Old Whaler's Church (Sag Harbor)

First Presbyterian Church
The First Presbyterian Church with steeple (before 1938)
Old Whaler's Church (Sag Harbor) is located in New York
Old Whaler's Church (Sag Harbor)
Old Whaler's Church (Sag Harbor) is located in the United States
Old Whaler's Church (Sag Harbor)
Location44 Union Street, Sag Harbor, NY
Coordinates40°59′50″N 72°17′37″W / 40.99722°N 72.29361°W / 40.99722; -72.29361
Built1844
ArchitectMinard Lafever
Architectural styleEgyptian Revival, Greek Revival
NRHP reference No.94001194
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 19, 1994 [1]
Designated NHLApril 19, 1994[2]

First Presbyterian Church in Sag Harbor, New York, also known as Old Whaler's Church, is a historic and architecturally notable Presbyterian church built in 1844 in the Egyptian Revival style. The church is Sag Harbor's "most distinguished landmark."[3] The facade has been described as "the most important (surviving) example of Egyptian revival style in the United States,"[4] and "the best example of the Egyptian Revival style in the U.S. today.[5]

The church was designed by Minard Lafever in an Egyptian Revival style that includes Greek Revival elements. With its original steeple, 185 feet high, it was the tallest structure on Long Island when built. The steeple was destroyed by the Great New England Hurricane of 1938.[6] Although many lament the loss, architectural historian Richard Carrot believes that the removal of the steeple was "successful", in that it left "a more 'Egyptian' building."[7]

The church is located at 44 Union Street, within the historic Sag Harbor Village District, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1994.[2][8] It is the only such landmark in Sag Harbor.[5]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "First Presbyterian (Old Whaler's) Church". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 12, 2007. Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
  3. ^ Starin, Dennis (June 4, 1972). "Exploring Legendary Sag Harbor; The Legend of Sag Harbor", The New York Times
  4. ^ First Presbyterian Church Historic Brochure, 2005.
  5. ^ a b Self-Guided Walking Tour of Sag Harbor. Published by the Sag Harbor Historical Society.
  6. ^ Peterson, Oliver (June 13, 2007). "Push is on to rebuild church steeple", East Hampton Press.
  7. ^ Carrott, Richard G. (1978). The Egyptian Revival: Its Sources, Monuments and Meaning, 1808-1858. University of California Press, Berkeley, p. 78, n. 27.
  8. ^ David H. Cory and Carolyn Pitts (October 28, 1993). "National Historic Landmark Nomination: First Presbyterian Church (Old Whaler's)" (pdf). National Park Service. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)