Old Southeast Church (Brewster, New York)

The Old Southeast Church is a former, wooden church building a Presbyterian church, which is located on a dirt road, the 22 leads from the New York State Route in the Town of Southeast, New York, a few miles north of Brewster. The end of the 18th century, built and later rebuilt after a fire building is the oldest church building in Putnam County. The building is largely intact, and the subject of ongoing conservation efforts.

The church and a small schoolhouse near one of the few remnants of the former hamlet Doanesville. The building was founded in 1972 as the first object in Putnam County entered in the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the Landmarks Preservation Society of Southeast, which occasionally uses it to cultural events.

Building

The church is a two-story building with three to four bays, the facade of which are covered with white shingles. The windows are arranged regularly, in each yoke are Aufziehfenster. The gable roof rises at the western end of the projecting bell tower directly above the main entrance.

The entrance leads into a vestibule to the sanctuary of the church. The walls are paneled to the height of the rows of chairs, as well as the railing on the gallery, the church pews is painted and textured. The gallery and the ceiling will be of Doric columns, the lighting is original and dates from the 19th century.

History

The first church in the area was built in the late 1730s as a log cabin. A built in timber frame construction devotional house, which was built in 1761 according to the strict rules for such structures and 50 by 38 feet ( approximately 15.25 times 17.70 meters) measured, the entrance was located south of the pulpit. Some decades later, the congregation decided in 1793 to further enlargement. It was set required to integrate the existing building included in the new building. The new building was completed in 1794.

The building was severely damaged by a fire in 1830. In reconstruction changes were made both inside and on the external appearance of the church. The entrance was moved to its present position, the bell tower was built and realigned the balcony. Two brick fireplaces were also dismantled, the remains are still visible on the inside.

At the time of its construction, the church stood in the center of the hamlet Doanesville, at that time the commercial center of the eastern part of Putnam County. Middle of the 19th century was built the Harlem Valley Rail Road, which the region was directly associated with New York City. They chose a route that led past Doanesville and led by Brewster - the route is still used today to Wassaic by Metro-North Railroad. Brewster benefited from the railroad and grew, Doanesville However, there was backwards, and the church with the school are now among the few remnants.