Chronology1620 - Dutch started coming to North America to settle in this area along the Hudson River 1740 - movement started to have ministers educated and ordained here in America 1766 - establishment of Queens College, now known as Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ 1812-1813 - petition to the classis to establish a Reformed church in Nyack denied 1830 - interest continued to grow in establishing a Reformed church in Nyack; became very vocal 1835 - Peter Smith gave the land for a church to be built (corner of Broadway and Burd) 1836 - building built at a cost of $2,000 1836 - approached the classis again about establishing a Reformed church; membership 200; could support a minister 1838 - on April 24, 1838 the Classis of Paramus granted the request; church was organized; consistory formed with Elders: Tunis Smith, Peter Smith, Abram A. Tallman Deacons: Henry House, Cornelius C. Blauvelt, Edward Felter 1838 - first minister: Philip Brett; installed Sept. 12, 1838 1850 - church enlarged at a cost of $8,500 1871 - addition added 1901 - present structure built. Architects were the Emery Brothers who also designed the YMCA, Nyack Library, St. Ann's Catholic Church, St Paul's United Methodist Church among other prominent Nyack buildings. The style was Romanesque revival; brick came from Haverstraw; the organ was from Clark Organ Company, Nyack, NY; clock tower installed 1976 - congregation decides to restore organ from prolonged water damage 1983 - $65,000 raised: organ restored, but there is a fire 1984 - present organ installed 1995 - bells ring again on clock tower 2024- The Angel Nyack purchases the church building for preservation and expansion of programming |
First Reformed Church of Nyack History
Around 1830 a group of local residents of Dutch Reformed faith began holding private religious services in Nyack. They built their first church on this site in 1836, were formally received into the Reformed Church in America in 1838, incorporated as The First Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Nyack in 1853. The building was enlarged in 1851 and again in 1871. In 1901 the old structure was replaced by the present brick church with landmark bell and clock tower.
From the historic marker outside the church erected by the Historical Society of Rockland County and dedicated on May 21, 1988. Account of the history of the Nyack church from the History of the Classis of Paramus of the Reformed Church of America, 1902 (Download PDF here) Read an early account of the history of the church in Nyack from the Rockland County Journal of April 8, 1853 at http://news.hrvh.org/ Pastors of the First Reformed Church Rev. Philip M. Brett, D.D.......................................1838-1841 Rev. Charles S. Hageman, D.D............................ 1842-1852 Rev. Benjamin Van Zandt, D.D..............................1852-1856 Rev. Daniel Lord, M.D...........................................1857-1860 Rev. Uriah Marvin..................................................1860-1870 Rev. Henry V. Voorhees........................................1871-1878 Rev. William H. Clark, D.D.....................................1881-1886 Rev. John C. Van Deventer..................................1886-1892 Rev. William J. Leggett.........................................1893-1901 Rev. Sartell Prentice, D.D.....................................1904-1922 Rev. William Neely Ross, D.D...............................1923-1948 Rev. William S. Quigley.........................................1949-1951 Rev. Howard C. Schade........................................1951-1959 Rev. J. Dean Martin, D.D.......................................1960-1970 Rev. James B. Parsons, D.D.................................1970-1988 Rev. Thomas C. Danney........................................1989-2011 Rev. William Doster, D.D...................................... 2011-2013 Dr. Fernando Arzola Jr......................................... 2013-2016 Rev. John VandenOever ..................................... 2016- |
Minutes announcing plans for the formation of the Church, June 1835
John Lydecker, Peter Smith, and Thomas Burd made up "the committee of three" originally charged with developing plans for the building of the church. Smith donated the land.
