The oldest Protestant church in the United States is Manhattan's Marble Collegiate Church, founded in 1628. In 1769 the congregation moved into a new impressive location called North Church, on William Street in lower Manhattan. The 200-foot spire was one of the tallest structures in the city, and they used a bell cast in Amsterdam the previous year. In 1854 the church moved to it's current location on Fifth Avenue and 29th Street, an area which was still largely countryside. The 1769 bell is no longer rung but lives on, preserved behind a fence outside the church.
Fantastic piece of history.
ReplyDeleteI've probably said it in previous posts, but this is now the coolest thing that you've covered in this series. I'd love to be able to see the church, and the bell in person someday.
ReplyDelete