The
Dutch Reformed Church is one of the most prominent
architectural landmarks in
Newburgh,
New York. It was designed by
Alexander Jackson Davis in 1835 in the
Greek Revival style common in America in that time period. It is his only surviving
church in that style and is considered to be his latest building still standing that largely reflects his original vision. It is located at 132 Grand Street, just north of the
Newburgh Free Library.
Its historical importance comes from not just over a century of use as church, but its centrality in the struggle by modern
preservationists to save and restore the city's many landmark buildings. Today it is a
National Historic Landmark. It was almost razed in the late 1960s, and even today is far from completely restored.
Description and site
The church is 50 feet (15 m) wide and high, and 100 feet (30.5 m) long. The four front
Ionic order columns are 37 feet (12 m) high (the
capitals have been removed for safety considerations at the moment). It sits on a bluff 250 feet (76 m) above the
Hudson River, a few blocks away.October 17, 1835; "A Description of the Dutch Reformed Church Now Erecting in the Village of Newburgh";
Newburgh Gazette; as cited in Krattinger, William; April 10, 2003; , retrieved...
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