Click on images to enlarge Flatlands Reformed Church 3931 Kings Highway Brooklyn, N.Y. 11234 http://www.flatlandsreformedchurch.org/ Organ Specifications: ► II/13 M.P. Möller, Op. 11230 (1977) • II/6 M.P. Möller, Op. 9836 (1964) • II/ Reuben Midmer & Sons (<1917) Founded in 1654, Flatlands’ tradition and history is firmly grounded in the history of Dutch immigration and settlement and Dutch Reformed liturgy and theology. The Flatlands Reformed Church shares the distinction of being the oldest church in Brooklyn with Old First Reformed Church in Park Slope and the Flatbush Reformed Church on Flatbush and Church Avenues. The three congregations were founded on February 9, 1654. There are only two other Reformed Church congregations that are older than those in Brooklyn – the Collegiate Church in Manhattan and the North Dutch Church in Albany (later renamed First Church). The congregation has worshipped in three separate church buildings all on the same site. The “Octagon Church” was built in 1663 and was enlarged in 1762. This building was replaced all together in 1794.  The third and present building, with its simple clapboard siding, multipaned windows, and tall steeple, is a notable example of rural Greek Revival design, was built in 1848. This building has a history of being hit by lightning as well as surviving fires; the last lighting strike in 1952 caused minimal damage, but the fire in 1974 destroyed most of the church’s interior. In each case, the congregation worshipped in the auditorium while repairs were made. The church bell represents an important historical artifact for the congregation. It weighs in excess of 450 lbs. and in 1794 replaced an earlier smaller bell that had been brought from the Netherlands. This bell has run marked the death of every American President since George Washington. It rang to mark the signing of various peace treaties and the close of every war the nation fought following the Revolutionary War. In the graveyard are buried members of many noted Dutch families, including the Wyckoffs, Kouwenhovens, Lotts, Stoothoffs, Voorhees, Sprongs, and Suydams. A plaque on the church lawn identifies Kings Highway at this point as the road along which Lord Cornwallis marched his troops on the night of August 26, 1776, to outflank the Americans at the Battle of Long Island. For most of its existence, the congregation has consisted of primarily Eurpean and middle class members. Dutch services were suspended in 1812, which allowed the congregation to include non-Dutch members and to let go of much of its emphasis on Dutch culture and tradition. Despite this de-emphasis on Dutch language, the church’s Dutch heritage is still evident in the fact that its formal name remains the Protestant Dutch Reformed Church of Flatlands.             M.P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 11230 (1977) Electro-pneumatic action 2 manuals, 29 stops, 13 ranks     Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 97 2   Flute — 8   Principal 73   Sesquialtera II ranks [TC] 98 8   Gedeckt —   Mixture III-IV ranks 183 8   Gemshorn SW   Chimes preparation 4   Octave —   Tremolo   4   Gedeckt —                     Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Rohrflöte 73 1 1/3   Larigot [repeat 12 top notes] — 8   Gemshorn 80 16   Contre Trompette 80 8   Gemshorn Celeste [TC] 49 8   Trompette — 4   Spitzprincipal 73 4   Clairon [repeat 5 top notes] — 4   Rohrflöte —   Tremolo 2   Spitzoctave —                     Pedal Organ – 32 notes 16   Contrebass [ext. GT Prin.] 12 4   Octave GT 16   Bourdon GT   Mixture III ranks GT 8   Principal GT 16   Contre Trompette SW 8   Gedeckt GT 8   Trompette SW 8   Germshorn SW 4   Clairon SW                 Couplers     Swell to Great                           Pedal Movements     Balanced Expression Pedal – Great Organ     Balanced Expression Pedal – Swell Organ     Balanced Crescendo Pedal with indicator light (green jewel)             M.P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 9836 (1964) Electro-pneumatic action 2 manuals, 8 ranks This Möller "Artiste" organ may have burned after a fire in 1974. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.             Reuben Midmer & Sons Brooklyn, N.Y. (<1917) Tubular-pneumatic action 2 manuals Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.             Sources:      Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks (Third Edition). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004.      Flatlands Reformed Church website: http://www.flatlandsreformedchurch.org/      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications of M.P. Möller organ, Op. 11230 (1977).      Trupiano, Larry. M.P. Möller, Inc. Opus List.      The WPA Guide to New York City: The Federal Writers Project Guide to 1930s New York. New York: The New Press, 1939. Photos:      Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection: 1954 photos of church and graveyard. | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |