Hurley Reformed Church

From about 1670 to 1801, the villagers of Hurley were associated with the Kingston Reformed Church, about three miles away. In those years, the minister of the Kingston Church met with the Hurley parishioners at least once every six weeks and conducted a Sunday service in one of the local homes. Other Sunday's the people of Hurley went to Kingston to attend services.

For many years parishioners of Hurley petitioned Classis to establish their own Church in Hurley--requests which were always denied. In 1801 a new request was made, this time to establish a Church under the recently formed Dutch Reformed Church in America--and that proposal was granted. The Hurley Church was formally established in June 1801 and shortly thereafter construction was started on the building itself.

The original building. located midpoint on Main Street, was a large, single room, stone building that seated over 250 people on the main floor and in three galleries around the side and back walls. A tall steeple atop the building boasted a large brass globe surmounted by a wrought iron weathervane in the shape of a crowing rooster.

A few years after, the building developed an irreparable crack in the east wall. The wall continued to shift all through the life of the building creating a widening gap. Finally, in 1854, it was decided to demolish the building and build a new church.

In 1839 the Crispell family had sold the Church a stone cottage, a large Dutch barn and other outbuildings, all on about 1.5 acres of land at the west end of Main Street. Repair work was done on the cottage, and the minister moved into what became known as the Parsonage-- which has been used continuously since that time by every church minister.

The adjacent barn site-- facing down the length of Main Street--was selected by the Consistory of the Church as the site of the new wood frame church. The barn was moved from its foundation to a new location about 200 feet north, and the old foundation was reinforced and faced with stones from the original church building. On July 4, 1854, the cornerstone of the building was sealed and dedicated and construction was started on the present classic white church. Completed in late November, the bell was hung, and the first service was held December 3, only five months after construction began. The new church was consecrated in the Spring.

With minor changes. the 1854 church has been used continuously as a house of worship and community focal point until the present day--looking over the village's Main Street like a pastor watching over the fold.