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First Presbyterian Church (Sag Harbor)
Encyclopedia
First Presbyterian Church in Sag Harbor, New York
, also known as Old Whaler's Church, is a historic and architecturally notable Presbyterian
church built in 1844 in the Egyptian Revival
style. The church is Sag Harbor's "most distinguished landmark." Town boosters call the facade "the most important (surviving) example of Egyptian revival style in the United States," and "the best example of the Egyptian Revival style in the U.S. today.
The church was designed by Minard Lafever
in an Egyptian Revival style that includes Greek Revival
elements. Its original steeple
, 185 feet high, was destroyed by the Great New England Hurricane of 1938
. Although many lament the loss, architectural historian Richard Carrot believes that the removal of the steeple was "successful" in that it left "a more 'Egyptian' building."
The church is located at 44 Union Street, within the Sag Harbor Village District
, and was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1994. It is the only such national historic landmark in Sag Harbor.
of Egyptian temples. The deep cornice is crested with a crenelation of blubber
spades.
The minister's dedicatory sermon made clear that the congregation's intention in erecting an Egyptian style building was to symbolize Solomon's Temple
.
The foyer features trapezoidal Egyptian Revival doors. The original bell is preserved in the narthex
. It was taken out and rung for the building's 100th anniversary in 1944, The church also celebrated the anniversary of the building by putting on a grand historical pageant in the costumes of the 1840s. Appropriately, with many local boys stationed overseas, they sang a song known to have been sung when many local men left for the California gold fields
in 1849: "Star of Peace to Wanderers Weary." The service was broadcast over the Voice of America
as an example of the Four Freedoms
.
The interior of the sanctuary, however, is entirely in ornate Greek Revival style. It is spacious, with a capacity to seat 800. The pulpit is framed by a pair of pilasters and a pair of Corinthian columns that rise over 50 feet to a coffer
ed ceiling. Trompe-l'œil behind the pulpit gives the impression of a curved wall. The old-fashioned box pews have Cuban mahogany railings. Many have hand-engraved, 19th century silver nameplates on the doors. Fluted columns support galleries on each side of the sanctuary. The very fine coffered ceiling is supported from a central beam, eliminating the need for supporting columns. It is edged with egg-and-dart
molding.
A fence along Union Street is built with Egyptian obelisk
-shaped fence posts. It is a modern copy of the original fence, removed in the 1880s. The fence was an important part of Lafever's original plan to replicate Solomon's Temple
in Egyptian style. The plan of the Temple calls for a forecourt, to precede two great pillars named Boaz and Jachin
before the worshipers passed into the sanctuary. The fence was supposed to mark out the forecourt, and the doorway is framed by two enormous pylons representing Boaz and Jachin.
. The steeple was designed in three upward tapering sections. At the base was an octagonal Greek revival colonnade
in which a bell hung. This was a replica of the 4th century BC Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
. Above this a section with four panels, each with Greek key and rosette motifs, which contained the clockworks made by Ephriam Byram, Sag Harbor's clockmaker. The clock was removed in 1845 since the same high winds that usefully powered the town's many windmills caused vibrations that made the clock run inaccurately. The slender top spire supported a weather vane.
Fundraising to replace the steeple began in 1952. In 1997 a proposal was floated to raise the necessary funds by installing a cell-phone transmission tower inside the new steeple, to be paid for by the cell phone company. In 2000, the cost of restoring the steeple was estimated at $2,000,000.
from 1806-09L "If a shower of rain occurred during public worship, the minister was obliged to retreat to the corner of the ample pulpit to escape the falling drops."
The "Old Barn Church" was torn down and a second church built in 1816, using lumber recycled form the old building. When the 1816 building became too small as a consequence of the Second Great Awakening
, the present building was built in 1844. The plot of land cost $2,000 and the congregation spent $17,000. on the building, before it was furnished.
The church was named a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1994. The congregation hopes someday to reconstruct the steeple.
The 1816 building was sold and became known as "the Atheneum." It was used as a community lecture hall and theater. It burned down on April 30, 1924.
Another restoration, beginning in the 1990s, received state funding because of the building's historic significance. It was during this period that the church was able to establish that the noted architect Minard Lafever had indeed designed the church, a point that had been supposed but not proven for many years. The clinching evidence came in the form of a letter written by a young cabinetmaker working on the building in 1843, who named Lafever as the architect. This confirmation drew support on the basis of the building's architectural significance.
With the confirmation of the architect, and close to a million dollars in hand and being spent on the gutters, roof beams and other necessary structural repairs, church administrators became "confident" that the $2 million to replace the steeple would appear.
by the First Presbyterian congregation, which meets on Sunday morning, and the Conservative
Synagogue of the Hamptons, which meets on Saturday morning, the Jewish Sabbath
. The program began about 1997.
Sag Harbor, New York
Sag Harbor is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York, United States, with parts in both the Towns of East Hampton and Southampton. The population was 2,313 at the 2000 census....
, also known as Old Whaler's Church, is a historic and architecturally notable Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
church built in 1844 in the Egyptian Revival
Egyptian Revival architecture
Egyptian Revival is an architectural style that uses the motifs and imagery of ancient Egypt. It is attributed generally to the public awareness of ancient Egyptian monuments generated by Napoleon's conquest of Egypt and Admiral Nelson's defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of the Nile during 1798....
style. The church is Sag Harbor's "most distinguished landmark." Town boosters call the facade "the most important (surviving) example of Egyptian revival style in the United States," and "the best example of the Egyptian Revival style in the U.S. today.
The church was designed by Minard Lafever
Minard Lafever
Minard Lafever was an influential American architect of churches and houses in the United States in the early nineteenth century.-Life and career:...
in an Egyptian Revival style that includes Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
elements. Its original steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
, 185 feet high, was destroyed by the Great New England Hurricane of 1938
New England Hurricane of 1938
The New England Hurricane of 1938 was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869...
. Although many lament the loss, architectural historian Richard Carrot believes that the removal of the steeple was "successful" in that it left "a more 'Egyptian' building."
The church is located at 44 Union Street, within the Sag Harbor Village District
Sag Harbor Village District
Sag Harbor Village District is a national historic district in Sag Harbor, Suffolk County, New York. It comprises the entire business district of the village. It includes 870 contributing buildings, seven contributing sites, two contributing structures, and three contributing objects...
, and was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1994. It is the only such national historic landmark in Sag Harbor.
Architecture
The church's tripartite facade evokes the massive trapezoidal pylonsPylon (architecture)
Pylon is the Greek term for a monumental gateway of an Egyptian temple It consists of two tapering towers, each surmounted by a cornice, joined by a less elevated section which enclosed the entrance between them. The entrance was generally about half the height of the towers...
of Egyptian temples. The deep cornice is crested with a crenelation of blubber
Blubber
Blubber is a thick layer of vascularized adipose tissue found under the skin of all cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians.-Description:Lipid-rich, collagen fiber–laced blubber comprises the hypodermis and covers the whole body, except for parts of the appendages, strongly attached to the musculature...
spades.
Replicas of the Jewish Temple
Replicas of the Jewish Temple are scale models or authentic buildings that attempt to replicate the Temple of Solomon, Second Temple and Herod's Temple in Jerusalem.-Scale models:...
.
The foyer features trapezoidal Egyptian Revival doors. The original bell is preserved in the narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
. It was taken out and rung for the building's 100th anniversary in 1944, The church also celebrated the anniversary of the building by putting on a grand historical pageant in the costumes of the 1840s. Appropriately, with many local boys stationed overseas, they sang a song known to have been sung when many local men left for the California gold fields
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
in 1849: "Star of Peace to Wanderers Weary." The service was broadcast over the Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
as an example of the Four Freedoms
Four Freedoms
The Four Freedoms were goals articulated by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech , he proposed four fundamental freedoms that people "everywhere in the world" ought to enjoy:# Freedom of speech and expression# Freedom of worship#...
.
The interior of the sanctuary, however, is entirely in ornate Greek Revival style. It is spacious, with a capacity to seat 800. The pulpit is framed by a pair of pilasters and a pair of Corinthian columns that rise over 50 feet to a coffer
Coffer
A coffer in architecture, is a sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault...
ed ceiling. Trompe-l'œil behind the pulpit gives the impression of a curved wall. The old-fashioned box pews have Cuban mahogany railings. Many have hand-engraved, 19th century silver nameplates on the doors. Fluted columns support galleries on each side of the sanctuary. The very fine coffered ceiling is supported from a central beam, eliminating the need for supporting columns. It is edged with egg-and-dart
Egg-and-dart
Egg-and-dart or Egg-and-tongue is an ornamental device often carved in wood, stone, or plaster quarter-round ovolo mouldings, consisting of an egg-shaped object alternating with an element shaped like an arrow, anchor or dart. Egg-and-dart enrichment of the ovolo molding of the Ionic capital is...
molding.
A fence along Union Street is built with Egyptian obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
-shaped fence posts. It is a modern copy of the original fence, removed in the 1880s. The fence was an important part of Lafever's original plan to replicate Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was the main temple in ancient Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount , before its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar II after the Siege of Jerusalem of 587 BCE....
in Egyptian style. The plan of the Temple calls for a forecourt, to precede two great pillars named Boaz and Jachin
Boaz and Jachin
Boaz and Jachin were two copper, brass or bronze pillars which stood in the porch of Solomon's Temple, the first Temple in Jerusalem.-Description:...
before the worshipers passed into the sanctuary. The fence was supposed to mark out the forecourt, and the doorway is framed by two enormous pylons representing Boaz and Jachin.
Steeple
The church was originally topped with a steeple 185 feet hall, making it visible to ships rounding Montauk PointMontauk Point State Park
Montauk Point State Park is located in the hamlet of Montauk, at the eastern tip of Long Island in the Town of East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York. Montauk Point is the easternmost extremity of the South Fork of Long Island, and thus also of New York State...
. The steeple was designed in three upward tapering sections. At the base was an octagonal Greek revival colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
in which a bell hung. This was a replica of the 4th century BC Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates near the Acropolis of Athens was erected by the choregos Lysicrates, a wealthy patron of musical performances in the Theater of Dionysus to commemorate the award of first prize in 335/334 BCE, to one of the performances he had sponsored...
. Above this a section with four panels, each with Greek key and rosette motifs, which contained the clockworks made by Ephriam Byram, Sag Harbor's clockmaker. The clock was removed in 1845 since the same high winds that usefully powered the town's many windmills caused vibrations that made the clock run inaccurately. The slender top spire supported a weather vane.
Fundraising to replace the steeple began in 1952. In 1997 a proposal was floated to raise the necessary funds by installing a cell-phone transmission tower inside the new steeple, to be paid for by the cell phone company. In 2000, the cost of restoring the steeple was estimated at $2,000,000.
History
The first building of the First Presbyterian Church of Sag Harbor was erected in 1766. Known as the "Old Barn Church", it was a "simple building of uncouth shape," a wood-frame building with walls and a roof but neither a ceiling nor interior plastered walls. According to the Rev. Nathaniel S. Prime, pastorPastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
from 1806-09L "If a shower of rain occurred during public worship, the minister was obliged to retreat to the corner of the ample pulpit to escape the falling drops."
The "Old Barn Church" was torn down and a second church built in 1816, using lumber recycled form the old building. When the 1816 building became too small as a consequence of the Second Great Awakening
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1800, had begun to gain momentum by 1820, and was in decline by 1870. The Second Great Awakening expressed Arminian theology, by which every person could be...
, the present building was built in 1844. The plot of land cost $2,000 and the congregation spent $17,000. on the building, before it was furnished.
The church was named a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1994. The congregation hopes someday to reconstruct the steeple.
The 1816 building was sold and became known as "the Atheneum." It was used as a community lecture hall and theater. It burned down on April 30, 1924.
Restoration
In 1950 when the ceiling was found to be unsafe, the church was taken out of use for many months and finally reopened in July 1952 after thorough repairs. The "modern" electric lighting fixtures were removed and replaced with a chandelier and sidelights designed to look like the church's original whale-oil burning fixtures.Another restoration, beginning in the 1990s, received state funding because of the building's historic significance. It was during this period that the church was able to establish that the noted architect Minard Lafever had indeed designed the church, a point that had been supposed but not proven for many years. The clinching evidence came in the form of a letter written by a young cabinetmaker working on the building in 1843, who named Lafever as the architect. This confirmation drew support on the basis of the building's architectural significance.
With the confirmation of the architect, and close to a million dollars in hand and being spent on the gutters, roof beams and other necessary structural repairs, church administrators became "confident" that the $2 million to replace the steeple would appear.
Modern use
The church is currently sharedSimultaneum
A shared church, or Simultankirche, Simultaneum or, more fully, simultaneum mixtum, a term first coined in 16th century Germany, is a church in which public worship is conducted by adherents of two or more religious groups. Such churches became common in Europe in the wake of the Reformation...
by the First Presbyterian congregation, which meets on Sunday morning, and the Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
Synagogue of the Hamptons, which meets on Saturday morning, the Jewish Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
. The program began about 1997.
External links
- First Presbyterian Church (6 photos taken "prior to September 1938 when the steeple was destroyed in a hurricane"), at Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
. - Conservative Synagogue of the Hamptons
- First Presbyterian