On June 16, Old First will host an Untapped Cities Insiders tour for members of the tour company dedicated to unearthing New York City’s most unique and surprising places, stories and events. Untapped Cities tours are walking tours led by licensed NYC tour guides for visitors and New Yorkers alike who are curious about sights off the beaten path, with a strong focus on history […]
The sanctuary is back, and so are we! Nearly eight years is a long time to be away from such a magnificent space, but we tend to believe that things happen for a reason. So close but so far: fortunately, the Fellowship Hall was only a room (and a world) away; it is not to be underestimated. That modest room kept us together for a […]
This year, with your support, Old First completed the repair of our sanctuary ceiling, was awarded National Fund for Sacred Places designation, and fundraised $360,000 towards our restoration campaign. We are so grateful and thank you from the bottom of our hearts! If you’d still like to donate, click here. Your tax deductible gift, in any amount, will help insure that Old First can […]
As we near completion of Phase 1 of our sanctuary restoration, even more miracles are coming our way: The National Fund for Sacred Places has awarded Old First participation in its grant-making program, Partners for Sacred Places. This is in cooperation with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Between 2016 and 2020, the Partnership for Sacred Places is determined to award $10 million among 50 […]
You’ve probably seen Michael Reeves’ work if you’ve crossed the George Washington Bridge or rode toward the Lincoln Tunnel from Hoboken (he’s a commercial artist and a sign painter). However, if you want to see some of his crowning glories, simply look up while standing in our sanctuary. Actually, standing and looking up is what he has been doing every day for the last six […]
On March 1, 2018, the Park Slope Civic Council awarded Old First its Evelyn and Everett Ortner Preservation Award. The achievement: exterior restoration of the church, allowing it to remain a historic landmark in Park Slope. The award was presented to Pastor Daniel Meeter at another Park Slope landmark — the Old Stone House, located in Washington Park between 3rd and 4th Streets and 4th […]
“One of the contractors who put a bid on the ceiling restoration said to me, ‘this church has secrets still to be discovered.’” That quote from Pastor Daniel Meeter confirmed what we had suspected all along. Our sanctuary chandelier is as mysterious as it is beautiful, with a hazy, unclear past. “We don’t know who made it,” Pastor Meeter says. “We don’t know when it […]
“A few months ago, we did the stations of the Cross for St. Mary’s Church in Manchester, New Hampshire. We completely restored the old church and a couple of ladies walked in and started crying.” This from church restoration artist Marko Golubovic, who is in the process of bringing all of us at Old First to tears as well. His company, Milan Restoration, has been […]
The Old First Restoration Steering Committee is pleased to announce that we have selected Milan Church Restoration LLC to repair, clean, and paint the sanctuary ceiling. Milan is a New Jersey based firm that works exclusively with churches. They come highly recommended and are specialists in the work our sanctuary ceiling needs. Over the past week, the Milan crew erected scaffolding in the sanctuary and laid […]
You may have heard the old story that most native New Yorkers have never been to The Statue of Liberty. The punchline: the most iconic, breathtaking landmarks are often overlooked by the local gentry. Old First — Park Slope’s version of an iconic, breathtaking landmark — is opening its doors to those who may have not yet taken the time to be amazed by its awesomeness. […]