_Page_
Henry Rutgers 12
The Rutgers Mansion 15
Rutgers Tablet 17
Nathan Hale Statue 19
First Presidential Mansion 20
Tablet in Church Vestibule 22
Philip Milledoler 23
North Dutch Church 24
Isaac Ferris 28
Organ 29
Old Lecture Room Pulpit 30
Theodore L. Cuyler at Market Street 34
Theodore L. Cuyler later 35
Pew 41
Bell 46
Sailors' Home 50
52 Market Street 51
Hanson K. Corning 52
Edward Hopper 56
Communion Service 58
Christian A. Borella 61
Andrew Beattie 68
Old Sunday School Room 69
Alexander W. Sproull 71
Col. Robert G. Shaw 72
Kindergarten 73
Old Church Flag 78
John Hopkins Denison 81
Tower Study 82
52 Henry Street 83
Fresh Air Children 84
New Church Flag 87
John Denham 91
Old 61 Henry Street 94
New 61 Henry Street 95
Staten Island House when bought 96
Staten Island House renovated 97
Kitchen for Cooking Classes 99
Pulpit 104
Back of Pulpit 107
I
If there be one thing certain about New York it is that nothing remains
unchanged. Not only do public works like the bridges change the face of
things, but private activity effaces great structures to build up still
greater ones. This march of progress is as relentless as a modern army,
levelling all before it.
In other lands churches have been spared tho other buildings went down,
but even these in New York have disappeared, whole districts being
deliberately deserted because churches were no longer able to maintain
themselves there financially. This is especially true of the great
down-town section of Manhattan, the Old New York, in which only two
churches remain that have stood unchanged for a century. Trinity church
let old St. John's go, and sixty churches have disappeared in forty
years on the lower East Side alone. We lose much when old landmarks go,
when we can not make history more vivid for our children by pointing out
where the great men of another day worshipt, men of a day when other
public assemblies were rare, and the church was the center that radiated
influence. The old building is of value because of the living beings
associated with it that were the life of the community.
New York has hardly appreciated what its great families have meant for
it in the past. The members of the Rutgers family, for instance, always
had a noble share in the day and generation in which they lived. Their
ancestor came over in the early days from Holland, spent some time about
Albany, and then came to New York, branching out till Rutgers bouweries
and Rutgers breweries were found in more than one place.
A Rutgers was on the jury in the great Zenger trial that establisht
the freedom of the colonial press,--"the germ of American freedom."
The Rutgers were Sons of Liberty and the Rutgers farm near Golden Hill
was one of their meeting places. A Rutgers was a member of the New York
Provincial Congress and also of the Stamp Act Congress. Alexander
Hamilton was engaged in a famous case when a Rutgers defended herself
against a Tory who had taken possession of her property during the
Revolution.
It was a Rutgers who drained the marshes west of the old Collect Pond
and so laid the foundations for the Lispenard fortunes: a Lispenard
married a fair daughter of his neighbor Rutgers. That stream still runs
into the Broadway Subway at Canal Street apparently uncontrollable.
One Rutgers fell in the Battle of Long Island, and while the old father
died in Albany, the British revenged themselves on the younger brother
by making a hospital of his fine house in New York. The owner kept on
fighting for freedom during the whole Revolutionary War, distinguishing
himself at White Plains.
[Illustration: Henry Rutgers]
This was Henry Rutgers, in whom culminated many of the finest
characteristics of a noble ancestry. His breadth of view in an age not
quite so broad, is well shown in his attitude towards churches and
schools. When he decided to open up his farm in the Seventh Ward for
building purposes he gave land at Oliver and Henry Streets, at Market
and Henry Streets and at Rutgers and Henry Streets for churches, and
there was more for the asking, tho only the Baptists, the Dutch Reformed
and the Presbyterians took advantage of the offer. The Rutgers Street
site became the birthplace of the Rutgers Presbyterian church, beginning
May 13, 1798, in a frame building 36x64. In 1841 the present stone
church was built, and in 1862, as did others, this organization moved
uptown. A Mr. Briggs, who was holding the property for a Protestant
denomination, finally tired of waiting and sold the building to the
Roman Catholic church, in whose hands it remains.
In 1806 Rutgers gave the land for the second free school, and he
succeeded Governor Clinton in 1828 as president of the Free School
Society. Before that day education was not a state matter, but left to
private enterprise, and the free schools then establisht were for the
poor. Rutgers more than once paid salaries and other school bills out
of his own pocket. He was a Regent of the University of the State of
New York for twenty-four years, and a Trustee of Princeton.
Rutgers was not above mixing in with the political life of his time: he
was a member of the legislature four times and took a prominent part in
the election of Thomas Jefferson as President of the United States.
In 1811 he raised funds for the first Tammany Hall, then a benevolent
organization.
During the War of 1812, Rutgers presided at a large mass meeting calling
for the defense of New York when the port was blockaded and it seemed as
if the British would attack it. He was a large contributor to the fund
from which forts were hurriedly erected to keep the enemy out.
Rutgers was a member of a committee of correspondence formed in 1819 to
check slavery. He lived to see the day, in 1827, when slavery was
abolisht in New York State.
His services to the Dutch church and his munificence brought about a
change of name of the college at New Brunswick from Queens to Rutgers
College. It is true the sum given was only $5,000 and Rutgers was one of
the richest men in New York. In our day when only billions seem to count
we may well hark back to the days of simpler things.
For many years Henry Rutgers gave a cake and a book to every boy who
called on him on New Year's Day. The children gathered about his door
and he made an address "of a religious character."
[Illustration: Rutgers Mansion]
Colonel Rutgers lived in "a large, superbly furnished mansion," on
Rutgers Place, "for many years a capitol of fashion, where met all the
leaders of the day." Here was given "the most notable reception of the
time to General Washington and Colonel Willett," after the latter's
return from his mission to the Creek Indians, the most powerful
confederacy then on our borders. Here, also, in 1824, Lafayette was
entertained "like a prince," so the great Frenchman said.
The house was built in 1755 by the Colonel's father, with brick brought
from Holland. It stood on Monroe Street till 1865. But it was none too
fine for the owner to give his fences for firewood one hard winter when
fuel was scarce and trees in the streets were cut down to burn. Next
summer the Rutgers orchard was said to have been safer than if the fence
had been there.
"The well-beloved citizen" died February 17, 1830, in the mansion in
which he had lived nearly eighty years. On February 28, a great memorial
service was held in the Market Street church. Dr. McMurray, the pastor,
whose tablet is opposite that of Rutgers in the church, preached the
sermon, which was printed later, speaking of his "unimpeachable moral
character, his uniform consistency," and saying that there was "scarcely
a benevolent object or humane institution which he had not liberally
assisted." Colonel Rutgers spent one-fourth of his income in charity,
many of his benevolences being personal, gifts not only of money, but
advice and sympathy.
[Illustration: Rutgers Tablet]
Rutgers was a bachelor and on his death the bulk of his estate, over
$900,000, went to the grandson of his sister Catherine, William B.
Crosby. "Uncle Rutgers" had virtually adopted the boy when early left an
orphan. Among the provisions of the Rutgers will was one that bespoke
the testator: Hannah, a superannuated negress, was to be supported by
the estate for the rest of her life. This while slavery was still legal
in 1823.
William B. Crosby was a colonel in the War of 1812. He died March 18,
1865. A son of his was Howard Crosby, more than a generation ago one
of the best-known preachers of New York, a man great physically and
spiritually. He was moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly and
one of the revisers of the Bible. He died in 1891. Another Crosby was
in the State Legislature.
The direct line of the Rutgers family died out, but they were intermarried
with about every prominent family of the city. The daughters were more
numerous than the sons and appear to have had a reputation for good
looks and good works. They were the wives of rectors, bishops,
postmasters, mayors, secretaries of state, judges, and so on.
On November 25, 1816, Rutgers had deeded five lots for a Dutch Reformed
church.
The neighborhood in which the Market Street church was to be located was
redolent with historic associations. The British provost marshal hung
Nathan Hale on "an apple tree in the Rutgers orchard," the exact spot
adjoining the church property. Nearby on Cherry Hill, in the Franklin
House, the first President of the United States lived for a time, as did
John Hancock and members of Washington's cabinet on the inauguration of
the Federal Government.
In the immediate vicinity was the Walton House, referred to in
parliament as so richly furnished that the colonies needed no relief
from taxation.
[Illustration: Nathan Hale Statue]
Close by the church lands, on July 27, 1790, Rutgers on his own grounds
paraded the militia before President Washington, Governor Clinton and
visiting Indian chiefs, and thereafter he was Colonel Rutgers. Gilbert
Stuart painted Washington's portrait at that time and it was a prized
possession in the Rutgers mansion.
Just north on the Bowery was the old Bull's Head Tavern, "the last stop
before entering town." On the evacuation of New York, Washington and his
officers rested here before re-occupying the city. In connection with it
the Astor fortunes were laid, and Astor was not very popular with the
other butchers either, because of his business methods.
In Cherry Street a hundred years ago a sea captain and his wife made
the first American flag of the present type: thirteen stripes and an
ever-expanding starry field.
[Illustration: First Presidential Mansion]
At the foot of Pike Street,--the river then was nearer the church than
now,--Robert Fulton built his first steamboat in 1807, and in May, 1819,
just one hundred years ago, the Savannah docked in the same place, after
the first steamboat trip across the ocean, made in twenty-two days.
Not quite so pleasant a memory is the fact that Market Street was the
new name for George Street, of not very favorable repute, until the
quiet Quakers built fine little houses there, surrounded by gardens,
driving out denizens of a less sedate disposition.
A fine story is told of an old lady, who was advised not to go to the
Market Street church because of the neighborhood it was in. She replied
that Colonel Rutgers was going there "and where Colonel Rutgers goes any
lady can go."
In 1819 wolves were still killed on the "outskirts," that being the
present Gramercy Park.
After the establishment of the Franklin Street church in 1807, no
further attempt was made by the Dutch church to extend its work until in
1817 the offer made by Henry Rutgers was taken up. About the same time
the Houston Street and Broome Street churches were added.
[Illustration: Tablet in Church Vestibule]
+-----------------------------------------------------+
| FOUNDED _A. D._ 1817, |
| |
| Completed & Dedicated to the Worship |
| of Almighty God, the 27th _day of June |
| A. D._ 1819: |
| |
| _on ground generously presented for the Site of a_ |
| |
| _REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH by |
| Col. HENRY RUTGERS;_ |
| |
| to the Rev. Philip Milledoler, D.D., the Rev. James |
| M. Matthews, Peter Wilson, LL.D., Isaac Heyer, |
| Matthias Bruen, Peter Sharpe, and William |
| B. Crosby, _Trustees_; |
| |
| _Under whose Superintendence it was erected._ |
+-----------------------------------------------------+
To make the Market Street building possible Rutgers gave a large sum,
and he named the trustees "under whose superintendence" the building
was to be erected. They were a noble group:
Rev. Philip Milledoler, D.D.; Rev. James M. Matthews, Peter Wilson,
LL.D.; Isaac Heyer, Matthias Bruen, Peter Sharpe and William B. Crosby.
Dr. Milledoler was one of the great men of the time. He was born in
Rhinebeck, September 22, 1775, and educated in Edinburgh. He was one of
the founders of the American Bible Society, and Secretary of the Board
of Trustees of the Presbyterian Church. In November, 1803, he became
colleague pastor of the First Collegiate church, and in April, 1809, on
division by Presbytery, sole pastor of the Rutgers Presbyterian church.
He remained here until 1813, when he entered the Reformed Church. He was
president of Rutgers College from 1823 to 1841.
Rev. James Macfarlane Matthews was professor "in the first theological
seminary of which New York could boast." It was considered Scotch
Presbyterian.
[Illustration: Philip Milledoler]
Dr. Peter Wilson was professor of languages in the university, as was
also Isaac Heyer.