The land on which the complex sits has been in continuous use for religious purposes longer than any other in New York City. The congregation was founded in 1654 and the original church was built under the direction of
Jan Gerritse Strijker at the order of
Peter Stuyvesant. The 2.5-story stone
Federal style church building designed by Thomas Fardon was constructed in 1793-98 It features a stone tower with stone
belfry. The stained glass windows are by
Tiffany studios and commemorate the descendants of many early settlers of Flatbush. The building was constructed of
Manhattan schist, and the architecture includes
Romanesque features such as arched windows and doors, as well as
Tuscan colonettes. The bodies of American soldiers who died in the
Battle of Long Island during the
American War are reportedly buried underneath the church structure. The cemetery is the last resting place for most of the founding families of Flatbush. The earliest legible grave marker dates to 1754. The 1853 parsonage is a 2.5-story wood-frame house designed in a vernacular style transitional between the
Greek Revival and
Italianate styles. The complex was initially designated a
New York City Landmark in 1966, with the boundary expanded in 1979. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1983. ==Gallery==