Events - Press Kit
   

Background

 
    The following text is taken from the DRC Membership Brochure.

  
    The former Dutch Reformed Church in Newburgh, New York, designed in 1835 by Alexander Jackson Davis, has been called the finest example of Greek Revival architecture in the Hudson River Valley.

Intended as a symbol of the community's enlightened taste, the church commanded a view over the Newburgh waterfront and the Hudson River. From the river, the DRC was meant to appear like a Greek temple - its gracefully proportioned Ionic facade visible for miles from the steamboats churning up from New York City.

For years, the classic structure remained symbolic of a prosperous Newburgh, but after World War II, social, economic and transportation changes marginalized the city's importance. In the 1960s the Dutch Reformed congregation left the building, which narrowly escaped demolition under the misguided banner of "urban renewal." Despite numerous initiatives in the 70s and 80s, efforts to restore the structure floundered.

Today, Newburgh and the surrounding area are growing again. Newcomers and longtime residents feel a commitment to the future of the mid-Hudson Valley. Restored and adapted, this splendid building, will become a gathering place for the residents of the city, the county, and the entire Hudson Valley.

Architect A. J. Davis

Renowned architect Alexander Jackson Davis (1803-92) designed Newburgh's former Dutch Reformed Church in 1835.

A prolific architect, Davis designed domestic and public structures in virtually all the eclectic styles of the 19th century. An excellent draftsman, Davis also contributed many of the drawings in the wildly popular books on architectural and landscaping taste by Andrew Jackson Downing.

National Historic Landmark

In 2001 the Dutch Reformed Church was named a National Historic Landmark. The National Park Service described the building's historic significance as follows:

- "The Dutch Reformed Church is nationally significant as an outstanding, largely intact Greek Revival style church designed by A.J. Davis."

- "Begun in 1835 and completed in 1837, it is the last extant Greek Revival style church directly attributable to Davis that retains the design integrity of the architect's original intentions."

- "The building is distinguished by an exceptionally bold and skillfully designed composition, featuring a monumental pedimented Ionic portico and a dramatically scaled entrance."