Before you stands Zion Gate Church. What if I told you its history is deeply intertwined with themes of community, faith, and a reckoning with the past?
Zion Gate Church stands as a testament to time. It also stands as a symbol of evolving values.
Let’s step back to 1827. Wynant Van Zandt, a local landowner, pledged land for a new church. His neighbors pledged funds for its construction and a Sunday school. By 1829, the community gathered to raise the frame. Imagine a long table stretching half a block after a hard day’s work. Everyone shared a meal symbolizing unity. This vision of Zion as one long table became central to the church’s identity. It represents an inclusive community.
Zion’s doors opened for worship on July 30 1830. Bishop John Henry Hobart consecrated it. For generations, people found nourishment in the Word of God and Holy Eucharist. They were baptized and confirmed. They grew up in faith and celebrated marriages. They were eventually committed to the ground. Zion became a place of vibrant spiritual life. One member described it as “like having another family.”
Rev. Henry Beare served as Zion’s rector for almost 50 years. He made nearly 300 pastoral visits to Little Neck and Douglaston. Zion hosted nearly 200 Strawberry Festivals. Youth and adult choirs rehearsed here. The parish hall staged hundreds of community theater productions.
However, Zion’s history also holds painful truths. The church is grappling with the fact that many founding families enslaved people. This contradicts the ideal of the common table. These enslaved individuals were denied basic human dignity. Zion acknowledged this legacy and dedicated a memorial on November 2 2023 to the children of God enslaved by founding families.
Slavery was legal in New York until 1827. It wasn’t fully abolished until 1841. Wynant Maria Van Zandt and his wife Maria enslaved at least four people. Charles, Elsy, Cesar, and Margaret Pine were given to them. These children served the Van Zandts in Manhattan and Douglaston. Research revealed that 12 of the 18 signatories to Zion’s articles of incorporation had enslaved people. It is estimated that Zion’s founding families enslaved at least 43 people.
Elsy married Cato Bates in 1813. She was later freed by Wynant Van Zandt. She and Cato settled in Jamaica. They became active in the Black community. Cato fought for Black people’s right to vote.
Margaret Pine’s story is more complex. She refused manumission. She understood the vulnerability of a free Black woman alone. Instead, she remained with the Van Zandt family. She obtained a letter confirming her status as Wynant’s property. This allowed her to work independently in Manhattan. She was identified as “The Last Slave in New York” on her headstone.
Zion also acknowledges its relationship with the Matinecock people. The church was built on their ancestral land. Charles Waters, a Matinecock man, served on Zion’s vestry. He later became warden. In 1931, New York City desecrated a Matinecock burial ground nearby. The remains were reinterred in Zion’s churchyard. A memorial was erected. It reads “Here lies the last of the Matinecock.”
Zion’s churchyard tells many stories. It includes a labyrinth open to the public. It also includes the graves of faithful parishioners. Many early settlers are buried here. Also the Matinecock ancestors.
Here lies Bloodgood Haviland Cutter. He remembered the raising of the original church. He donated land to expand the churchyard. Mark Twain called him the “poet lariat” of Little Neck.
Here also lies Mary Buhrman. Her family was associated with the general store and grist mill.
Zion Episcopal Church stands as a beacon of faith. It has been a witness to history. It is committed to inclusivity and reconciliation. It continues to evolve.