Bedford Presbyterian Church (New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bedford Presbyterian Church
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From the village green in 2010
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| Location | Bedford, New York |
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| Built | 1872 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001285 |
| Added to NRHP | October 2, 1973 |
The Bedford Presbyterian Church is a special church located in Bedford, Westchester County, New York. The building you see today was finished in 1872. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style, which looks a bit like old castles or cathedrals. This church is the fourth one built for its community on the same spot. It's an important historic building and is part of the Bedford Village Historic District. People also love to come here to enjoy beautiful music performances.
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History of the Church
The Bedford Presbyterian Church started a very long time ago, in 1680. In its early days, the church sometimes followed the Congregational style and sometimes the Anglican style. This depended on who was leading the church at the time. The church has always been located on the village green in Bedford. The current building was officially opened in 1872.
Early Buildings
The first leader of the church, Reverend Thomas Denham, arrived in 1684. A meeting house, which is like a church building, was built in 1689. When Bedford became part of New York, this first building was moved to Rye, New York. For a while, Bedford was part of the Anglican Church.
The second meeting house was sadly burned down in 1779. This happened during the American Revolution. A British colonel ordered it to be destroyed. A third church building was later moved to a place called Westmoreland Sanctuary.
The Current Church Building
The fourth building, which is the church you see today, was built in 1872. It also included a Sunday school area at the back. People at the time described it as a unique building. It had different-looking towers and a special round window called a rose window. Inside, there were special pews (benches) near the pulpit.
This church is part of the Bedford Village Historic District. This entire historic area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
Music and Community
The Bedford Presbyterian Church is known for its excellent acoustics. This means sound travels very well inside, making it a perfect place for music. Because of this, many sacred music concerts and recitals are held there.
Musical Performances
Many famous groups have performed at the church. For example, The Master Singers of Westchester often held concerts there. They performed pieces like Britten's A Ceremony of Carols in 1984. They also performed his cantata St. Nicholas in 1986. In March 2003, they performed Bach's Mass in B minor.
The Westchester Oratorio Society also celebrated a special concert there in May 2018. They performed Mozart's Requiem. A famous organ player named Anthony Newman played the organ for this concert.
The Church Organ
In 1998, the church hired a builder named Martin Pasi. He designed and built a brand new tracker organ for the church. This organ has 29 different sounds, called stops. It is completely enclosed in the back gallery of the church.
Helping the Community
Bedford Presbyterian Church is also known for its creative worship and community programs. They have special programs for young people. For example, high school students go on work trips to places like Appalachia and Nicaragua to help others.
The church members also work with several organizations to help people in need:
- Habitat for Humanity: They help build homes for families.
- Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry: They help provide food for people who need it.
- Midnight Run: They help homeless people by providing food, clothes, and other necessities.
The church also helped start the Emergency Shelter Partnership. This program works with other local churches and synagogues. Together, they provide shelter for homeless guests during the cold winter months.
The current minister of the church is the Rev. Carol Howard Merritt[Usurped!].
