BUSHWICK— THE CONGREGATION OF the South Brooklyn Reformed Church building that was badly damaged in a June 19 fire has decided to demolish its historic sanctuary but save the adjacent Fellowship Hall, Brownstoner reports. Fellowship Hall is a Greek Revival addition on the Himrod Street side. It was completed in 1881 as a Sunday school building.
Following an assessment meeting on Thursday morning with Pastor James E. Steward, church leaders, NYC Fire Department, the Department of Buildings, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and other preservation groups, the congregation aims to file emergency stabilization or demolition plans, which the DOB said must be filed “immediately,” although the deadline wasn’t disclosed.
Without those plans, the DOB will have to demolish Fellowship Hall for safety reasons. The church and DOB are working with the FDNY to determine the cause of the three-alarm fire. As of Thursday, the investigation was ongoing.
A GoFundMe account was set up last week for the congregation, which is also called the South Bushwick Community Church. As of Thursday, the fund had received 101 donations totaling $9,642 raised toward a $2 million goal.
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