Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel facts for kids
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Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel
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 Location in Hudson County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2019 West Street Union City, New Jersey |
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| Area | 13 acres (5.3 ha) |
| Built | 1875 |
| Architect | Keely, Patrick C.; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Second Empire, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000418 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 6, 1986 |
The Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel is a very old and important building in Union City, New Jersey. People often call it Saint Michael's Monastery Church. It is recognized as a historic place by both the state and the nation.
This large building complex officially opened in 1869 and was finished in 1875. It sits between West Street and Summit Avenue, from 18th to 21st Streets. A small street called Monastery Place leads to its main entrance. This church was once the biggest Roman Catholic church in Hudson County. Today, a Presbyterian church uses part of the building. Other parts of the land are now used for homes and schools. The church once had beautiful artwork by Hildreth Meière, but it was removed because of rain damage.
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Discover the History of Saint Michael's
In 1861, a group of priests called the Passionists started their work in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. By 1864, they had built a monastery in what was then West Hoboken. This area is now the southern part of Union City. The land for the monastery, which was about 12.3 acres, was given by J. Kerrigan. He owned Kerrigan Farm, and a street called Kerrigan Avenue is named after him.
The monastery began operating in 1864. An Irish-American architect named Patrick Keely designed the church's dome in 1869. The first stone of the church was laid in 1869, and the building was completed in 1875. It opened its doors later that year. More parts were added to the complex in 1914, 1929, and 1944. In 1934, artist Hildreth Meière was asked to create three murals for the chapel. These murals showed the patron saints of the church's shrine.
In 1876, special items belonging to Saint Benedict were placed near the main altar. For a long time, this church was the largest Roman Catholic place of worship in Hudson County.
Fires and Changes at the Church
In 1934, a big fire broke out. It was one of the largest fires ever in North Hudson. This fire completely destroyed the church's domed section. All three of the beautiful Hildreth Meière murals were also lost. The church was rebuilt and reopened the next year. Hildreth Meière was then asked to create 14 more murals to hang in the monastery.
The monastery continued to serve the local community. Many people from Irish, German, Italian, and Hispanic backgrounds lived nearby. The monastery was a place where future priests studied and where church leaders lived.
However, things started to change in the 1980s. The monastery closed in 1980. Then, the entire complex closed in 1981. This happened because fewer people were attending church, and not enough students were joining the seminary. Also, it cost too much money to keep the large property in good condition.
After another fire in 1984, the owners tried to sell the property. At that time, it was the last large piece of undeveloped land in Union City. A company wanted to build a shopping center there. But the city stopped this plan. They changed the rules for the six-block area so that only single-family homes could be built there.
In 1983, Saint Michael's Parish joined with a nearby church, Saint Joseph's Parish. Their school and church were on Central Avenue at 14th Street. The combined church became Saint Joseph and Michael's Parish. In 1986, the complex was officially listed on both state and national registers of historic places. This means it is protected because of its historical importance.
Also in 1986, old records from St. Michael's and other churches were copied onto microfilm. This was done by the Genealogical Society of Utah. In the same year, the monastery and church were sold for a very low price. A 100-member Korean Presbyterian church from Palisades Park bought it. They renamed it Hudson Presbyterian Church.
A third fire happened on August 19, 1994. This fire destroyed a large part of the monastery building. Luckily, the church itself was not damaged.
New Uses for the Land
The park areas around the church, which people used for sports, were sold. The southeast part, on 18th Street, now has two apartment buildings. It also has a housing complex for people with lower incomes. This housing replaced the part of the monastery that was destroyed by the 1994 fire.
In 2002, two new buildings were constructed on the southern side of the Monastery grounds, on 18th Street. These were José Martí Middle School and a branch of the Union City Public Library. They both opened in 2004. The middle school later became a high school in 2019. It is now known as José Martí STEM Academy.
In 2014, an organization called Preservation New Jersey (PNJ) added the church to its "Ten Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey" list. This means the church is at risk. It is getting old and falling apart. The Korean Presbyterian church that has been using it since 1986 has less than 100 members. They cannot raise enough money to fix it. Saint Michael's Church was the fourth place in Union City to be put on PNJ's list. Besides the damage from age, rain has also harmed the artwork by Hildreth Meière. These artworks can no longer be seen by the public.
See also
