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Translation

Appointment of Messrs. Megapolensis, Snediger and Strycker to be commissioners for building a church and a rectory at Midwout

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Upon the request of the magistrates of the village of Midwout that a church and parsonage for a clergyman be built there, it was resolved, after deliberation thereon, that permission be given to build, in the village of Midwout, a cross house[221] of about 60 to 65 feet long and 28 feet wide, 12 to 14 feet under the beams, and in the rear a side aisle in which a room for the clergyman can be partitioned off, and in the other part divine service can be held for a while until the treasury is somewhat larger and the necessary materials can be collected for a church. Then the aforesaid house can serve as a general parsonage and barn. For the promotion of this work, the honorable Domine Megapolensis, servant of the divine word in the city of New Amsterdam, Jan Snediger and Jan Strycker are commissioned and authorized to contract for the aforesaid work, publicly and privately, to the best possible advantage of the community. Thus done at the session of the honorable director-general and high council held in New Amsterdam, 17 December 1654, in New Netherland.

Notes

i.e., a dwarshuys, which indicates a house with its gables perpendicular to the street. Most Dutch houses had gables running parallel to the street because taxation was calculated according to frontage on the street.

References

Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 5, Council Minutes, 1652-1654 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1983).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.