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Chartered by Peter
Stuyvesant in 1654, a Dutch Reformed Church has stood here ever since. This
building dates to 1798.
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At the busy intersection
of Flatbush & Church, its steps offer a convenient spot to hang out
while awaiting the bus.
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The congregation remains
an active one, with a wide variety of community services.
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A handsome plaque over
the entry to the graveyard (which is open to the public).
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The graveyard near the
Flatbush Avenue side.
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The open back end of the
graveyard.
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The church and parish
house seen from the rear.
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An educated guess: “Here
lie buried the remains of Marrytie Ditmarse housewife of the late Engelbart
Lott.”
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The maiden names of Dutch
brides were entered in church registries—a boon to genealogists.
Apparently, the same applies to tombstones!
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Tombstones were inscribed
in the Dutch language well into the 19th Century. This stone is
dated 1817.
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Our hero’s
sister, Geertruid Dordrecht Kloppen, like the individual memorialized here,
was born in 1735 and lived in Flatbush.
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Jeremyas Van Der Bilt
(1715-1785) was very likely related to Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877).
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The church, viewed across
Flatbush Avenue from the entry to Erasmus Hall High School.
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Though not
(yet) any part of our story, Erasmus Hall, named for the Dutch philosopher, was too
good to pass up.
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Entry (1903) to the
Erasmus Hall campus. The once private institution is now part of the city’s
public school system.
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The original school
building was built in 1786 (and sadly appears never to have been painted
since).
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