The Media Reports on the Old First Sanctuary Restoration

The Media Reports on the Old First Sanctuary Restoration

The media showed great interest in our restoration story. Read some of their reporting below, and we’ll keep you posted on further coverage! Fox News 5  Built nearly 130 years ago, the Old First Reformed Church in Park Slope, Brooklyn, has stood the test of time. “It’s unique in that it has the longest history in the city of Brooklyn, 1654, founded by the Dutch government,” Pastor Daniel Meeter […]

Old First to be featured on June 16 Untapped Cities Insiders tour

Old First to be featured on June 16 Untapped Cities Insiders tour

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 […]

May 18-19: Sacred Sites Open House and A Celebration of Arts at Old First

May 18-19: Sacred Sites Open House and A Celebration of Arts at Old First

Join us Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19 as we participate in the New York Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites Open House and celebrate the reopening of our sanctuary with A Celebration of Arts at Old First. On Saturday, May 18, our sanctuary doors will be open from 10am to 5pm for the New York Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites Open House. We’ll welcome those touring sacred sites […]

We’ve Won The Sacred Sites Participation Award. Fundraising Committee Chair Wayne Adams On What Happens Now

We’ve Won The Sacred Sites Participation Award. Fundraising Committee Chair Wayne Adams On What Happens Now

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 […]

Artist Michael Reeves is Etching Our Sanctuary Ceiling Back To Its Original Splendor

Artist Michael Reeves is Etching Our Sanctuary Ceiling Back To Its Original Splendor

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 […]

Old First Wins The Ortner Preservation Award For Its Skillful Restoration

Old First Wins The Ortner Preservation Award For Its Skillful Restoration

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 […]

The Mystery and Wonder of our Old First Chandelier

The Mystery and Wonder of our Old First Chandelier

“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 […]