There yet remain in the 21st century some churches which claim (rightly or wrongly) the legacy of French Huguenots in the United States.
In New Paltz, New York, Huguenot Street, "the oldest continuously inhabited street in America," includes a French Church (Crispell Memorial), which is a reconstruction of an 18th century Huguenot church which has today an active congregation.
There is a PC(USA) congregation in Pelham Manor, New York, just outside of New Rochelle (a town which itself is named for the Huguenot stronghold of La Rochelle, France), that is called the Huguenot Memorial Church.
New York City has an active French Huguenot congregation that is called L'Eglise Française du Saint Esprit. It traces its history back to the days when New York City was called New Amsterdam.
There is a French Protestant Church of Washington, DC, which meets at the Wesley Theological Seminary.
Near Richmond, Virginia, there is the Manakin Episcopal Church, which began as a French Huguenot congregation in 1700 and later became Anglican/Episcopal. The Virginia Huguenot Society and its library are headquartered in a building adjacent to the church. I have two ancestors, Peter Fontaine and Francis Fontaine, who served as ministers of this church in the early 1700's.
And there is an active, historic French Huguenot Church in Charleston, South Carolina. It traces its history back to 1681. Each year French services are hosted in April and October by the church and the nearby Huguenot Society of South Carolina.
Each of these churches testify, some more purely than others, to the Huguenot legacy that remains in the United States in the 21st century.
Interesting. I had no idea that there were still some who claimed that heritage...Ginny
ReplyDeleteI am a 16th generation Huguenot in America and would love to reconnect with the faith of my forefathers. Joshua Hasbrouck. joshhasbrouck@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteIf I can be of assistance, please feel free to let me know. Blessings, Andrew
ReplyDeleteI am also a descendant of French and Dutch Calvinists, as well as those of the Scottish persuasion, who mainly settled in the Middle Atlantic Colonies, although some did settle in North Carolina. I live in the DC area, am fluent in French, and would like to reconnect spiritually. I think there used to be a French church affiliated with American University's Wesleyan Center, but have not seen news of it in quite some time. I live in the DC area. I am feeling a very powerful need to reconnect right now.
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled across this blog. I am descended from one of the Huguenot families that founded New Rochelle, NY. It's likely that Huguenots from New Rochelle moved north to New Paltz. I have come across histories that showed some of the families moving southwest toward what is now Mount Vernon. My ancestor moved to Rye when she married, and she and her husband eventually moved up to the Finger Lakes region after they were granted land for her husband's service in the Revolution.
ReplyDelete