(Below is an excerpt on the history of Steinway Reformed Church, written by Pastor DeJong, on the church’s 100th anniversary in 1979). “As early as 1836, a number of leading residents of the Steinway section of Astoria, organized and operated a Sunday School in the old district school, located at the corner of old Bowery Bay Road and Shore Road. At the same time, ministers from various churches in Newtown and Astoria held weekly prayer meetings in the same school. “The work continued in the school until it was destroyed by fire in 1875. Then, William Steinway, Luke Kouwenhoven and D.S. Riker undertook the task of raising funds for a church building. “In 1879, the congregation became legally incorporated as The Union Church of Steinway, Inc. “On Sept. 18, 1880, after funds had been procured for the building, Mr. Steinway donated two lots at Albert Street and Bowery Bay Road, on which to erect a building. Many local residents made f
urther contributions. “The 1880s was a period of rapid growth…and it soon became clear that the building erected in 1880 was too small and that a new and larger one was needed. “Once again, Mr. William Steinway came to the rescue by buying the old church and two lots he had originally donated for $2,000, and then donated four lots at the corner of Ditmars Avenue and Albert Street. Here the new and present church building was erected in 1890, at a cost of $13,885.”