Old Swamp Church

Frederick Muhlenberg, son of the “father of the Lutheran Church in North America,” Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, was the pastor of Christs Church, also known as the Old Swamp Church.

On July 2nd, 1776, Muhlenberg left the city. Following the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, sources say the church burned, likely during the Great Fire of New York City.

Following a pastorate in Pennsylvania, he served in the Continental Congress, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the US House of Representatives, and was the first Speaker of the House.

Learn more at Bowery Boys History.

Featured Image Credit: Boys, Bowery. “Old Swamp Church and the First U.S. Speaker of the House.” The Bowery Boys: New York City History, 14 Jan. 2015, www.boweryboyshistory.com/2011/01/old-swamp-church-and-first-us-speaker.html.