Rescue Old First Brooklyn!

 RESCUE OLD FIRST BROOKLYN!

Hello friends! We're working to save this historic church in Park Slope, Brooklyn, an architectural treasure and community centerpiece. The plaster ceiling is collapsing, and the sanctuary can't be used until we raise more than $700,000 to repair it. One of our congregation's core missions is to share our beautiful space with the larger community. Please help us to preserve it.

Dec. 21 update:

SUCCESS!  WE HAVE MET OUR FUNDING GOAL!  THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED SO FAR.  ANY FURTHER DONATIONS ARE STILL IMPORTANT AND USEFUL - EXCEEDING OUR GOAL BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT WILL HELP WHEN WE APPLY FOR GRANT MONEY BY SHOWING THAT THE COMMUNITY IS BEHIND THE PROJECT.  PLUS, THE COST OF REPAIRS WILL LIKELY BE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS SO WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO STILL.  PLEASE SHARE THIS CAMPAIGN WITH YOUR FRIENDS.

Dec. 23 update:

AN ANONYMOUS DONOR IS OFFERING MATCHING GRANTS UP TO $2200, IN INCREMENTS OF $100.  SO, IF YOU GIVE $100, IT MEANS $200 WILL GO TO THE CAMPAIGN.  JUST SELECT THE "MATCHING DONATION" PERK DURING CHECKOUT.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Heart of Park Slope

Old First Reformed Church lies at the very center of the cultural life of Park Slope. It's a house of prayer, a homeless shelter, a day-care facility, a meeting place for Alcoholics Anonymous, and a magnificent performance space for arts groups.  Currently we are hosting the Hurricane Sandy Relief Kitchen, which has provided 70,000 hot meals (and counting!) to storm victims.  Old First is both a neighborhood landmark and one of the city’s loveliest halls, with Tiffany glass windows, a Roosevelt pipe organ, a huge Tojetti oil painting, and a Neo-Gothic spire of Indiana limestone. Completed in 1891, Old First was the only church designed by architect George L. Morse, and boasts one of the country’s finest Arts and Crafts interiors. But though our congregation is Brooklyn's oldest—Peter Stuyvesant established it in 1654—it has only a hundred and fifty members. We can only save Old First with your help.

Historic Landmark

Brooklyn was once known as “The Borough of Churches,” but some of its most beautiful sanctuaries have already fallen. The Church of the Redeemer  at Fourth Street and Atlantic Avenue and “The Green Church” in Bay Ridge are being torn down because their upkeep has become too burdensome. We can’t let that happen to Old First. Our building is a keeper—and it's even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As Brooklyn grows and new buildings rise all around us, churches like ours are becoming all the more valuable. They’re essential to our borough’s rich history, and few are more awe-inspiring than Old First.

What Needs to Be Done

Repairing our sanctuary is more than a matter of patching up some old plaster. The ornate plaster ceiling hangs from wooden supports above it, rather than being supported by bulky columns below (as in medieval cathedrals). Unfortunately, the metal fasteners that attach the ceiling to the superstructure have rusted and expanded over time, cracking the plaster. At the same time, the constant vibrations from truck and bus traffic over the past century and a quarter have caused chunks of plaster to fall. To fix the ceiling, workers will have to reattach the plaster panels to more than a half mile of wooden supports, a months-long process that will cost upwards of $700,000.

How Donations Will Be Used

All of the money raised on Indiegogo will go toward restoring the ceiling. Since the cost of even starting repairs is so high, this campaign will function as a community kick-off. We will also apply for funds from a number of grant sources and family foundations, but we first have to demonstrate that the community is behind this project. Your contribution will get us started, and help attract major funding in the future.

What Else Are We Doing

Old First has organized two groups to raise money for the repairs. One is a funding committee, and the other is The Fourth Mission, an effort to provide community outreach, primarily through the arts. On September 23, at the Bell House, the Fourth Mission held its inaugural event: a benefit concert called The Brooklyn Bluegrass Bash featuring many of New York’s world-class bluegrass musicians and emceed by actor Peter Sarsgaard, this sold-out event raised over $25,000 for ceiling repair. More Fourth Mission events are planned for the coming months, including a Messiah sing-along and the Jingle Bell Jamboree.

How You Can Help

As a church, our mission has always been to help others, and we're not as good at asking for help. But we need it. One of the greatest gifts we can give our neighbors is the use of our sanctuary. Your donation, in any amount, will help insure that Old First can continue to welcome Park Slope’s musicians and artists, speakers and community groups. Help us connect with people around the world who love Brooklyn, New York history, historical preservation, Tiffany glass, community outreach, and spiritual community. By joining with us, they can help us save one of this city’s great spaces.

Tax-Deductible Donations

Your donation can be tax-deductible, provided you use the PayPal option.  As you can see, we are offering a variety of “perks” at various donation amounts that you may enjoy.  View perk images here.