In the year 1698, a subscription was taken up for the purpose of erecting a new church. This subscription, which was confined to the inhabitants of the old town and New-Lots, amounts to 15,728 guilders and 5 stivers, which reckoning a guilder at forty cents, is equal to $6,291.20. The precise time at which the church was built, is not known; but it was no doubt during that year or the one that succeeded. The committee to whom the erection of the church was entrusted, were, Captain Daniel Polhemus, Captain Aries Vanderbilt, Adrian Ryers, Rem Remsen, and Rem Aertson. This building, which was located on the spot on which the first church stood, was a stone edifice, fronting the east, with a large arched double door in the centre, having a steep four-sided roof coming nearly together at the top, on which was erected a small steeple. The building was wider in front than in depth, being about sixty-five north and south, and about fifty feet east and west. The roof rested on the walls, and was partly supported by them, and partly by two large oak columns, standing in a line within the building, in a northerly and southerly direction, and at a suitable distance from each other. The two columns supported a plate in the centre of a lofty arched planked ceiling, the north and south ends of which, rested on the wall, in consequence of which, the north and south walls of the building were considerable higher than those of the east and west. There were two large and broad braces extending from each column to the plate. The roof appeared to be badly constructed. Its pressure on the walls was so great, that in process of time, the upper part of the northerly wall was pressed out more than a foot over the foundation, and the four braces attached to the columns within the building, were considerably bent from the weight and pressure above. The pulpit was placed in the centre of the west side of the building, fronting the door, having the Elders bench on the right, and the Deacons bench on the left. The male part of the congregation were seated in a continuous pew, all along the wall, which was divided into twenty apartments, with a sufficient number of doors for entrance: each person having one or more seats, in one or the other of these apartments. The residue of the interior of the building, was for the accommodation of the female part of the congregation, who were seated on chairs. These were arranged into seven different rows, or blocks, and every family had one or more chairs in some one of these blocks. This interior arrangement of the seats, was called by the significant Dutch term "De Gestoeltens." Each chair was marked on the back by a number, or by the name of the family or person to whom it belonged. The windows of this church were formed of small panes of glass; and those on either side of the pulpit, were painted, or ornamented and set in lead.

It is probable that about the year 1698, when the first church was pulled down, in which as we have seen, there was accommodation for the minister and his family, the first parsonage house was built. This is the south part of the present building now occupied by L. L. Van Kleeck, Esq. which has undergone so many important improvements under his hands.

About the time of the building of this second church, a certain paper was drawn up and adopted, entitled "Articles, laws and Ordinances, by which the church of Flatbush shall be governed and occupied, by the inhabitants and builders." This document contains certain provisions:—1st. Concerning the occupancy and possession of the seats. 2d. Concerning the tenure of the seats