First Presbyterian Church (Batavia, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Batavia First Presbyterian |
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North elevation and west profile of original church, 2009
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Presbyterian |
| Leadership | Pastor Roula Alkhouri |
| Location | |
| Location | Batavia, NY, USA |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Groundbreaking | 1854 |
| Completed | 1855 |
| Construction cost | $35,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | north |
| Materials | stone |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | December 6, 2004 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 04001339 |
| Website | |
| First Presbyterian Church of Batavia, N.Y. | |
The First Presbyterian Church in Batavia, New York, is a very old and important building. It stands at the corner of East Main and Liberty streets. This church is actually a group of buildings joined together. The main part, called the sanctuary, is made of limestone. It was built in the mid-1800s in a style called Gothic Revival.
This church was the very first one started in Batavia. It began as a different type of church, called a Congregationalist group. Over many years, the church buildings were changed and made bigger. These changes showed how church styles in America were changing. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. This means it's a special building worth protecting.
Contents
Exploring the Church Buildings
The church sits on a large piece of land, about 1.2 acres. It's on the southeast corner of a busy intersection. Next to the church, there are other old houses and another church building. Across the street, you can see more churches and shops.
Outside the Church
The main church building has three parts that are now connected. The oldest part is at the front, facing East Main Street. It's made of rough-cut limestone blocks with smooth stone details. It has a low, pointed roof covered in wood shingles. A square bell tower rises from the roof.
Just behind this, there's a lower section called the Sunday school wing. It's also made of limestone. A two-story connecting part links it to the Memorial Service Building. This last building is made of wood and has a high, sloped roof with wide edges.
The front of the church has strong corner supports called buttresses. The main doors are made of heavy wood and have pointed arches. They have special stained glass panels. Above the main entrance, there's a tall, pointed Gothic window. The bell tower has four levels, each marked by smooth stone bands. It has different types of windows, including pointed-arch ones and louvered windows.
The sides of the church have one pointed-arch window in each section, separated by buttresses. The Sunday school wing has large Gothic windows. The Memorial Service Building has wide shingle siding and big three-part windows.
Inside the Church
The sanctuary, which is the main worship area, has two sections of pews. These are separated by a wide aisle down the middle. A curved balcony is at the front, supported by iron columns. A glass screen creates a small entry area called a narthex.
At the back of the sanctuary, there's a raised platform with a pulpit and a stand for reading. A special curtain hangs behind the Communion table. On either side, there are places for the choir. The stained glass windows have geometric patterns. They also have diagonal stripes and floral designs in yellow or pink.
A door in the corner leads to the Sunday school wing. This area has a two-story open space, like an atrium. Stairs lead to the upper level. The walls are mostly plaster with dark-stained wood trim. Small classrooms are on the sides of both levels. In the middle of the ceiling, there's a large round light with stained glass. The classroom windows have colored glass, while office windows are clear.
The connecting part between the buildings has entrances on both sides. The Memorial Service Building has three main areas. One side has a lounge and meeting room. Another part has a multi-purpose room with serving counters and a kitchen. The rest of the space has offices and restrooms. These areas also have plaster walls and stained wood.
Church History
The First Presbyterian Church was the first church to be started in Batavia. It began in 1809 as the First Congregational Society. Nine years later, in 1818, it became a Presbyterian church. However, this name change was not officially recorded for a long time. This caused a problem in 1853 when the church wanted to sell its old property to move into the new building. The property was still in the old name! The state government had to pass a special law to fix this.
We don't know who designed the current church building. It might have been the builder. In the mid-1800s, the Gothic Revival style became popular for new churches. This style used pointed arches and strong, solid shapes. Even churches that had simpler worship styles started using Gothic Revival designs. The First Presbyterian Church shows this on the outside with its pointed arches and different roof shapes. But inside, it has an open space with a platform, which was good for long sermons.
Building the church cost $35,000. This was much more than they planned! To decorate the inside, the women of the church raised $675. At first, the steeple was made of wood to save money.
The first church services were held in November 1855. The church was officially dedicated the next spring. But just a year later, a big snowstorm knocked down the original wooden steeple. The bell was not damaged. A new stone steeple was built, as originally planned. A new church member, John Fisher, paid for it. He later became a member of Congress.
The church building was big enough until 1882. That's when the first part of the Sunday school wing was added to the back. Six years later, in 1888, a balcony was added to the sanctuary. This was needed because more people were joining the church.
In 1908, the Sunday school wing was made twice as big. It was changed to have a two-story open area with classrooms around it. This was a popular design at the time. It allowed children to learn the same Bible lessons as their parents, but in a way that was better for their age. Then they could discuss it together.
After World War I, the last part of the church complex was built. This was the Memorial Service Building. It was built in the Arts and Crafts style, which was popular then. This style was often used for buildings like YMCAs.
In 1923, a new pipe organ was put in. This led to the first changes inside the sanctuary. The old organ was small and on one side. The new, bigger organ needed pipes on both sides of the platform. More space was also made for the choir. These changes showed that music was becoming a more important part of the church service.
In 1928, the church had its largest number of members, with 1,485 people. The last big change to the sanctuary happened in 1954. This was a step towards more formal services. Pulpits and lecterns were added on both sides of the platform. The choir pews were moved behind them. The old window design behind the platform was replaced with a new rose window. The original box-shaped pews were replaced with the open oak pews you see today.
Near the end of the 1900s, the church started several updates. A big renovation project began in 1994 and finished in 1998. In 2003, the bell tower was renovated for a year. The current pastor, Roula Alkhouri, is the first Syrian woman to become a Presbyterian minister. Under her leadership, the church is planning for future improvements.
See also
