The present day Reformed Dutch Church in Prattsville, New York, was the Society of Schoharie Kill when it began in 1798. For a few years church-goers in the little wilderness settlement on the Schoharie Creek met in a convenient house or barn. By 1804 they were thankful to congregate in their new meeting house which they had built on the spot where we are now, the western curve of Main Street, Route 23.
If Catherine Bird continued to live nearby, until the 1830's, she would have referred to "the new meeting house". By then members had again united to reconstruct the church which had been destroyed by fire. This is the structure we see today, changed in ways we shall discover, especially in 1971-2 when it was restored through the generosity of the O'Connor Foundation.
In Catherine's day church members expected to see the pastor only once in three weeks or so because he had other assignments in the surrounding countryside. With the distances and treacherous roads, traveling by horseback amounted to over 100 challenging miles round-trip for the dominie. (Dutch word for pastor)
Salaries were contributed by the various churches a pastor served. But encouraged and underwritten by tanner Zadock Pratt, our church installed its own pastor Reverend Hamilton VanDyke (1833) at $400.00 per year. He died in the pastorate April 26, 1836, at the age of 29 and is buried in the Benham-Pratt Cemetery, Maple Lane.
Farmers, tradesmen, craftsmen, professional people as well as many tanning workers were attracted to Prattsville, particularly in the years that the tannery was in full operation (1825-1845). Growing prosperity and concern for the material needs of a spiritual leader motivated financial support from the Reformed Church people. The Reformed Dutch Church, part of the Reformed Church in America, has survived for these 200 years, some years difficult especially those without a minister, and yet in all years rejoicing as members of God's household, witnessing to the Gospel of our Lord and praying to continue in the years to come.
The Building
As described
by a scholarly modern architect, this present church "exemplifies the Federal
style...the multi-tiered tower clearly signifies 'church' not 'meeting
house'.
The Federal style is identifiable in the oval window above the
central doorway and by the delicate segmental arch of the tower's third
stage...the Greek Revival Ionic columns (with scroll tops) flank the doorway at
the base of the tower...the broad pediment (triangular gable end and partly
obscured by the tower) is supported by corner pilasters (flattened columns)."
William B. Rhoads, Hudson Valley Regional Review, March 1997.
The sidewalks and the
horseblocks are the original blue flagstone. The driveway once went around
the church past carriage sheds in back before the Church Hall went up in the
1950's.
The lobby (narthex) has the "cross and open Bible" doors leading into the sanctuary, staircase, cloak room and bell rope for tower bell, (given by Pratt in 1858).
The sanctuary has colonial box pews and red carpeting (1970's) "12 by 12" panes (some original wavy) in 12 windows (16 outside), balcony in back with folding walls, four pillar for the balcony and two boxed pillars for the tower. The white walls as well as the furniture are of the simplest design, with plain moldings. The communion table is of an older date but the digital organ is our newest addition - 1n 1997. The kneeling step and barrier define the platform area. At the front left, the door leads to the Fellowship Hall used for Sunday School, meetings, social events, Head Start (since 1991) and Scouts.
front and back view of the Sanctuary
The 1830's illustration
below shows a dome and three front doors while the present building lacks the
dome and has only one door.
When these changes were made we don't
know.
But tradition says the ladies entered by one side door and sat on
that side of the sanctuary and the men used the other side.
The center
door was used by the pastor.
Thanks for visiting with our history!