Peekskill Presbyterian Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peekskill Presbyterian Church |
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South elevation, 2008
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Presbyterian |
| Leadership | Board of deacons, session of elders |
| Location | |
| Location | Peekskill, New York, US |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1846 |
| Completed | 1846 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 85 feet (26 m) |
| Width | 40 feet (12 m) |
| Materials | wood |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | December 4, 2002 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 02001400 |
The Peekskill Presbyterian Church is a very old church in Peekskill, New York. It was built in 1846. The church is designed in the Greek Revival style. This means it looks a bit like ancient Greek temples.
The church building was much bigger than the first one. The church group started meeting in 1799. They officially became a church in 1826. Over the years, the church has been updated. But it still looks a lot like it did when it was first built. The bell in the church is the original one from the late 1700s. In 2002, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historical buildings.
Contents
What the Church Property Looks Like
The church stands on a large piece of land. It is at the corner of South and Washington streets. The land goes uphill quite a bit from the street. There is a stone wall about four feet tall in front.
Right behind the church, on top of the hill, is the old Drum Hill High School. Across the street is the U.S. Post Office. Both of these buildings are also on the National Register of Historic Places. Because the church is on high ground, it has a great view. You can see the Hudson River and the mountains nearby.
The Church Building's Design
The church building is set back from South Street. It is a one-story building with white wooden siding. It has a stone base. The roof is shaped like a triangle, called a pediment. It is held up by four large columns at the corners.
In the middle of the front is a tall bell tower. It has an electric clock. There are four big windows on each side of the church. Two more windows are next to the main entrance. All the windows have decorative wood frames.
The bell tower has four parts. The first part is the main entrance. It has columns and a triangular top. The second part holds the clock. The third part has the bell. This part has the most fancy decorations. It has eight tall columns with triangular tops. The very top of the tower is an eight-sided spire with a weathervane.
At the back of the church, there is an addition. This makes the building shaped like a "T". There is also a newer, two-story part on the west side.
Inside the Church
The front door has fancy decorations. It leads into a small entry room called a vestibule. From here, stairs go up to a balcony. Other doors lead into the main worship room, called the sanctuary.
The sanctuary has a high, flat ceiling. The lower part of the walls has wood panels. The windows inside have their original decorative frames. They also have wooden shutters that can be closed.
Other Buildings and Cemetery
Besides the church, there is another building called the Fowler House. This house is used for church offices. It is a two-and-a-half-story building with white siding. It has a classic look with a projecting roof over the main door.
There is also a cemetery on the property. It is surrounded by an iron fence. The cemetery has many old gravestones. The newest ones are from the late 1800s. Both the Fowler House and the cemetery are important parts of the historic listing.
A Look Back at the Church's History
The church started meeting informally in 1799. They met in a smaller building on the same spot. The church bell was put in shortly after. It might have rung to mark the death of George Washington around that time. In 1826, the church was officially formed. It had 16 members, and 14 of them were women. The Peekskill church was one of the first to let women be church leaders.
Growing Pains and New Construction
By the 1840s, about 100 people came to Sunday services. This was more than three times the actual number of members. One regular visitor was a boy named Chauncey Depew. He later became a very important railroad president and a U.S. Senator. In 1841, nine members left to start a second Presbyterian church.
The original church was still too crowded. So, in 1846, the old building was replaced. The new building is the main part of the church you see today. The architect is unknown. The church's clock was paid for by people in the community. For many years, it was the main public clock for the village of Peekskill.
Changes and Additions Over Time
In 1858, a back addition was built. It had a small chapel and a lecture room. This area was mainly used for Sunday school. Peekskill's industries grew, and so did the church. In 1869, the two Presbyterian churches in Peekskill reunited.
The church made more changes in 1884. They rebuilt and expanded the lecture hall. In 1892, the main worship room was updated. The seating was changed, and an organ was added. Most of the furniture in the sanctuary, like the pews, are from this time. The Fowler House was given to the church in 1911.
The two Presbyterian churches finally merged in 1920. They sold the old Second Church property. This money helped pay for a new organ. It also paid for redecorating the main room. The choir area was moved. Columns similar to those outside were added. This made the sanctuary look as it does today.
The church used these facilities for many years. In 1964, they needed more space. So, the Christian Education Building was added to the south side. A special fund paid for a new electric clock in 1968. The old clock had stopped working. A new organ was put in place in 1971.
The Church Today
The Peekskill Presbyterian Church has become very involved in the community. In the late 1900s, it worked with other churches. They helped create Stuhr Gardens, which provides affordable homes. The church also runs a thrift shop. It hosts meetings for local Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups.
After the events of September 11, 2001, the church bell rang. This was the same bell that rang when George Washington died. It rang to remember the victims of the attacks.
See also
