NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
Chair: Jennifer Raab

This is to alert the LPC to fact that an important piece of New York City's
history has been removed.  The LPC may already know. However, on Pearl
Street, just to the south or west of Broad Street there is a building that
fronts Broad also that I believe clears checks. On the face of this building,
which by the way also was a boundary for the so called "Broad Street Site"
were once two plaques now there is one. Let me explain why they are important
together.

The one there commemorates the first congregation of the Dutch in New
Amsterdam. The other, missing, commemorates the site of the first English
spoken sermon in New Amsterdam, by a Rev. Doughty, originally from the
settlement in Masbeth, where do to hostilities with the "natives" asked for
the protection of the Fort at New Amsterdam, which he and his congregation
was granted.

The point is that there is argument to the fact that the Reverend Doughty was
conducting sermons that all the people began to attend to the consternation
of the Dutch who then constructed the structure commemorated by the plaque
now still there, the other missing.

Rev. Doughty's name is remembered today in Brooklyn, and at one time the
"Explorer's Club" met on that old street off the Fulton Street Landing in
Brooklyn. Other tales tell of Hessian police quarters being also on that
street in the Revolution.

I ask you to look into the matter to see if this important plaque has been
removed to be replaced, stolen or vandalized, or to be redesigned. If indeed
the LPC has chosen to remove it based on unreliable research I will protest
this intervention in the representation of the history of the city.

George J. Myers, Jr.

PS Ever notice some programs in Windows light up a tiny pixel in the center
of the screen, just did I have a pitch black Ariel motorcycle taken in the
Texas sun at the center as wallpaper. I seem to remember there was a series
of flashes also in the upper left hand corner of the screen that one could
use to beat "Minesweeper."

Happy Holidays!