of Harsenville as the locality of his residence and of this Church was then called, was one of the founders and most liberal supporters of this Church; and
Whereas the said Jacob Harsen in the year 1809, by his deed of gift of certain lands in near proximity to this Church (and which have become valuable), did thus, by his liberality and forethought, provide the means, to a large extent, which have enabled this Church to erect and furnish their new and commodious edifice for the public worship of Almighty God; and
Whereas this Consistory deem it proper that the name and memory of the said Jacob Harsen, as one of the found- ers, and principal benefactor of this Church, should be preserved therein, therefore it is
Resolved that a suitable Memorial to the said Jacob Harsen be set in a conspicuous place within our said new Church edifice, situated at the corner of Broadway and West Sixty-eighth Street.
Resolved that Elders Reed and Hanaway be a committee, with the power to put the above into execution.
Resolved that engrossed copies of the foregoing preamble and resolutions, with the corporate seal of this Church affixed thereto, be signed by the President and Clerk of Consistory and presented to a representative of each of the four families constituting the descendants of the said Jacob Harsen, namely: Mrs. Catharine Purdy and Mrs. Cornelia Rachel Rhoades who are grand-daughters, Jacob Halsted Esq., whose deceased wife was a grand-daughter, and to one of the descendants of Mrs. Joanna R. Prall deceased, who also was a grand-daughter of the said Jacob Harsen, Senior.
An engrossed copy thereof was framed and hung
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in the vestibule opposite the tablet in memory of Mrs. Asten, which reads as follows:
As a TOKEN of gratitude for distinguished LIBERALITY Bestowed upon THIS HOUSE
And to perpetuate the Remembrance of her pious BENEFACTION This monumental Stone is Erected by the CONSISTORY of the CHURCH To the Memory of MRS. BARBARA ASTEN
The wife of MR. JOHN ASTEN, who fell asleep in Jesus July the 24th, 1816, aged 42 years.
And thou Shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee ; For thou Shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14, 14.
The righteous Shall be in Everlasting remembrance. Ps. 112, 6.
Domine van Aken passed away in January. On February 4th, a committee, composed of the pastor and Elders Reed and Hanaway, was appointed to pre- pare a memorial. This was spread on the minutes on March 6th, as follows:
It having pleased Almighty God to remove by death on the third [should be second] day of January, 1885, the Rev. Enoch van Aken, D.D., the Pastor Emeritus of this Church,
Resolved that this Consistory desires to express its grateful sense of appreciation of his long and laborious life, nearly fifty years of which were passed in the service of this people. His was one of the longest pastorates in the annals of the Metropolitan pulpit and one of the most checkered. By his prudence in temporal matters and by his wisdom in spiritual interests, he stamped his indi- viduality ineffaceably upon this church and neighborhood. Those who knew him in his prime think of him as an
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earnest and sound exponent of the Gospel and love to dwell upon his faithful and pastoral oversight. Those who met him later on, when resting under broken health, were impressed by his uncomplaining spirit and steadfast hope.
We lay a garland on his coffin; and while we thank God for what He enabled him to do, we congratulate him upon his emancipation from the heart-ache and weariness of this mortal life and his advancement into the largeness and blessedness of Heaven. As he passes from our sight, but not from our memory, we exclaim: "All hail and fare- well!"
Resolved, that this minute be recorded in our book of proceedings, and that a copy be forwarded to Dr. van Aken's widow, with the assurance of our tender sympathy.
The Kingston, N. Y., Freeman contained this notice: Died.
van Aken at New Brunswick, N. J., Jan- uary 2, 1885, the Rev. ENOCH VAN AKEN in his 77th year.
The many Kingston friends of Rev. Enoch van Aken will be pained to learn of his death, which occurred at New Brunswick, N. J., Jan. 2d. The deceased was a brother of William van Aken of this city and was the father of the late Rev. Gulick van Aken who was also well known here and who was once called as the pastor of the Presbyterian Church but died before commencing active work. Rev. Enoch van Aken was born at Esopus and spent the earlier part of his life in the neigh- borhood of Saugerties. He was educated at Kingston Academy and commenced the study of law in the village of Kingston; afterwards he gave up the pursuit of law for that of the ministry. He entered Rutgers College,
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New Brunswick, and Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey, and after completing his studies commenced his life work as pastor of the Dutch Church at Kinderhook, New York. Two years afterwards he was called to the Bloomingdale Church, New York City. This was just half a century ago, but he continued in active service as pastor of that church until within a few years of his death. Then he relinquished his labors be- cause of a stroke of paralysis. While physic- ally disabled his mind continued active and useful until he was called home to receive the reward, "Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of thy Lord," and to realize the promise, " where I am ye may be also."
His remains were interred in the cemetery at Sleepy Hollow.
A marble tablet was thereafter erected to his mem- ory bearing this inscription, composed by his life-long friend, Rev. A. R. Thompson, D.D.
TO THE BLESSED MEMORY OF THE REVP. ENOCH VAN AKEN Born July 21st, 1808,
August 9th, 1835, Installed Minister of this Church, Died January 2nd, 1885.
Gentle in spirit, wise in counsel, constant in labor, A faithful preacher of Christ crucified. By his fidelity, sagacity and devotion
This Church was brought safely through the critical period When the village of Bloomingdale was becoming a part of this great Metropolis.
"He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. "-Acts xi., 24.
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" Their works do follow them."-Revelations xiv., 13. Erected by the Consistory.
With the passing of Domine van Aken expired the last pastor of Holland descent. While Dr. Gunn was not of the Dutch faith, Domines Kip and van Aken were born in the fold. Their pastorates ended what might be called the Dutch period in the life of the Church. Mr. van Aken was born July 21, 1808, graduated at Rutgers College in 1830, at the New Brunswick and Princeton Seminaries in 1833, was licensed by the Presbytery of New Brunswick and ordained by the Classis of Rensselaer in 1834. He was at the Kinderhook church the following year and came to his life charge in 1835. Corwin's Manual says it was his faithful preaching which led the Rev. Alex- ander R. Thompson to a new life, and credits him with having carried his church through a great and severe trial and saved it. He had remarkable ability, heroic simplicity, and earnest perseverance, and was a constant and never wearying visitor among the transient population of Bloomingdale. He was the author of many publications, mostly sermons and biographical articles, among the latter being "The Life and Character of Miss Ann Striker," Christian Intelligencer, 1860, and "Article on General Garret H. Striker," in the same publication April, 1868.
In March the new parsonage was so far finished that the pastor was requested to take possession. The meeting of the Consistory on April 2d was held there. A communication, dated the 30th inst., was received from the Department of Public Works complaining of the carelessness of the contractor. He had des- troyed some of the elms lining the sidewalk in his blasting operations. In May, Deacon Lyon reported
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that he had made a satisfactory adjustment of this matter with the Department, and had taken steps to secure two lamps to be placed in front of the edifice on the Boulevard.
The following account of the dedication service held on Thursday evening, October 22d, at 7.30 o'clock, is copied from the report published in The Christian Intelligencer, of the 28th:
The dedication on Thursday evening last of the Bloom- ingdale Church at Broadway and Sixty-eighth Street was an event of more than usual importance to our denomi- nation. It is the first church edifice erected by us in this city for fifteen years; and when the long continued struggle of the organization for existence is considered, the present society may be looked upon as a complete gain to our communion. For years after the farmers in the vicinity had sold their land to speculators, or had turned it into imaginary city lots, the congregation consisted of little more than the pastor's family and the sexton. Again and again the Classis threatened to abandon the work, but was re- strained by the remonstrance of the pastor, the Rev. Enoch van Aken, of whose foresight and pertinacity of purpose the present building is largely the result. The church has a frontage of 112 feet on Broadway, and a depth of about 100 feet on Sixty-eighth Street. It is built in the 13th century Gothic style, of Kentucky oolitic limestone, with the tower at the corner, and a pointed arch upon each street. The tower is extended to its full height, but the spire which is to be of the same stone will not be added until a year hence, as it is necessary always to allow the walls to settle before imposing so great weight upon them. The interior arrangement is unique, admirably adapted to church purposes, and admitting of perfect acoustic properties. The main auditorium is finished entirely in oak, is oblong, with a gallery elliptical in form. The gallery is a peculiar feature in the design, being divided
Interior of the Fourth House of Worship
THE BLOOMINGDALE REFORMED CHURCH
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into " boxes " after the manner of the old Holland churches, and contributes materially to the general artistic effect. The floor slopes from all directions toward the pulpit, which is below the organ and the choir gallery, and stands in the centre of the longest diameter of the room. Light is obtained not only through the numerous stained glass windows, but through colored glass panels in the ceiling, which also act as ventilators, and produce an effect in ornamentation which can be produced in no other way. With thirteen exits from the room, one could scarcely lose enough presence of mind to secure his retention in the building in case of fire. In the rear of the body of the church are the lecture room and parlor on the ground floor, and the Sunday-school room above, furnished with infant and Bible class rooms opening out of it, and a wide gallery which runs around it on three sides. In going through the building, one is impressed with its solidity, spaciousness, and convenience. The architect, Mr. S. B. Reed, of 245 Broadway, is the senior elder of the church.
Long before the hour of service, a crowd waited for ad- mission, and when the doors were open the building was soon filled to its utmost capacity. Words of commendation were heard on every hand, and when the gas was turned up there was a general murmur of approval. A pleasant feature of the occasion was the presence of the wife of the Rev. Enoch van Aken, who was pastor of the Church for fifty years.
After an organ voluntary by Mr. Edward G. Jardine, builder of the instrument, the Rev. G. H. Smyth offered the invocation and pronounced the salutation. Rev. A. J. Hutton, of Brooklyn, read the Commandments, and Dr. E. A. Reed led in the responsive reading of the 102d Psalm. The choir then sang the anthem, "O Come Let us Sing." The Old Testament lesson, Ex. xl : 17-38, was read by Dr. T. W. Chambers, and the lesson from the New Testament, Rev. xxi: 10-27, by Rev. S. S. Martyn. The hymn, "God in His earthly Temples lays foundations for
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His heavenly praise," was read by Rev. O. H. Walser, and the congregation joined heartily in singing.
The pastor, Rev. Carlos Martyn, then spoke as follows:
"It is the pleasure of a lifetime, dear friends, to welcome you to-night to the dedication services of the Bloomingdale Reformed Church. Only those who have some acquaint- ance with building can understand or appreciate the multitude of details involved in the progress of any work of construction. We had hoped to welcome you to-night to a completed building, but we are a little disappointed in that. There are some of the details of finish in the wood- work and decoration which await the final touch of the workers in wood, and the cunning fingers of the decorator. Anyhow, we are glad to be here, for we here find transformed into solid stone, the hopes and dreams of many anxious and weary months.
"Standing now upon the threshold of those purposes to which we intend to devote this building, we desire most reverently to thank the Great Head of the Church, the 'Giver of every good and perfect gift,' for His constant presence and continuous benediction. One of our elders said to me to-day: 'The history of our church is a history of divine providence.' That has never been more mark- edly realized than in the past year or two of our experience. The dear God has never left us nor forsaken us.
"Standing on this platform this evening, there seems to start up before the eyes of my mind, a plain old farmer, a man prominent here six or seven decades ago. He was a leader in the then hamlet of Bloomingdale. I am, of course, referring to Jacob Harsen. I speak of this good man for a purpose. He has won the everlasting gratitude of every clergyman. Clergymen are a much-abused class of men. There are two views which prevail in the com- munity with regard to them. One is that a clergyman is a dray-horse, always serviceable, and at all times fit to be harnessed between the thills, and made to drag any cause out of the slough. Another view of him is, that
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he is a big bass drum, and everybody, as he passes along, feels at liberty to give him a thump. Jacob Harsen had a better idea of a minister. He said: 'The best thing to do with a domine is to put him in a pleasant home.' And, accordingly, he had constructed for the domine in his day a lovely and commodious parsonage, and gave him an ample parsonage plot. In the lapse of time that parsonage property, with the upward growth of our city, has become valuable; and instead of representing hundreds of dollars in value, as it did years ago, it now represents many thousands. And because of that increased value, we are here to-night. This building, in some sense, is the result of old Jacob Harsen's thoughtful kindness to his minister. It is a good example to follow, and I hope some of you will take it earnestly to heart.
" Then I recall standing here that dear old man, the Rev. Enoch van Aken, who labored for fifty years in this portion of God's vineyard, and who withstood misrepresentation and misunderstanding decades long, and rowed against the stream for dreary years. I think his spirit, resting yonder in glory, is bending over us to-night, and joining with us as we bow in gratitude before the Great White Throne.
"I bear a loving testimony also to the continual and patient labor and the practical skill of our senior Elder, the architect of this building, Mr. S. B. Reed. To my personal knowledge, all the details of this work have gone forward under his immediate eye and hand. For the beauty of this temple, with its brightness and commodiousness, you are indebted to him. Upon the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren, England's great architect, there is a striking epitaph. As you enter Saint Paul's Cathedral, you find staring you in the face these words: 'If you would behold the genius of Sir Christopher Wren, look around you.' We borrow to-night the epitaph of the English architect, and apply the legend to our honored friend and brother Mr. Reed. It is also due to our Consistory to say that they have stayed
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up his hands grandly. His plans and suggestions have sometimes been earnestly debated, but he has almost always carried the day.
"The church and congregation, too, have given us their continued interest and sympathetic co-operation in every stage of the work.
"I claim two things for this church. It is a thoroughly constructed building. If there be any spot beneath heaven where truth should prevail, it is in the house of God. We have put truth into our rafters, into our walls, into our floors, and, please God, we mean to put truth into our- selves-the hardest task of all. We have got an honest house-good, sound oak in the interior, and solid stone on the outside. It is also an economical building. I claim unhesitatingly that it has cost less than any other church on Manhattan Island which is equally well equipped for the service of God. We have paid less than $150,000 for it. The land we count worth $125,000, so that the lowest actual value represented here is $275,000. We believe $300,000 would be nearer the present value.
"There are one or two features of our church of which I wish to speak. It is not so much one building as a suc- cession of buildings. Remembering what Jacob Harsen gave that acre for, seventy years ago, our Consistory has seen to it that the Domine is well housed. In addition to the new parsonage, we have behind this auditorium, a lecture room, a church parlor, and a Sunday-school room capable of accomodating seven hundred scholars. Cobbett, the English economist, said that the secret of English civilization lay in the stomachs of the nation. I do not know how that is, but I am sure that every housewife is aware that she can reach the heart of her husband through his stomach more quickly than in any other way. We have borrowed a thought from this fact. We have put under our church parlor, a kitchen with a range in it, and every appliance usually found in this important part of a well-appointed house. We propose to feed the hungry
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literally, and I do not know but that by and by we will go a step further, and clothe the naked. I hope so.
"Whether a man likes a building such as this is, or not, depends on his taste. Some people adore what is called ecclesiastical architecture-the cathedral style. They de- light to sing with Milton:
'I love the high embowed roof,
With antique pillars massy proof,
And storied windows, richly dight,
Casting a dim religious light.'
But we do not believe in 'dim religious light.' That is magnificent poetry, but it is wretched church architec- ture, because it puts people to sleep. If you would get the grace of God into a man's heart, you must get the sleep rubbed out of his eyes. We have made our church as cheerful as the sunlight by day, and the gaslight by night, can make it.
"One of the most interesting features in connection with the entrance into our new church is the home-coming of the inmates of the Orphan Asylum at the foot of Seventy- third Street. Hereafter we are to be privileged to welcome the dear little lambs of that lovely flock to our services.
"Dear brethren and sisters, friends and hearers, our church will have been built in vain unless there shall come into it the spirit of the Living God. Vain the beauty of these walls, the luxuries we have lavished here, all those features of our church architecture in which we take such pride, unless operating through them all shall be the Holy Ghost. All else without that is but as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.
"You remember the story of the old Greek who under- took to make a corpse stand on its feet. He lifted it. He poised it. He relaxed his grasp. It fell. Again he lifted it. Again it fell in a dismal huddle to the earth. Beholding it steadfastly, he said, 'It lacks something within.' And so a church lacks something within un- less God shall be found operating in and through its affairs.
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May we therefore be animated by the blessed spirit which was in Christ Jesus!"
At the close of this address, Mrs. Geo. W. DeLano sang an alto solo, "This night I lift my heart," and then followed the dedicatory prayer, offered by Dr. A. G. Vermilye, and the reading of the form of dedication by the pastor, while the people stood. The hymn "How charming is the place" was read by Rev. W. W. Clark.
Dr. E. B. Coe was to have preached, but owing to the lateness of the hour he gave a brief synopsis of the sermon. His text was Psalm xcvi., 6: "Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary." The theme was the importance of the church to personal character and to our civilization. He touched briefly upon its intellectual, social, and charitable influence, and upon its value as a protest against indifference to spiritual things, and closed with an appeal to his hearers to unite in extending the church in the country, and to cherish the new religious home which they had just consecrated to the worship of God. After a prayer by Rev. Dr. J. M. Dickson and the singing of the hymn "Arise, O King of Grace, Arise," the service closed with the doxology and the benediction, pronounced by Rev. Paul D. van Cleef, D.D.
The cheerful gaslight spoken of by Mr. Martyn in his address is produced by the reflectors of Mr. I. P. Frink. The light is soft and pleasant to the eye, while brilliant and equally diffused throughout the large audience room.
Exercises at the Service of Fellowship took place on Sun- day afternoon October 25th. The day was a lovely one. At 3 o'clock the members and friends of the Blooming- dale Church again assembled in the new and charming house and crowded every nook and corner. A feast of good things had been provided for the vast congregation which sat in rapt attention for nearly three hours. The singing on this occasion, as at the dedication, was of a high order of merit and was led by the efficient quartette. The organist, Mr. G. Balies, Jr., presided at the organ. A number
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of familiar hymns were interspersed, and the whole con- gregation became the choir. The Scriptures were read by the Rev. A. P. Atterbury, of the Eighty-sixth Street Presbyterian Church. Prayer was then offered by the Rev. Wendell Prime, D. D., editor of the New York Observer. The opening address was delivered by the pastor who was succeeded in turn by these representative brethren who joined to make the occasion memorable: Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby, pastor of the Fourth Avenue Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Dr. O. H. Tiffany, pastor of the Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church; the Rev. Dr. Wilbur F. Watkins, rector of Holy Trinity, at Madison Avenue and 42d Street; the Rev. Sanford S. Martyn, pastor of the Congregational Church at Peacham, Vermont; the Rev. Dr. Robert S. Mac Arthur, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, West 57th Street; the Rev. Dr. Charles F. Deems, pastor of the Church of the Strangers, Mercer Street; the Rev. Samuel H. Virgin, pastor of Pilgrim Con- gregational Church, Harlem, and the Rev. Dr. D. N. Vanderveer, pastor of the First Reformed Church of Brooklyn. The Rev. Dr. C. S. Harrower of St. Andrew's M. E. Church, in West 7Ist Street, led in a concluding prayer and theexercises ended with the long metre doxology.
Regular services were begun on Sunday morning November Ist. An historical discourse was delivered by Mr. Martyn, which ended with these words:
"A church exists for a two-fold purpose: to build up the believers in its membership into the image of Jesus; and to evangelize the unconverted within the circle of its reach and influence. The church that best subserves this two- fold purpose is the best church. The church that resolves itself into a mutual admiration society; that values ele- gant surroundings in themselves, and not as means to the grand end of the church life, and as the appropriate ac- cessories of worship; that finds æsthetic pleasure in fine music and poetical preaching, and is disturbed by a call to work,-lives but in name, and is dead. It ought to be
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buried before it becomes a stench in the nostrils of the community. The world delights in earnestness. It re- serves all its rewards for the earnest. Worldly people respect a church precisely in proportion to its enthusiastic devotion to its work. And in this God and the world are agreed.
"As we seat ourselves to-day beneath these stately arches, and gather for our first regular service of worship, it is good for us to recall these truths; indeed, they inevi- tably flower out of this history of eighty years. The voices that speak to us from the past, and those other tones that address us out of the future, unite to bid us plant deep in our hearts the love of right, and grow from this the firm purpose of duty. When we are full of Christ, our church will be full of Christians.
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