The Dutch Reformed Church (also known as St Peter's Kerk) is located between the Dutch

fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

and the village of

Kalpitiya Kalpitiya (, ) is a coastal town located in western region of Puttalam District. The Kalpitiya peninsula consists of a total fourteen islands. It is developing as a tourist destination. Etymology Scholars identify the Sinhalese name "Kalapiti ...

. The church was built by the Dutch in 1706 and is a smaller version of the

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

in the

Matara fort The Matara Fort ( ''Mathara Balakotuwa''; ) was built in 1560 by the Portuguese and was substantially re-built by the Dutch in 1640, following the capture of Galle. The fort, which consists of a large stone rampart, occupies the promontory, which ...

. It is one of the oldest

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

churches in the country.

History

Kalpitiya was originally known by the ancient Tamils as Kav Putti, and was a popular hub for Arab merchants. In the early 16th century the Portuguese invaded the area, naming the area Kardiv Island. The King of Portugal bestowing the territory to the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

, who built a chapel here, establishing a small garrison to defend it. In an effort to free the port from the Portuguese the

King of Kandy The Kandyan Monarchy was the last independent monarchy of Sri Lanka, ruled by a succession of monarchs from the Kingdom of Kandy. This monarchy spanned over 230 years from 1590 to 1815 and played a significant role in shaping the country's hist ...

, King Rasjasinha II, sought assistance from the Dutch, who in 1659 conquered the area but did not return it to the King, instead they commenced construction of a fort in 1667, which was completed in 1676. Kalpitiya was strategically important for the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

(VOC), as it enabled them to control the external trade of the Kingdom of Kandy, by controlling the large Muslim trading community in the area. The Dutch called the town Calpentyn or Calpetty, occupying the

there until the end of the 18th century. They also built a small church, with a similar character to the church in Matara. When the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

invaded Ceylon, the Dutch soldiers and officials were recalled to

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

, as a result the British found the fort empty except for a Dutch administrative officer, who promptly surrendered the fort to them. In the beginning of the 1800s when most of the Dutch left the island services at the church stopped. The church was subsequently used by Anglican missionaries. The building was renovated around 1840, when a semi-circular porch with brick and plaster pillars with Corinthian capitals was added, together with three spires on its front gable. The roof of the church has since collapsed. The

belfry The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...

is original and is similar to the ones found in

Galle Galle (, ; , ) (formerly ) is a major city on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, south of Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the capital of Galle District. Galle was known as ''Gi ...

and Colombo. Around the turn of the century the bell from the belfry, along with all the furniture from the church, was removed to an Anglican church in

Puttalam Puttalam (; ) is the largest town in Puttalam District, North Western Province, Sri Lanka, North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Puttalam is the administrative capital of the Puttalam District and governed by a municipal council. Climate Under the ...

. The original Dutch tombstones can still be found on the church's floor. SL Kalpitiya asv2020-01 img3 Dutch church

For a long time the church fell under the management of the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. In December 2010 formal ownership of the church was returned to the

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, , abbreviated NHK ) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the traditional denomination of the Dutch royal famil ...

(DRC). Renovation of the building is proposed to be undertaken as part of the religious and cultural development of Kalpitiya.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Churches completed in 1706 Dutch Reformed churches in Sri Lanka Tourist attractions in North Western Province, Sri Lanka Churches in Puttalam District 1706 establishments in the Dutch Empire Archaeological protected monuments in Puttalam District 18th-century churches in Sri Lanka 18th-century Calvinist and Reformed churches