New Utrecht Reformed Church, church building in Brooklyn, United States of America
The New Utrecht Reformed Church is a church building in Brooklyn constructed in 1828 in the Georgian-Gothic style, incorporating stones from an earlier Dutch church building from 1700. The building features a bright sanctuary with white painted wooden pews, a carved wooden pulpit, and stained-glass windows designed in 1915, while the grounds also contain a cemetery and a parish house built in 1892.
The congregation was founded in 1677 and is one of the oldest continuously active church groups in New York. The original church was built in 1700, while British occupation during the American Revolution used the building as a hospital and riding school, before a new building was constructed in 1828 at a different location using stones from the original church.
The New Utrecht Reformed Church reflects its Dutch roots through its origins and the stones brought from Holland that were used in its construction. The cemetery and the church grounds show how an early settler community established traditions that continue to shape this Brooklyn neighborhood.
The site has been open for guided tours since September 2016 and sits on a large wooded property that allows for exploration. The grounds can be walked at a leisurely pace to see both the church and burial stones, especially on weekends or during the annual Liberty Weekend celebration in late May or June.
The building contains a bell that tolled during the funerals of multiple US presidents including George Washington, and has been rung by hand for many years. The grounds also hold the only surviving Liberty Pole from the original thirteen states, erected in 1946 to celebrate freedom from British rule.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
