Reformed Dutch Church of Claverack
Encyclopedia
The Reformed Dutch Church of Claverack is located on New York State Route 9H
at the north end of the hamlet of Claverack
, New York, United States. It is a brick church built in the mid-18th century and renovated and expanded twice in the 19th, reaching its present form in 1879. The congregation was founded in 1716.
It is the oldest institutional building in Columbia County
. In 2001 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, along with several of its other buildings and cemetery. The dead buried there include one of George Washington
's aides and a former speaker
of the state assembly
.
and 23B
in the center of Claverack. It is on a small rise about 75 feet (22.9 m) from the road, sheltered by mature trees around a paved driveway and parking lot. The surrounding area is rural to the north and residential, with large lots
, to the south. In that direction, on the same side of Route 9H, is the George Felpel House
, also on the Register.
There are three buildings, a garage, parsonage and the Christian Education Center, to its south. The cemetery, which takes up most of the property, is to the north with a small stone shed in the middle. All the buildings on the property except the Christian Education Center, and the cemetery, are considered contributing resources
to the National Register listing.
on a stone foundation
with steeply pitched
gambrel roof with boxed cornice
and long lower slopes flared at the bottom. The main block is 70 by with a two-stage, four-story centrally located tower on the south (front) elevation. Near the rear are two small wings on either side that serve as a transept
. Both have entrances. The north has a projection for the apse
. Two small exterior chimneys rise on this side.
On the south facade
, the tower is joined to the main block by a three-bay
pediment
ed gable
d projecting front section. The tower's double paneled door, and the similar doors with segmental arches flanking it on the projection, are the church's main entrances. Its brick is laid in common bond. Three louver
ed round-arched openings are on each story of the south face of the tower. Openings that once existed on three sides of the fourth story have been visibly bricked over. A deep cornice supports the square belfry
, where paired fluted
Doric
columns flanking rusticated
round-arched openings support a domed roof with tall finial.
The east and west elevations have three tall rounded-arch windows apiece south of the transept wings, flanked by louvered wood blinds
. The west further has the numerals "1767" above the windows, in brick painted to look like iron. The north side has two windows similar to those on the other elevations in each wing, and two small oval windows in the gable.
with stairs up either side of the tower leads to another pair of double doors, which open into the barrel-vaulted
sanctuary
. It is finished primarily in white plaster on lath
with simple woodwork
trim. Two aisles allow access to the pew
s, with paneled ends, curved tops and paneled doors. Along both sides are balconies supported by decorative cast iron
columns.
At the north end is the raised pulpit
, in a niche between paired pilaster
s below a semi-circular pediment
. The stairs to the choir loft have S-curved newel
s at either end. The wooden Gothic Revival case for the church's original pipe organ
is along the loft's south wall.
style with a gabled roof and a small entrance wing on its southwest. While it is sympathetic to the church, it is of modern construction and therefore non-contributing.
About 400 feet (121.9 m) to the south, across two parking lots, is the parsonage. It is a three-bay, two-story frame house sided in vinyl
with a pedimented front gable and single-bay entrance porch on the northern bay with square piers. The western two bays on the north and south have one-story gabled wings, and there is a two-story porch on the east. Brick chimneys rise from the north end of the north wing and the middle of the south elevation.
Inside, there is an open fireplace in the basement and a hand pump by the door. The interior has not been altered save for the addition of a powder room
on the first floor. The exterior windows have been replaced with similarly designed modern counterparts.
To its northeast is a small frame garage with a hipped roof
. It was built in the early 20th century, and is considered contributing. The only other contributing outbuilding is a small stone shed in the middle of the cemetery, 50 feet (15.2 m) north of the church. It, too, was built at the beginning of the 20th century.
Gravestones date from the 18th century to the present, with some particularly well-executed marble headstones from the early 19th century. To the immediate north of the church are some stone vaults
built into the rise.
, the church was a congregation in search of a permanent building. Over the next century of its existence, it developed that building from a simple brick church into the complex structure it is today. Since then it has perfected and maintained that structure.
es organized in the Hudson Valley
, began in 1716 as one preaching station on a circuit that ranged from Claverack Landing on the Hudson River
(now the city of Hudson) in the west to Hillsdale
in the east. In 1727 the first church was built, near what is today the First Columbia County Courthouse
.
Palatine German
settlers in the region began to swell the congregation's ranks, and within four decades a new church was needed. Stephen van Rensselaer deed
ed the current parcel to the church in February 1767; by November of that year a local builder named Solomon Strong had completed the church and it was dedicated for use. Van Rensselaer family tradition holds that the bricks were imported from the Netherlands
by Hendrick van Rensselaer; however this is unlikely as a kiln
was at the time located less than a mile (1.6 km) away, and the bricks in the church match those of other local structures known to have been built of bricks baked at that kiln.
The original church was a much smaller building. It only consisted of the southernmost 30 feet (10 m) of the present structure without the projecting front pedimented gable or tower. A receipt in church records suggests there was a small wooden steeple
and bell.
, John Gabriel Gebhard had fled first New York City, then Kingston
following the British burning of the city in October 1777. He took refuge in Claverack and became the church's pastor.
With the war still on, he initiated the founding and construction of Washington Seminary on the property to the south of the church in 1779. Later, it became known as Claverack College
, educating Martin van Buren
, Stephen Crane
and Margaret Sanger
before closing in 1902, by which time it was known as Hudson River Institute.
The year after the college was founded, the first change was made to the church when doors were put on the pews to help retain warmth from the foot stoves worshippers brought in the winter months. In 1810, the church installed a tin stove so that worshippers would no longer have to bring them. Six years later, in 1816, the church had begun to grow again and realized it needed more space. Expansions over the next decade added the present north section and wings onto the old church, with exits to the cemetery at the rear. Inside, the balconies, choir loft and iron columns were added, and the walls replastered. The pews were rearranged into their present layout. Finally, in 1828, the bell tower was added in memory of Gebhard, who had died the previous year after 50 years as pastor.
The parsonage was designed and built in 1844, the first significant building on the church property besides the church itself. Ten years after that, the church's interior was redone. The north end was extended again, the floor was lowered, and walls and floors refinished. The pews were rearranged again so that they all faced the north end, and the choir loft built there (a planned gallery at that end was dropped).
In the next decade, the church's musical needs were attended to. The first organ was installed in 1867, to be replaced by a pipe organ
five years later. Seven years later, in 1879, the 1500 pounds (680.4 kg) bell, cast by the Meneely Bell Foundry
in West Troy (now Watervliet
), was installed. This is considered the last historically significant change to the church building.
was installed. After the closure of Claverack College in 1902, its bell was installed at the foot of the church's driveway. It is not considered a contributing resource.
Mid-20th century actions start with the installation of electric lights, designed to look like older oil lamp
s with glass chimneys, in 1930. A decade later, in 1940, the organ was reconditioned. The sanctuary was carpeted in 1955. An electric toggle switch to ring the bell was installed in 1958, and a new Allen
electric organ complemented it the following year.
In 1967, the church erected another building on the property, the Christian Education Center. An architecturally sympathetic building just to the southeast of the main church, it is used for the church offices and many activities, such as Sunday school
and meetings, typical of a fellowship hall
. A new organ was dedicated in the church in April 2000. Since then there have been no other changes to the property.
": "We believe in the trinity – God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The lessons on which we strive to live our lives are found in the Holy Scripture – the Bible, the final authority for our beliefs." It describes its purpose as "'to proclaim the Good News of God's Grace' and strive to increase the love of God in our midst and throughout the world." It has roughly 200 members, and is part of the Columbia
-Greene
Synod
of the Reformed Church in America
's Albany
Classis. A monthly newsletter
, The Fisherman, keeps congregants informed.
In addition to Sunday services and school
, it offers Bible study for adults, confirmation classes and a youth group. It is a sponsoring church of Camp Fowler, a Christian summer camp
in the southern Adirondacks, and hosts local meetings of community groups like the Boy
and Girl Scouts as well as Alcoholics Anonymous
.
Its handbell
and vocal choirs perform in the community as well as at services. The church supports several prominent regional charities, including Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army
and the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York. It has sponsored Reformed Church missionaries
in Albania
, Taiwan
and Mississippi
.
New York State Route 9H
New York State Route 9H is a state highway located within Columbia County, New York, United States. It runs from US 9, NY 82, and NY 23 at its southern end in Bell Pond to its northern end in Valatie, also at US 9....
at the north end of the hamlet of Claverack
Claverack-Red Mills, New York
Claverack-Red Mills is a census-designated place in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 913 at the 2010 census....
, New York, United States. It is a brick church built in the mid-18th century and renovated and expanded twice in the 19th, reaching its present form in 1879. The congregation was founded in 1716.
It is the oldest institutional building in Columbia County
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
. In 2001 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, along with several of its other buildings and cemetery. The dead buried there include one of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's aides and a former speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the state assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
.
Property
The church complex is on a 17.2 acres (7 ha) parcel of land on the east side of Route 9H, roughly 650 feet (198.1 m) north of its junction with routes 23New York State Route 23
New York State Route 23 is an east–west state highway in the eastern portion New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 26 in the Central New York town of Cincinnatus to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains, where it continues east as...
and 23B
New York State Route 23B
New York State Route 23B is an east–west state highway located in western Columbia County, New York, in the United States. The route is a former section of NY 23 that runs for from NY 9G southwest of Hudson to NY 9H in Claverack...
in the center of Claverack. It is on a small rise about 75 feet (22.9 m) from the road, sheltered by mature trees around a paved driveway and parking lot. The surrounding area is rural to the north and residential, with large lots
Lot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
, to the south. In that direction, on the same side of Route 9H, is the George Felpel House
George Felpel House
The George Felpel House is located on NY 9H in Claverack, New York, United States. It is a stone Colonial Revival and Dutch Colonial Revival house built in the 1920s....
, also on the Register.
There are three buildings, a garage, parsonage and the Christian Education Center, to its south. The cemetery, which takes up most of the property, is to the north with a small stone shed in the middle. All the buildings on the property except the Christian Education Center, and the cemetery, are considered contributing resources
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the National Register listing.
Exterior
The one-story church building is faced in brick laid in English bondBrickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
on a stone foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
with steeply pitched
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
gambrel roof with boxed cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and long lower slopes flared at the bottom. The main block is 70 by with a two-stage, four-story centrally located tower on the south (front) elevation. Near the rear are two small wings on either side that serve as a transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
. Both have entrances. The north has a projection for the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. Two small exterior chimneys rise on this side.
On the south facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
, the tower is joined to the main block by a three-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
ed gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d projecting front section. The tower's double paneled door, and the similar doors with segmental arches flanking it on the projection, are the church's main entrances. Its brick is laid in common bond. Three louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed round-arched openings are on each story of the south face of the tower. Openings that once existed on three sides of the fourth story have been visibly bricked over. A deep cornice supports the square belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, where paired fluted
Fluting (architecture)
Fluting in architecture refers to the shallow grooves running vertically along a surface.It typically refers to the grooves running on a column shaft or a pilaster, but need not necessarily be restricted to those two applications...
Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns flanking rusticated
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
round-arched openings support a domed roof with tall finial.
The east and west elevations have three tall rounded-arch windows apiece south of the transept wings, flanked by louvered wood blinds
Window blind
A window blind is a type of window coverings. There are many different kinds of window blinds, using different systems and materials. A typical window blind is made with slats of fabric, wood, plastic or metal that adjust by rotating from an open position to a closed position by allowing slats to...
. The west further has the numerals "1767" above the windows, in brick painted to look like iron. The north side has two windows similar to those on the other elevations in each wing, and two small oval windows in the gable.
Interior
From the tower entrance, a vestibuleVestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
with stairs up either side of the tower leads to another pair of double doors, which open into the barrel-vaulted
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
. It is finished primarily in white plaster on lath
Lath and plaster
Lath and plaster is a building process used mainly for interior walls in Canada and the United States until the late 1950s. After the 1950s, drywall began to replace the lath and plaster process in the United States. In the United Kingdom, lath and plaster was used for some interior partition...
with simple woodwork
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
trim. Two aisles allow access to the pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s, with paneled ends, curved tops and paneled doors. Along both sides are balconies supported by decorative cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
columns.
At the north end is the raised pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
, in a niche between paired pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s below a semi-circular pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. The stairs to the choir loft have S-curved newel
Newel
A newel, also called a central pole, is an upright post that supports the handrail of a stair banister. In stairs having straight flights it is the principal post at the foot of the staircase, but it can also be used for the intermediate posts on landings and at the top of a staircase...
s at either end. The wooden Gothic Revival case for the church's original pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
is along the loft's south wall.
Outbuildings
Immediately to the southeast of the church is the Christian Education Center. It is a two-story brick building in the Colonial RevivalColonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
style with a gabled roof and a small entrance wing on its southwest. While it is sympathetic to the church, it is of modern construction and therefore non-contributing.
About 400 feet (121.9 m) to the south, across two parking lots, is the parsonage. It is a three-bay, two-story frame house sided in vinyl
Vinyl siding
Vinyl siding is plastic exterior cladding for a house, used for decoration and weatherproofing, as an alternative to traditional wood siding or other materials such as aluminum or fiber cement siding. It is an engineered product, manufactured primarily from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, resin, giving...
with a pedimented front gable and single-bay entrance porch on the northern bay with square piers. The western two bays on the north and south have one-story gabled wings, and there is a two-story porch on the east. Brick chimneys rise from the north end of the north wing and the middle of the south elevation.
Inside, there is an open fireplace in the basement and a hand pump by the door. The interior has not been altered save for the addition of a powder room
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
on the first floor. The exterior windows have been replaced with similarly designed modern counterparts.
To its northeast is a small frame garage with a hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
. It was built in the early 20th century, and is considered contributing. The only other contributing outbuilding is a small stone shed in the middle of the cemetery, 50 feet (15.2 m) north of the church. It, too, was built at the beginning of the 20th century.
Cemetery
The cemetery takes up 12.7 acres (5.1 ha) of the church's overall property. It is mostly located to the north, but comes down to the east and west of the church. It is laid out in a grid pattern, with narrow grassy unpaved roads offering access should a vehicle be needed.Gravestones date from the 18th century to the present, with some particularly well-executed marble headstones from the early 19th century. To the immediate north of the church are some stone vaults
Burial vault (tomb)
A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies. They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances...
built into the rise.
Significant burials
- Gen. Samuel Blachley Webb (1753–1807). Led a militia companyCompany (military unit)A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
from Wethersfield, ConnecticutWethersfield, ConnecticutWethersfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Many records from colonial times spell the name Weathersfield, while Native Americans called it Pyquag...
, that saw action at Bunker HillBattle of Bunker HillThe Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
. He became one of George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's aides-de-campAide-de-campAn aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
for six months, then went into combat again, at Long IslandBattle of Long IslandThe Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
, White PlainsBattle of White PlainsThe Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from New York City, British General William Howe landed...
and TrentonBattle of TrentonThe Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
, getting wounded at the latter two engagements. He was captured by the British in December 1777, exchangedPrisoner exchangeA prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners. These may be prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc...
a year later, and settled in Claverack after the war. - Jacob Rutsen Van RensselaerJacob R. Van RensselaerJacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer was an American lawyer and Federalist politician.-Life:...
, (1767–1835). A prominent FederalistFederalist Party (United States)The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
elected to nine terms in the State AssemblyNew York State AssemblyThe New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
, serving as that body's speakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
in his last. Left that position to commanded locally raised troops which guarded New York City during the War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. After the end of the war served as New York's Secretary of State and later an influential delegate to the state's 1821 constitutional conventionConstitutional convention (political meeting)A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
. - Harriet Livingston Dale (1785–1826). Robert FultonRobert FultonRobert Fulton was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
's widow moved to England after his death. After hers, her body was returned to Claverack for burial.
History
The church's history can be divided into three eras. From its founding until the years just before the RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the church was a congregation in search of a permanent building. Over the next century of its existence, it developed that building from a simple brick church into the complex structure it is today. Since then it has perfected and maintained that structure.
1716–1767: The early years
Claverack's church, among the first Dutch Reformed ChurchDutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
es organized in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
, began in 1716 as one preaching station on a circuit that ranged from Claverack Landing on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
(now the city of Hudson) in the west to Hillsdale
Hillsdale, New York
Hillsdale is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,744 at the 2000 census.- History :The region was taken from the Town of Claverack in 1782. The Town of Hillsdale was established in 1788....
in the east. In 1727 the first church was built, near what is today the First Columbia County Courthouse
First Columbia County Courthouse
The First Columbia County Courthouse is located along NY 23B near the center of the hamlet of Claverack, New York, United States. It is a brick building in the Federal style constructed in 1786 and renovated in the mid-19th century....
.
Palatine German
German Palatines
The German Palatines were natives of the Electoral Palatinate region of Germany, although a few had come to Germany from Switzerland, the Alsace, and probably other parts of Europe. Towards the end of the 17th century and into the 18th, the wealthy region was repeatedly invaded by French troops,...
settlers in the region began to swell the congregation's ranks, and within four decades a new church was needed. Stephen van Rensselaer deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
ed the current parcel to the church in February 1767; by November of that year a local builder named Solomon Strong had completed the church and it was dedicated for use. Van Rensselaer family tradition holds that the bricks were imported from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
by Hendrick van Rensselaer; however this is unlikely as a kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
was at the time located less than a mile (1.6 km) away, and the bricks in the church match those of other local structures known to have been built of bricks baked at that kiln.
The original church was a much smaller building. It only consisted of the southernmost 30 feet (10 m) of the present structure without the projecting front pedimented gable or tower. A receipt in church records suggests there was a small wooden 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...
and bell.
1768–1879: Growth and development
Within a decade of the new church's construction, the congregation got its most influential pastor. At the beginning of the RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, John Gabriel Gebhard had fled first New York City, then Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
following the British burning of the city in October 1777. He took refuge in Claverack and became the church's pastor.
With the war still on, he initiated the founding and construction of Washington Seminary on the property to the south of the church in 1779. Later, it became known as Claverack College
Claverack College
Claverack College, also known as Washington Seminary and Hudson River Institute, was a coeducational boarding school in Claverack, New York, United States. It was in operation from 1779 until 1902.-History:...
, educating Martin van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
, Stephen Crane
Stephen Crane
Stephen Crane was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism...
and Margaret Sanger
Margaret Sanger
Margaret Higgins Sanger was an American sex educator, nurse, and birth control activist. Sanger coined the term birth control, opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, and established Planned Parenthood...
before closing in 1902, by which time it was known as Hudson River Institute.
The year after the college was founded, the first change was made to the church when doors were put on the pews to help retain warmth from the foot stoves worshippers brought in the winter months. In 1810, the church installed a tin stove so that worshippers would no longer have to bring them. Six years later, in 1816, the church had begun to grow again and realized it needed more space. Expansions over the next decade added the present north section and wings onto the old church, with exits to the cemetery at the rear. Inside, the balconies, choir loft and iron columns were added, and the walls replastered. The pews were rearranged into their present layout. Finally, in 1828, the bell tower was added in memory of Gebhard, who had died the previous year after 50 years as pastor.
The parsonage was designed and built in 1844, the first significant building on the church property besides the church itself. Ten years after that, the church's interior was redone. The north end was extended again, the floor was lowered, and walls and floors refinished. The pews were rearranged again so that they all faced the north end, and the choir loft built there (a planned gallery at that end was dropped).
In the next decade, the church's musical needs were attended to. The first organ was installed in 1867, to be replaced by a pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
five years later. Seven years later, in 1879, the 1500 pounds (680.4 kg) bell, cast by the Meneely Bell Foundry
Meneely bell foundry
The Meneely Bell Foundry was a bell foundry established in 1826 in West Troy , New York, by Andrew Meneely. Two of Andrew's sons continued to operate the foundry after his death, while a third son, Clinton H. Meneely, opened a second foundry across the river with George H. Kimberly in Troy, New...
in West Troy (now Watervliet
Watervliet, New York
Watervliet is a city in Albany County in the US state of New York. The population was 10,254 as of the 2010 census. Watervliet is north of Albany, the capital of the state, and is bordered on the north, west, and south by the town of Colonie. The city is also known as "the Arsenal City".- History...
), was installed. This is considered the last historically significant change to the church building.
1880–present: Balancing history and growth
The other two contributing buildings were added around the same time, at the turn of the next century. A garage was built for the parsonage, and a stone shed in the cemetery. Sometime in the new century, modern central heatingCentral heating
A central heating system provides warmth to the whole interior of a building from one point to multiple rooms. When combined with other systems in order to control the building climate, the whole system may be a HVAC system.Central heating differs from local heating in that the heat generation...
was installed. After the closure of Claverack College in 1902, its bell was installed at the foot of the church's driveway. It is not considered a contributing resource.
Mid-20th century actions start with the installation of electric lights, designed to look like older oil lamp
Oil lamp
An oil lamp is an object used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and is continued to this day....
s with glass chimneys, in 1930. A decade later, in 1940, the organ was reconditioned. The sanctuary was carpeted in 1955. An electric toggle switch to ring the bell was installed in 1958, and a new Allen
Allen Organ
The Allen Organ Company builds classical digital and combination digital and pipe organs, as well as digital theatre organs. Its factory is located in Macungie in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.-History:...
electric organ complemented it the following year.
In 1967, the church erected another building on the property, the Christian Education Center. An architecturally sympathetic building just to the southeast of the main church, it is used for the church offices and many activities, such as Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
and meetings, typical of a fellowship hall
Fellowship hall
A fellowship hall is a large room in a church building where certain activities in the church building are done, such as certain dinners, breakfasts, meetings, workshops, etc...
. A new organ was dedicated in the church in April 2000. Since then there have been no other changes to the property.
The church today
The church's beliefs conform to the Apostles' CreedApostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed , sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol"...
": "We believe in the trinity – God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The lessons on which we strive to live our lives are found in the Holy Scripture – the Bible, the final authority for our beliefs." It describes its purpose as "'to proclaim the Good News of God's Grace' and strive to increase the love of God in our midst and throughout the world." It has roughly 200 members, and is part of the Columbia
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
-Greene
Greene County, New York
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Its name is in honor of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. Its county seat is Catskill...
Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of the Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
's Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
Classis. A monthly newsletter
Newsletter
A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...
, The Fisherman, keeps congregants informed.
In addition to Sunday services and school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
, it offers Bible study for adults, confirmation classes and a youth group. It is a sponsoring church of Camp Fowler, a Christian summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
in the southern Adirondacks, and hosts local meetings of community groups like the Boy
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and Girl Scouts as well as Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
.
Its handbell
Handbell
A handbell is a bell designed to be rung by hand. To ring a handbell, a ringer grasps the bell by its slightly flexible handle — traditionally made of leather, but often now made of plastic — and moves the wrist to make the hinged clapper inside the bell strike...
and vocal choirs perform in the community as well as at services. The church supports several prominent regional charities, including Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
and the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York. It has sponsored Reformed Church missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.