The Church of the Pilgrims, Brooklyn's first Congregational church, was established on December 22, 1844. Construction on the Church's building, located at the corner of Henry and Remsen Streets in the neighorhood of Brooklyn Heights, had begun in July of 1844, though it was not until May of 1846 that the building was officially dedicated. The Church's first pastor, the Reverend Richard Salter Storrs (1821-1900), was installed in November of 1846. Under Storrs's leadership, the Church enjoyed steady growth throughout the 19th century, and also played an instrumental role in the founding of additional Congregational churches throughout Brooklyn. Storrs himself became one of Brooklyn's highly prominent citizens; in addition to his pastorate, he was an active member of the Brooklyn Parks Commission, the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, the Brooklyn City Mission Society, and the Long Island Historical Society (now the Brooklyn Historical Society), of which he was president. Storrs was also nationally recognized for his widely distributed religious writings and emphatic opposition to slavery. Upon his death in 1900, Storrs was succeeded as pastor of the Church of the Pilgrims by the Reverend H.P. Dewey.
In 1934, the Church of the Pilgrims merged with the congregation at Plymouth Church, located on Orange Street between Henry and Hicks Streets, to form the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims. As of 2010, the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims continues to serve the Brooklyn community at its Orange Street location, now a National Historic Landmark. The Church of the Pilgrims's original building at Henry and Remsen Streets is now occupied by the Catholic congregation of Our Lady of Lebanon.
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Sources:
- Byington, Edwin H., ed., "The Church of the Pilgrims, a Short Sketch,"
The Pilgrim 3 (1896): 29-33.
- Byington, Edwin H., ed., "Richard Salter Storrs, a Short Sketch,"
The Pilgrim 3 (1896): 3-9.
From the guide to the Church of the Pilgrims collection, 1846-1932, (Brooklyn Historical Society)
