Grace Reformed Church stands as a testament to faith and community. Its origins trace back to 1856. A Sunday school for African American children started it all. It began in a small building nestled in the woods of what is now Prospect Park.
Two years later in 1858, the society was formally incorporated. It became the Society for the Amelioration of the Colored Population in Flatbush. This school hosted prayer meetings and temperance events. Funerals also took place there. In 1871, the school was given to the Dutch Reformed Church. Regular church services then began.
After several moves, the church settled at its current location in 1893. The Lefferts family donated the land. A decade later in 1903, Grace Chapel was organized. It became the independent Grace Reformed Church. The graceful building features Tiffany stained glass windows. These too were donated by the Lefferts family.
The Sunday school building was designed by George L Morse. It faces Bedford Avenue. The church is within the Prospect Lefferts Gardens Historic District. Grace Reformed Church has a rich history. It is deeply connected to its community.
Now let’s turn our attention to another Grace Church. This Grace Church is in Manhattan. It sits at a unique bend on Broadway and East Tenth Street. It seems to rise out of the street itself. This Grace Church marks the intersection of religion and high society. This was especially true during the Gilded Age.
Grace Church in Manhattan is an important Episcopal church. It formed in 1809 in lower Manhattan. It was literally next door to Trinity Church. As society moved uptown, so did Grace. It made its home on land once occupied by Henry Brevoort’s apple orchard.
Grace Church became one of the most fashionable churches in New York City. This lasted for several decades in the 19th century. Many famous names of the Gilded Age were members here. The fashionable weddings and funerals drew thousands of onlookers. Some ceremonies were as raucous as rock concerts.
But beyond the fashion, Grace Church created a deep spiritual connection. This connection with the surrounding community continues to this day. This Grace Church is a landmark parish. It offers regular services and holiday music events.
Grace Church in Manhattan was initially organized in 1808. It was at Broadway and Rector Street. This is the current site of the Empire Building. Under Rector Thomas House Taylor, the church moved uptown. This was in response to the city’s expanding population.
In 1843, the land was purchased from Henry Brevoort. James Renwick Jr was commissioned as the architect. He was 25 years old. His only completed work at the time was the Bowling Green Fountain.
The cornerstone for the new Grace Church was laid in 1843. The church was consecrated in 1846. It was designed in the French Gothic Revival style. Sing Sing marble was used for the exterior. Vestry minutes detail the expenses. They include the cost of workers from Sing Sing state prison who cut the stone. They also include the cost of embroidery for the altar cloth.
Originally, the church had a wooden spire. It was replaced in 1881 with a marble spire. Renwick also designed this. The interior is primarily constructed from lath and plaster.
The east window over the high altar dominates the chancel. It is a Te Deum window. The theme is praise. Figures represent prophets and apostles. They also represent martyrs and all the world. They raise their faces toward Christ. Other windows are by Henry Holiday.
The reredos features mosaic figures of the evangelists. It is made of French and Italian Marble and Caen stone. It shows Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They flank the Risen Christ. He gives the great commission.
For a generation after it was built, Grace Church was the most fashionable church in New York. To be married or buried within its walls was the height of felicity.
Like Trinity and the First Presbyterian Church, Grace Church spun off new congregations. It did this by building chapels elsewhere in the city. Grace Church School was organized in 1894. It was the first place where choir boys could receive formal training.
Grace Church offers a full schedule of prayer and Eucharist services. It also provides social services. It is thought to have provided the first day-care center in New York City. The church is known for its Choir of Men and Boys. It also has a rich musical program.