(Picture credit: Brooklyn Public Library Archive)
South Congregational Church at 360 Court Street
South Congregational Church at 360 Court Street
The same church today minus the steeple Dear Reader,
I hope that you don't mind me re-publishing this post. I wrote it back in 2007, but I am sure many of you have not seen it, unless you have looked through PMFA's archive. I wanted some of my newer readers to see these great old photos of one of our most recognizable churches. And it does have a Christmas theme....
Imagine you were standing at the corner of President and Court Street here in Carroll Gardens, right against the ball field fence of Carroll Park. Now imagine it's the early 1900's.
This is what you would have seen:
The South Congregational Church at 360 Court Street with a church steeple. The steeple has been gone gone for a very long time now and the church is no longer a place of worship, but a condo. Otherwise, not much seems to have changed at that location. Pretty neat, no?
But now look what else I found. A lovely picture from 1953 of a living crèche at the exact same church. recognize anybody from the neighborhood? The caption reads:
"Eight costumed children (four standing, 1 sitting, 3 kneeling) in Nativity scene. Caption: "Living Crèche--Every quarter of an hour this week pupils of South Congregational Church Sunday School will pose this nativity scene in the doorway of the church at Court and President Sts."
(Picture credit: Brooklyn Public Library Archive)
Living Nativity scene 1953 at the South Congregational Church
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4 comments:
Thank you for sharing such wonderful glimses of old Brooklyn. I did want to add that while I am glad these beautiful grand churches were not torn down, but preserved, even as residences, it is sad that the community as a whole no longer values to go to church, and hence these churches slowly close. Or maybe the churches lost touch with the community... Whatever the problem, there is one... Merry Christmas Ms. Pardon!
Merry Christmas to you too, Anon!
Glad you enjoy the past as much as I do.
I can tell you the names of some of the young people in the photo. We were all members of the youth group at South Congregational Church. Shirley Blood was the director of religious education and she organized the living nativity scene. It was staged in the vestibule of the church on Court Street and timed in the late afternoon and early evening for people riding by on the bus or walking home from the subway.
My sister, Joan Hunter Garza, is the kneeling shepherd; Pat Carroll, standing; Ken Munch, Joseph standing; Barbara Hunter Kelly, Mary seated;and Faye Bongolan.
Thank you for posting this.Merry Christmas. Barbara Kelly
Hi Barbara,
How incredible to now have the names of the young people in the photo. That makes it even more special.
Would love to hear more. Katia
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