50 Oldest Churches of NYC: Grace Church

Posted on by Thor

Grace Church was initially organized in 1808 at Broadway and Rector Street, on the current site of the Empire State Building. Under rector Thomas House Taylor, who began service at the church in 1834, the decision was made to move the church uptown with the city’s expanding population. A site was chosen and property was purchased in what was then an apple orchard owned by Henry Brevoort, Jr. at Broadway between Tenth and Eleventh Streets.

James Renwick, Jr. who designed the new church building had no experience designing churches, instead instead he had a family background full of talent and influence, and family members on the church’s Vestry.

The rector, toured Europe extensively looking at church designs around the continent. He returned energized and adamant that the new church would be in the Gothic style. Renwick poured himself into the project and delivered. The new building was consecrated on March 7, 1846.

The windows were of the original building were of lightly tinted glass, not the majestic stained glass windows of today. The original steeple was made of wood, not marble; a marble steeple was eventually added in 1883. In 1879, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe donated funds for the building of the Chantry, a small chapel to be used as a Sunday School; she also provided the funds for the parish house situated between the Church and the Rectory. Her greatest gift was the Te Deum window, a soaring stained glass masterpiece that replaced the original East Window. It was her generosity that inspired other parishioners to follow; within ten years, 36 of the 46 stained glass windows were given.

50 Oldest Churches of NYC: Reformed Dutch Church of Newton

Posted on by Thor

Reformed Dutch Church of Newton is a historic Reformed church in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens in New York City. The neighborhood had been established in 1652 by the Dutch as Middenburgh, a village suburb of New Amsterdam (today it is New York City).

In 1664, the village was renamed New Town, later simplified to Newtown. When Newtown was renamed Elmhurst in the late 1890s, the church retained its original name.

The church was first established by Dutch immigrants in 1731. The original Federal-Greek Revival style building, completed in 1735, had survived the struggles of the colonial days and the disruptions of the American Revolutionary War (during which the British seized it for use as an armory).

It was replaced in 1832 by the present Georgian-style sanctuary. It has been designated a New York City landmark. The cornerstone of the original building can still be seen in the foundation of its present structure. The bell tower contains the bell from the original 1731 church building. Adjoining the Church building to the north is a small cemetery filled with simple tombstones dating from the early years of the church’s history.

The sanctuary and adjoining fellowship hall are, as noted by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, “one of the few all wood church groups remaining in the City.”The Reformed Church of Newtown Complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The originally Dutch church now had services in English, Taiwanese, Tamil and Mandarin Chinese.

Henry IV Part 2: Poster Evolution

Posted on by Thor

The Henry IV Part 2 poster is meant to fit in with the designs set up for the Fire and Reign series, a seven Shakespeare production journey through history over three seasons covering the Rise of Henry V and the Wars of the Roses, from Richard II – Richard III.

The Bare Bard signature series was well established. I started my poster design journey simply by using sketches I had done of the prior production, Henry IV Part 1. The watercolor drawing done on location couldn’t be too far off from how the Part 2 production might look.

Center stage was a wooden tavern table that resembled any picnic table, with the plump Falsaf seated center stage. Being a watercolor it didn’t tie in well with the other art I painted for the season’s posters. My other thought was that Falsaf was rather small since I had sketched the entire set. When drawing on location I am always trying to capture as much of the scene as I can.


My next thought was to simply zoom in on the same sketch. This however was still too distant to the action at center stage. Jim Helsinger offered to get me photos from the production and that allowed me to piece together a more intricate panting with actual cast members. Philip Nolan as Sir John Falsaf,  Anne Hering as Mistress Quickly, and Brandon Roberts as Bardolph would all repeat their rolls in Part 2.

I looked a medieval manor interiors for the setting for the scene. Merriment and plenty of liquor were the theme for the final poster.

William Shakespeare was super-productive when the plague shut down his theaters.  In Shakespeare’s day the theater was the central hub of connectivity. Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis, Lucrece, Titus Andronicus, and Henry VI, Part 2 were all published in 1593 and 1594. Once Shakespeare’s theaters reopened, audiences returned to see the companies that survived. So Henry VI, Part 2 is a plague inspired production, now being presented during a lull in the pandemic.

Tickets range from $22 to $33. The play is a fun Shakespearean romp, I wouldn’t miss it. Tickets range from $22 to $33. The play runs through April 24, 2022.

Henry IV Part 2 at the Shakes

Posted on by Thor

Pam and I went to a dress rehearsal for Henry IV Part 2. This is part of Orlando Shakes’ Fire and Reign series, a seven Shakespeare production journey through history over three seasons covering the Rise of Henry V and the Wars of the Roses, from Richard II – Richard III.

“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” William Shakespeare’s story of burnt bridges and growing pains stripped is down to a lively, raw, rambunctious performance, like nothing you’ve experienced before. Orlando Shakes’ actors will tackle Henry IV, Part 2 with less than 40 hours of rehearsal, no designers, and no director – just like the acting companies of Shakespeare’s time!

Actors blocked out the scenes themselves and selected their own costumes. Ned Averill Snell as the Gower wore a Rolling Stones T Shirt along with his medieval costuming. Philip Nolen as Falstaf chose to wear a bright red Santa suit. Brandon Roberts as Bardolph wore light blue sneakers.

Prior to the official start of the run Benjamin Bonenfant as Prince Hal and Lauren Culver ran through some lines. They jostled and joked and surprised each other as they hastily rehearsed the scene. Laughter in the scene mixed mixed with the laughter of their surprising each other as they performed. There is a real joy in this sort of anything goes attitude that made for a very fun production.

Masks are optional at the Shakes. Thankfully all staff seated in the audience wore masks as did we, but actors who are tested regularly performed without masks. When Henry IV stood hacking up a lung for minutes at a time center stage, the performance seemed too convincing during a pandemic. Overall it was a delightful and fun performance. This play is less about war and more about the father son relationship as the young prince moves away from deadbeat, carousing friends, like Falstaf who steer him wrong.

50 Oldest Churches of NYC: Friends Meeting House

Posted on by Thor

The Flushing Friends Quaker Meeting House, also known as the Old Quaker Meeting House, is a historic Quaker house of worship located at 137-16 Northern Boulevard, in Flushing, Queens, New York.

It was designed by William Tubby, a prominent Brooklyn architect, to house the Brooklyn Friends School. Tubby was himself a Quaker and an early graduate of the school. The meeting house remains in regular use as a house of worship by the Brooklyn Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.

Built in 1694 by John Bowne and other early Quakers, the Old Quaker Meeting House is, by all known accounts, the oldest house of worship in New York State and the second oldest Quaker meeting house in the nation. Visitors to the Meeting House have included George Washington, John Woolman and William Penn.

It is a plain rectangular building erected on a frame of forty-foot oak timbers, each hand hewn from a single tree. The architectural interest of the building is derived mainly from its unusually steep hipped roof; the roof is almost as high as the two stories below it. This feature can be traced to the high steep roofs of medieval Holland.

The Meeting House housed the first school in Flushing. For 300 years, Flushing Meeting members have made history struggling against religious intolerance, slavery, injustice and violence. And here Flushing Meeting continues to work, hope, and pray for a peaceful, just world.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1967 and a New York City designated landmark in 1970.

50 Oldest Churches of NYC: Saint Luke in the Fields

Posted on by Thor

Saint Luke in the Fields, in Greenwich Village, 487 Hudson Street New York City, was founded in 1820 on farmland donated by Trinity Church, to accommodate the expansion of northward into Greenwich Village. The original church building was reminiscent of an English village church, with a square tower at one end, but made of brick and built in the Federal style.

The church was constructed in 1821-22 and has been attributed to both John Heath, the building contractor, and James N. Wells. The church complex cost $7,500 according to church records

The complex was laid out by Clement Clarke Moore, who would serve as the church’s first pastor. Clement Clarke Moore is most known for writing, Twas the Night Before Christmas. wrote “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Greenwich Village at the time was a sanctuary for people fleeing the yellow fever endemic disease of the city proper, and the name of the new parish  was Hughtchosen to evoke the pastoral quality of the area. “St. Luke’s” was chosen in honor of the patron saint of physicians, an evocation of the disease that catalyzed the church’s development.

On July 10, 1863, just five days before his 84th birthday, Clement Clarke Moore died in his summer home in Newport. His body was returned to New York during a time of tremendous upheaval. In March a strict federal draft law was enacted whereby every male citizen between 20 and 35 was subject to military duty for the Civil War. A lottery was established to select the draftees; but those who could afford the $300 waiver fee could avoid conscription. On the day after Moore’s death the first lottery was held. Two days later, when the working classes realized the inequity of the system, riots broke out. For five days no one was safe on the streets of New York as mobs murdered civilians and torched homes and businesses. Moore’s casket arrived in the city and was secretly moved through the streets to the churchyard behind St. Luke in the Field where it was quietly buried.

On October 26, 1865, just a few months after the end of the Civil War, Francis J. Lyon and Mary Imogene Greene were married in the church by Reverend J. H. Tuttle. The newlyweds boarded the steamer St. John for their honeymoon excursion. Three days later, at 7:00AM, the vessel’s boiler exploded. Both Francis and Mary were scalded to death. On Tuesday, October 31 just five days after their wedding, their coffins were carried into the church. The New York Times reported “the coverings being removed, the bodies were seen in their bridal attire.” The church was crowded with mourners. Rev. Tuttle the same clergyman who had officiated at the marriage ceremony officiated their final rights.

Within a few years of the church’s erection, houses were constructed along the sides of the church to obscure views of its burial ground and garden. Of the seven houses which once flanked the church on each side, a total of six remain.  In the late 1880s, when the surrounding neighborhood become predominantly poor and largely composed of immigrants the congregation moved north to West 141st Street, and St. Luke’s became a chapel of Trinity Church, only regaining its independence in 1976.

The church building was damaged by fire twice, in 1886 and on March 6, 1981. After the latter fire, which gutted the building, it was reconstructed by Hugh Hardy of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, who restored much of its original Federal style touches. The reconstruction was completed in 1985. Starting in the 1980s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic deeply affected the Village community, hitting the congregation hard. The AIDS Project of St. Luke’s was founded in 1987, providing Saturday dinner and weekend teas to tens of thousands of afflicted persons. One of the priests ministering to AIDS patients then was former actress Molly McGreevy. St. Luke’s is actively involved with the gay and lesbian community, participating with its own contingent at the annual Gay Pride March.

50 Oldest Churches of NYC: Galilee Baptist Church

Posted on by Thor

Built in 1850, this building at 447 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn New York, was modeled after an Italian villa. Its first resident was David H. Burdette, and the building was used as the Galilee Baptist Church at the time it was sketched in 1994. It was later abandoned. In 2007 it was converted into 4 rental apartments. The building is located in the Clinton Hill Historic District of Brooklyn New York.

“The Hill”, as the general area was known – with a maximum elevation of 95 feet was believed to have health benefits because many people believed that disease was more prevalent in low-lying areas. The area is named after Clinton Avenue, which in turn was named in honor of New York Governor DeWitt Clinton (1769–1828).

This building is only one of two buildings that are still standing from the early 1850s development of Clinton Hill. Most of the rest of the neighborhood was replaced with row houses after the Civil War in the 1860s and 1870s.

The renovation of 447 Clinton Avenue won a pair of prizes, the Clinton Hill Historic Society and Preservation Award and the Building Brooklyn Award. Rent for one of the apartments was $6000 per month in 2017.

50 Oldest Churches of NYC: North Baptist Church

Posted on by Thor

North Baptist Church, 130 Park Avenue at Vreeland in Staten Island, New York.

The church was organized in 1841 when fifty-three members of the Old Clove Baptist Church were granted letters of dismissal to establish a new society known as the North Baptist Church in Graniteville. That same year the society called Reverend J.T. Seeley to be their first pastor. In 1842 a church was erected on Gun Factory Road in Graniteville.

In the 1870s, the congregation built a new church on Park Avenue and Vreeland Street in Port Richmond. The Gothic Revival building featured a facade with two towers, the one at the corner being taller and surmounted by a tall steeple. That tall steeple has been vastly reduced in size.

The Park Baptist congregation disbanded or merged. The building is now home to Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church, which is part of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of the East in the United States.

Stealth Wave

Posted on by Thor

People don’t react to a wave they don’t see coming. In the North Eastern United States cases are once again beginning to rise this time because of the Stealth variant of Omicron called BA.2.

With 2 years of social distancing, masking, vaccination and hand washing you might think Americans would be ready to handle this next wave. However Americans are done with COVID-19. The vaccinated are done because the vaccines have indeed proven very effective at protecting against hospitalization and death. Getting the booster shot that is now being rolled out would also protect against infection the the upcoming months but not many are rushing out to get another booster.

With so many people now doing home tests instead of going to testing centers, it will be hard to see this new wave coming. I track hospitalizations as opposed of cases and thankfully they are relatively low after the huge spike in January of 2022. More Americans died from the Omicron that from the far more deadly Delta variant. Though less virulent, Omicron is so contagious that the incredible numbers of people infected still result in deaths.

England is experiencing the highest level of infections since the start of the pandemic and it is safe to say that America will experience a similar spike in the coming weeks. We are in the eye of the hurricane.

There’s no consensus among experts on exactly when waves begin or end, or how sharp or tall one must be to count. A wave will involve a sudden rise in cases form a baseline low. We are in that low right now. We are lucky in that cases are so low as BA.2 is taking over. With exponential growth the cases seem low for some time and then suddenly rise at alarming rates. No one can say for sure how alarming the next wave will be.

The fact is however that Americans have lifted most all restrictions and are going about life as normal as the tsunami wave quickly rushed towards the shore.

Human Porcupine

Posted on by Thor

A 60 year old German man allegedly got up to 90 vaccination shots in order to collect and sell forged vaccination cards with real vaccine batch numbers to people not wanting to get vaccinated themselves.

The man from the eastern German city of Magdeburg, whose name was not released in line with German privacy rules, kept getting  shots against COVID-19 at vaccination centers in the eastern state of Saxony for months until criminal police caught him this month, the German news agency dpa reported April 3, 2022.

He was caught at a vaccination center in Eilenburg in Saxony when he showed up for a COVID-19 shot for the second day in a row. Police confiscated several blank vaccination cards from him and initiated criminal proceedings. It wasn’t immediately clear what impact the approximately 90 shots of COVID-19 vaccines, which were from different brands, had on the man’s health.

Many COVID-19 deniers refuse to get vaccinated in Germany but at the same time want to have the coveted COVID-19 passports that make access to public life and venues such as restaurants, theaters, swimming pools or workplaces much easier.

Germany has seen high infection numbers for weeks, due to the BA.2 omicron sub variant, yet many measures to rein in the pandemic ended on April Fools day. Donning masks is no longer compulsory in grocery stores and most theaters but it is still mandatory on public transportation. In most schools in Germany, students also no longer have to wear masks, which has led teachers’ associations to warn of possible conflicts in class a masking set up  caste bullying system among the students.