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Series 5: Baptist Church of the Redeemer, 2019

Box: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

This series includes one Historic American Buildings Survey on the Baptist Church of the Redeemer, including one research summary, copies of the original 1918 blueprints, blueprints and floorplans for alterations in 1942 and 1975, historic photographs of the church in use, a copy of the 85th anniversary commemoration booklet, and supplementary photographs of the stained glass windows.

Biographical / Historical

The church and associated Sunday School were designed in 1918 by Helmle and Corbett of 190 Montague Street, in Brooklyn, NY. The church was constructed in 1919 and dedicated the following year, the Sunday School building was not constructed until 1925. The Baptist Church of the Redeemer began as the Baptist Society of Flatbush in 1899, and the congregation grew quickly. The land on which the current church stands was gifted to the congregation in 1918 by Elmer Am Sperry, a wealthy inventor. Demographic changes in Flatbush led to significant shifts in the congregation, and the church began to cater to a larger immigrant community in the second half of the twentieth century, offering services in Spanish, and Chinese, Haitian-French. However, the size of the congregation continued to shrink and the church fell into dispair. The church entered into an agreement with MHANY to constructive afforable housing and a new church space, allowing the congregation to remain at the same location while also creating new affordable housing.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Claudia Cooney on behlaf of AKRF, Inc. in 2019.

Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201