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Old Southeast Church (Brewster, New York)
Encyclopedia
The Old Southeast Church is located at the end of a short dirt road leading from NY 22
in the Town of Southeast, New York
, United States, a few miles north of the village of Brewster
. It is a wooden building formerly used by a Presbyterian congregation. Built in the late 18th century and later modified following a fire, it is the oldest house of worship in Putnam County
. Today many of its materials are intact but it is the subject of ongoing preservation
efforts.
It and a small one-room schoolhouse nearby are the few remaining buildings from the former hamlet of Doanesburgh, once the commercial center of eastern Putnam County. In 1972 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, the first property in the county to be so listed. It is currently owned by the Landmarks Preservation Society of Southeast and used occasionally as a cultural center.
building sided
in white clapboard
. It is regularly fenestrated
with 12-over-12 double-hung sash windows in all bays. The gable
d roof has a projecting steeple
on the west end, right over the main entrance.
That entrance leads to a vestibule
and then inside to the sanctuary
. It features wainscoting beneath the chair rail as well as paneling on the gallery parapet
, and painted and grained pew
s. The gallery and ceiling are supported by Doric
columns, and the original 19th-century light fixtures.
meeting house
was built to strict standards for such buildings, measuring 50 by with the entrance south of the pulpit
. Three decades later, in 1793, the congregation decided to expand again and was authorized to use as much or as little of the meetinghouse as necessary to build a newer building. It was completed the following year.
In 1830 the building was severely damaged in a fire
. When it was rebuilt, a number of alterations were made to both interior and exterior. The entrance was moved to its present location, the belfry built and the balcony
reoriented. Two brick chimneys were also dismantled and can be seen only from the inside.
At the time it was built, the church was in the middle of the hamlet of Doanesburgh, then the commercial center of eastern Putnam County. In the mid-19th century, the New York and Harlem Railroad
was built, connecting the region more directly to New York City
. It chose a route that bypassed Doanesburgh for the Great Swamp
, passing through Brewster, currently still in use as far north as Wassaic
by Metro-North
's Harlem Line. Brewster prospered and grew while Doanesburgh diminished, and the church and school are among the few remnants today.
New York State Route 22
New York State Route 22 is a north–south state highway in eastern New York in the United States. It runs parallel to the state's eastern edge from the outskirts of New York City to a short distance south of the Canadian border. At , it is the state's longest north–south route and...
in the Town of Southeast, New York
Southeast, New York
Southeast is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 17,316 at the 2000 census. The town is in the southeast part of the county. Interstate 84, Interstate 684, US Route 202, and US Route 6 pass through the town.- History :...
, United States, a few miles north of the village of Brewster
Brewster, New York
Brewster is a village within the town of Southeast in Putnam County, New York, United States. Its population was 2,162 at the 2000 census. The village is the most densely populated portion of the town...
. It is a wooden building formerly used by a Presbyterian congregation. Built in the late 18th century and later modified following a fire, it is the oldest house of worship in Putnam County
Putnam County, New York
Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...
. Today many of its materials are intact but it is the subject of ongoing preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
efforts.
It and a small one-room schoolhouse nearby are the few remaining buildings from the former hamlet of Doanesburgh, once the commercial center of eastern Putnam County. In 1972 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, the first property in the county to be so listed. It is currently owned by the Landmarks Preservation Society of Southeast and used occasionally as a cultural center.
Building
The church is a two-story, three-by-four-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
building sided
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
in white clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
. It is regularly fenestrated
Building envelope
The building envelope is the physical separator between the interior and the exterior environments of a building. Another emerging term is "Building Enclosure". It serves as the outer shell to help maintain the indoor environment and facilitate its climate control...
with 12-over-12 double-hung sash windows in all bays. The gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof has a projecting steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
on the west end, right over the main entrance.
That entrance leads to a vestibule
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
and then inside to the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
. It features wainscoting beneath the chair rail as well as paneling on the gallery parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
, and painted and grained pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s. The gallery and ceiling are supported by Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns, and the original 19th-century light fixtures.
History
The first church in the area was built of logs in the late 1730s. In 1761, a small frameFraming (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
meeting house
Meeting house
A meeting house describes a building where a public meeting takes place. This includes secular buildings which function like a town or city hall, and buildings used for religious meetings, particularly of some non-conformist Christian denominations....
was built to strict standards for such buildings, measuring 50 by with the entrance south of the pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
. Three decades later, in 1793, the congregation decided to expand again and was authorized to use as much or as little of the meetinghouse as necessary to build a newer building. It was completed the following year.
In 1830 the building was severely damaged in a fire
Structure fire
A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various residential buildings ranging from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments and tower blocks, or various commercial buildings ranging from offices to shopping malls...
. When it was rebuilt, a number of alterations were made to both interior and exterior. The entrance was moved to its present location, the belfry built and the balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
reoriented. Two brick chimneys were also dismantled and can be seen only from the inside.
New York and Harlem Railroad
The New York and Harlem Railroad was one of the first railroads in the United States, and possibly also the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between Lower Manhattan to and beyond Harlem...
was built, connecting the region more directly to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It chose a route that bypassed Doanesburgh for the Great Swamp
Great Swamp (New York)
The Great Swamp in eastern Putnam and Dutchess counties is one of the largest wetlands in the U.S. State of New York.-Geography and ecology:...
, passing through Brewster, currently still in use as far north as Wassaic
Wassaic, New York
Wassaic is a hamlet in the Town of Amenia, Dutchess County, New York in the United States.Wassaic is located in southeast New York State and surrounded by the East and West Mountains and along the Tenmile River....
by Metro-North
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
's Harlem Line. Brewster prospered and grew while Doanesburgh diminished, and the church and school are among the few remnants today.