June, 2026
A devastating, three-alarm fire destroyed the 1853 Reformed Church of South Bushwick last Friday. Reverend James Steward said today he wanted to save a portion of the north wall of the church and the Fellowship Hall. But the Department of Buildings has called for full demolition of all structures on the site. The Fellowship Hall, a beautiful 1880s Classical Revival building, is relatively undamaged and could be restored.
The Greek-Revival style church was one of the earliest landmarks in Brooklyn. The 1968 designation report described it as “an exceptionally handsome example of late Greek Revival architecture”. The fire collapsed its lovely, Georgian-inspired tower and steeple, which was a highlight on Bushwick Avenue.
A devastating, three-alarm fire destroyed the 1853 Reformed Church of South Bushwick last Friday. Reverend James Steward said today he wanted to save a portion of the north wall of the church and the Fellowship Hall. But the Department of Buildings has called for full demolition of all structures on the site. The Fellowship Hall, a beautiful 1880s Classical Revival building, is relatively undamaged and could be restored.
The Greek-Revival style church was one of the earliest landmarks in Brooklyn. The 1968 designation report described it as “an exceptionally handsome example of late Greek Revival architecture”. The fire collapsed its lovely, Georgian-inspired tower and steeple, which was a highlight on Bushwick Avenue.
The Sacred Sites Program has worked with the church for more than 40 years, supporting the church with 11 grants totaling $168,500 since 1986. These grants leveraged about $390,000 in restoration projects. This includes the 2020-2023 tower stabilization and restoration, along with related engineering and architectural work, a $291,000 project. Then Sacred Sites Program Director Ann-Isabel Friedman, spearheaded this effort, and provided countless hours of pro-bono project management and owner-representation, which made the restoration possible.
We were in touch with church leadership and our colleagues at the Landmarks Preservation Commission. There is still no information on the fire’s cause.
The congregation dates back to 1654 and the early Dutch settlers of Brooklyn.
