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The former Dutch Reformed Church in Newburgh.

Background

The former Dutch Reformed Church in Newburgh, New York, is an outstanding Greek Revival building designed in 1835 by Alexander Jackson Davis.

The monumental structure borrows proportions, siting, and details from classical Greek precedents. Intended as a symbol of the community's enlightened taste, it commanded a dominant view over the Hudson. The DRC is "the greatest surviving ecclesiastical commission of America's greatest architect of the era" according to J. Winthrop Aldrich, former New York Deputy Commissioner of Historic Preservation.

Deconsecrated since 1967, the structure has suffered severely on the exterior, although the sweeping interior is remarkably well preserved. Long appreciated by architectural historians, the building was named a National Historic Landmark in 2001. In 2002, the Newburgh Preservation Association funded the building's Historic Structure Report, delivered April 2003. In the next year, foundations and drainage were repaired, and the first window was restored. In 2005 the DRC was named one of the "100 Most Endangered Sites" in the world by World Monuments Fund. In 2006, all four columns were restored. In 2007, an exterior lighting system began nighttime illumination.

About this Website

Explore this website to learn more about the building's significance, setting,and early history; the architect and his circle; and the structure's later history, and why it was declared a landmark. Learn about the progress we've made in the last few years, the organizations that have supported us, the events we've held, and how our efforts have been covered in the press. You can see who we are, how you can volunteer, and how you can join the NPA or make a contribution.

For background, see DRC Press Kit