Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the Town of Flatbush in Kings County

Early Church Buildings

1699: The first wooden church was replaced by a stone structure measuring 65 by 50 feet, built in the form of a square. A central cupola housed a bell, which was tolled from the center of the auditorium. In worship, men and women sat separately—women in the center seats, men around the perimeter. During this period, the tradition began of burying members beneath the church. This second building stood during the American Revolution, and its bell was used to warn of the British approach during the Battle of Long Island.

1796: The second structure was removed, and our present sanctuary was built on the same site. Stones from the earlier building were used in the new six-foot-thick foundation. Most of the wall stones were quarried at Hell Gate, the brownstone for the upper courses came from local Brooklyn woods, and the bricks around the doors and windows were imported from Holland as ship ballast. The edifice cost £1,873.7.7.

1886: A rear extension was added, providing a choir and organ loft upstairs and a vestry room downstairs.

1889: Tiffany memorial windows were installed to honor many of Brooklyn’s earliest families.

The Church Bell

The current bell was donated in 1796 by Hon. John Vanderbilt, who imported it from Holland. En route, the ship carrying it was seized by the British and taken to Halifax, but the bell was later recovered and brought to Flatbush. It has tolled the death of every U.S. President from George Washington to the present day.

A Center of Early Ministry

Our original building was the first church erected in what is now Brooklyn, and our site is the oldest continuous church site in Greater New York. In 1784, Flatbush joined five other Reformed congregations—Flatlands, Brooklyn, New Utrecht, Bushwick, and Gravesend—in a collegium, sharing ministers until each had its own pastor in the early 1800s.

Pastoral Heritage

First minister: Rev. Johannes Theodorus Polhemus (1654–1676)

Last minister to preach in Dutch: Rev. Martinus Schoonmaker (1784–1824), though English began to be introduced in 1792.

As of 1963: twenty ministers had served this congregation.

Historical Treasures

The two chairs in front of the pulpit belonged to Rev. Schoonmaker.

The original communion beakers—crafted by silversmith Garrett Onclebagh (1663–1733)—are now housed in the Brooklyn Museum.

The pulpit pall bears an adaptation of the Coat of Arms of the Reformed Church in America, itself inspired by the arms of William of Orange.

The ten manually operated tower chimes were installed in 1913 in memory of the church’s founders.

Additional Buildings

Parsonage: Built in 1853 at 900 Flatbush Avenue; moved to its present location in 1918.

Church House: Completed in 1924 for Christian education, Sunday School, and church activities.

1926 Sanctuary Renovation: Installed a replica of the original pulpit.

Grounds and Cemetery

Our grounds, located in the geographical center of Brooklyn, hold over 385 graves, many of which bear the names of families memorialized in Brooklyn’s street names—Bergen, Clarkson, Cortelyou, Ditmas, Duryea, Gerritsen, Livingston, Lefferts, Lott, Martense, Schenck, Vanderveer, Van Siclen, and others. The grounds feature a variety of trees and plantings, many of which were added under the guidance of Dr. C. Stuart Gager, the former curator of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

The Flatbush Reformed Church has had a succession of 24 pastors dating back to 1654, with the Reverend Dr. De Lafayette Awkward becoming the first African American pastor of our Church.

Our Denomination

The Reformed Church in America traces its roots to the historic Reformed Church in the Netherlands. Our church government is Presbyterian in structure; our worship is semi-liturgical.