“Landmark this place.” That’s what you might be saying after hearing the story of DeWitt Reformed Church. This church stands at 280 Rivington Street. It holds a unique and often overlooked place in New York City’s history.
DeWitt Reformed Church is more than just a building. It represents a legacy of resilience and progress. The church sits where Rivington Street meets Columbia Street. This location has a history tied to the very foundations of New York.
Let’s journey back to the 17th century. Slaveowners brought enslaved people to the Lower East Side. They forced them to create a road along a Native American trail. This road became Columbia Street. It led to the plantation of Director General Peter Stuyvesant.
Imagine three plantations stretching from the Smith Houses to E. 23rd Street. These plantations relied on the labor of enslaved people. Stuyvesant’s arrival marked the beginning of a full-scale takeover of Manhattan. He forced enslaved people to build a road to his estate.
At the intersection of Columbia and Rivington Streets, a small mission emerged. This mission played a vital role in the lives of early Africans in the area. This mission was the origin of DeWitt Reformed Church. It served the needs of the poor. Slave quarters were reported along the East River shore in 1639.
Belgian Huguenot settlers founded the mission in 1624. Originally, it stood where the Masaryk Towers shopping plaza is today. Fire destroyed that structure. It was then relocated across the street to its current location. DeWitt Reformed Church was the first Protestant church on NYC public housing grounds.
The mission stood at the nexus of three major plantations. It was near a “low-level, back-alley slave road” to Stuyvesant’s plantation. The first baptism of a black child occurred here. The first recorded marriages between “retired” black couples also took place at this mission. This evolved into the present-day DeWitt Reformed Church.
The current building dates back to 1956-57. The original 1881 church, designed by J. Cleaveland Cady, was weakened by nearby construction. Edgar Tafel designed the new church. He chose brick to complement the adjacent public housing towers. Many of the bricks are second-hand, recovered from demolished buildings. Tafel preferred used brick. The wooden cross in front of the stained glass window came from the NYC Mission Society’s upstate campground.
Preserving DeWitt Reformed Church means recognizing the history of slavery and oppression. It acknowledges the forced contributions of black people on Manhattan Island. Very few structures utilized by early Africans in this country are recognized.
Recognizing this church enriches the community. It boosts the economy through tourism. It reflects well on the Lower East Side. Every step you take here exudes generations of history.
So, as you stand before DeWitt Reformed Church, remember its significance. It is a testament to resilience, progress, and the enduring spirit of a community. It deserves to be landmarked. It deserves to be remembered.