Crispsell Memorial French Church

by Priscilla Burgers

Title

Crispsell Memorial French Church

Artist

Priscilla Burgers

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

*** 2 TIME CONTEST WINNER ***
Image is a photograph of the Crispell Memorial French Church and 18th Century Burying Ground on Huguenot Street in New Paltz, New York. With its six stone homes built before 1720, Huguenot Street has the distinction of being America's oldest street. The church was the focal point of the early New Paltz community. The original French Reformed congregation was founded in 1683 in a primitive log structure. By the second decade of the 18th century, this modest house of worship was no longer able to meet the needs of a growing community. A stone church structure was built in 1717. This simple sanctuary was used by the community for both worship and education. In 1773, construction of a larger church on another site up the street was completed. The old sanctuary was torn down sometime thereafter. Ever practical, the townspeople reused the stones nearby to build the village's first dedicated school building.

The original congregation started in 1683 has changed over time. French eventually gave way to Dutch and the New Paltz congregation became part of the Dutch Reformed Church. The congregation, now the Reformed Church of New Paltz, continues to worship today in a grand 1839 brick sanctuary on the northern end of Historic Huguenot Street.

The 1717 church was reconstructed in 1972 based on surviving information with funds donated by the Crispell Family Association. The adjacent burying ground preserves the remains of many early members of the New Paltz community and was used through the middle of the 19th century.

Though often described as Huguenots, it is now known that some of the founders of New Paltz were actually Walloons, i.e., French-speaking Protestants who came from Northern France and what is now Belgium. Both Huguenots and Walloons were followers of John Calvin (1509-1564) the French theologian and Protestant Reformation leader.

Seeking freedom from persecution by Catholic authorities, the "New Paltz Huguenots" sailed to America in the 1660s and 1670s. They traveled to present-day Kingston and founded New Paltz, named for "Die Pfalz" in Germany where they had received temporary refuge before fleeing to America.


RURAL NEW YORK CONTEST - 8/23/2016
FIRST PLACE

OFFICE ART DECOR CEMETERY LANDSCAPE Contest - 6/28/2015
FIRST PLACE

2019 AUTUMN COLLECTION Contest - 11/3/2019
SECOND PLACE out of 294 entries

THE CEMETERY Contest - 5/14/2018
THIRD PLACE


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Todays Best Art Group-11/23/2013

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AAA Images Group - 09/19/2014

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Office Art Decor Group - 6/29/2015

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500 Views Group - 2/11/2017

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500 and Beyond Fine Art Group - 5/21/2017

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500 to 1000 Photo Group - 5/29/2017

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10 Plus Group - 5/14/2020

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Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery Group - 5/14/2020

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Orange Euphoria Group - 5/18/2020

Uploaded

November 20th, 2013

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