Something
new at Rockland’s oldest place of assembly…
Free
ice cream and history…
Village
invites the public…
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The Village of Upper Nyack has invited the public to
visit the Old Stone Meeting House near the center of the community, 437 North
Broadway, at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, July 13, to celebrate the 200th
anniversary of its construction and to launch its new role as a place where
people can gather for such events as classes, committee meetings, concerts,
recitals, art exhibits, family gatherings, weddings and memorials, as well as
village functions. There will be free
ice cream donated by a village family business, a visit by a circuit-riding
Methodist minister on horseback to tell of the building’s past and bless its
future, live music, historical displays, and an official rededication by village Mayor, Michael Esmay.
Built in 1813, the Old Stone Meeting House is the oldest
surviving building in Rockland County that was built for worship or for any
kind of public assembly. It was the
first home of the newly organized Methodist-Episcopal congregation in Nyack,
and when the Methodists built a newer larger building it continued to be used
as a Sunday school. Then for almost a
hundred years it housed a nondenominational Christian group called the Old
Stone Church. When the Old Stone Church
disbanded, the building was used on a casual basis by various religious groups
without clear title and began to fall into disrepair. It was acquired by the Village of Upper Nyack
several years ago for public purposes and to preserve it as a local
landmark. It is now listed on the State
and National Registers of Historic Places. According to Mayor Esmay “Three things make Upper Nyack unique and are
loved by its residents, Hook Mountain, the Petersen Boatyard and the Old Stone
Meeting House”. Since acquisition, the
village has repaired the roof, replaced the antiquated electrical system,
provided new heating and air conditioning, and replaced the narrow doors with a
wider exit. The restroom was completely
rebuilt by Rockland Habitat for Humanity, the gardens have been planted by the
Garden Club of Nyack, and the windows have been restored by a group of local
volunteers and protected by new storm sash financed by the Austen-Stokes Early
Americas Foundation. Another group of
volunteers led by Village Historian Winston Perry has planned the Saturday
event and produced historical exhibits.
Andrew VanBuskirk will play ragtime music by Scott Joplin at the event,
recalling what was popular at the building’s 100th anniversary.
