Blooming Grove United Church of Christ facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Blooming Grove Church
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Church in 2007
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | W side of NY 94, jct. with Old Dominion Rd., Blooming Grove, New York |
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| Nearest city | Newburgh |
| Built | 1824 |
| Architect | Joseph Cromwell |
| Architectural style | Federal style |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001434 |
| Added to NRHP | December 06, 1996 |
The Blooming Grove United Church of Christ, often called just Blooming Grove Church, is a historic building in Blooming Grove, New York. It stands where Old Dominion Road meets NY 94. This church is located between the villages of Chester and Washingtonville in Orange County, New York. It is a simple white building built in the Federal style. What makes it special is that it does not have a tall steeple or a small tower called a cupola, which many churches usually have.
History
Early Days of the Church
The church started in 1758 as a Presbyterian group of worshippers. They had enough members to buy land for their first meetinghouse the next year. We do not know the exact spot of this first building. The church continued to grow, and by 1823, they needed more space.
Building a New Church
Instead of making the old building bigger, the members decided to sell it. They used the money to buy new land for a brand new church. Soon after, the old building was taken down. Only some of its inside wooden parts were saved.
Building the new church was paid for by people buying pews, which are the long benches in a church. This made them like partners in the church. The new building was designed by an architect named Joseph Cromwell. It was 75 feet (23 meters) long and 63 feet (19 meters) wide. It had a floor that sloped and box pews. There was also a gallery, which is like a balcony, behind the pulpit, where the speaker stands.
The builders used a special way to support the roof called the king and queen post method. This meant the main worship area, called the sanctuary, was completely open. There were no pillars or columns inside to block anyone's view of the pulpit. Special seating areas were also included for all members of the community. A local plasterer finished the walls with a unique putty-like look. The church was completed and opened in 1824.
Changes Over Time
About ten years later, the church group left the Presbyterian faith. This happened after their pastor, James Arbuckle, faced a trial for his beliefs. The church then became a Congregational church, but it did not officially change its name until 1871.
The biggest change inside the church happened in 1902. A local businessman named David Moffat bought a pipe organ for the church. He did this to honor his father, who had been the choirmaster there. Adding the organ caused a lot of discussion among the church members. One member even tried to sue the church because his family's pew would need to be moved. However, he later dropped the lawsuit.
In 1919, after World War I, the church added a beautiful stained glass window. It was called the "Service Window" and honored people from Blooming Grove who had served in the military. Charles S. Whitman, who was the governor of New York at the time, came to the church to speak at the special dedication ceremony.
The church became part of its current denomination in 1957. This happened when the Congregational Christian Churches joined with the Evangelical and Reformed Church. Together, they formed the United Church of Christ. In 1996, the church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This made it the first and, so far, only building in the town of Blooming Grove to be on this important list.
