Building of the Day: 163 Lincoln Road

The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.

Address: 163 Lincoln Road, at Bedford Avenue
Name: Grace Reformed Church
Neighborhood: Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Year Built: 1893
Architectural Style: Neo- Italian Renaissance
Architect: George Morse
Landmarked: Yes

Why chosen: Grace Church was originally part of the Dutch Reformed Church, one of the oldest Protestant denominations in New York City. This congregation grew out of the merging of two groups to become the Society for the Amelioration of the Colored Population in Flatbush in 1858, and was renamed Grace Reformed Church when this new building was built. The land for the church was donated by the Lefferts family, and they also donated the gorgeous Tiffany Studio windows. The church and 1903 Sunday school were designed by George Morse, an oft-overlooked architect whose other fine buildings include the Old First Reformed Church on 7th Ave, in Park Slope, the Temple Bar building on Court and Joralemon Streets, and the Franklin Trust, now condos, on the corner of Clinton and Montague. This church is one of the architectural highlights of the Prospect Lefferts Gardens community.