St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church (Oyster Bay, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Roman Catholic Church of St. Dominic |
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A photo of St. Dominic's Chapel, taken in 2009.
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Oyster Bay, New York, |
| Country | United States of America |
| Construction started | 1968 (for modern church) |
| Completed | November 1897 (for chapel) |
| Client | Originally Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn (now constituent in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Masonry granite |
The Church of St. Dominic is a Roman Catholic parish located in Oyster Bay, New York. A parish is a community of people who attend the same church. This parish has a long history, starting in the late 1800s. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre.
Contents
History of the Church
The St. Dominic's parish has grown a lot over the years. It started with a small wooden church and now includes a large campus with two church buildings, schools, and more.
Building the First Stone Chapel
The beautiful stone chapel you can see today was finished in 1897. It was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day of that year. This was a big achievement for the church's leader, Reverend John Belford.
The new chapel was much larger than the first church, which was a simple wooden building. Building the stone chapel was a difficult job. Huge granite blocks were brought from Greenwich, Connecticut on boats. Then, horses had to pull the heavy stones up a hill to the building site.
The chapel was built on the highest point in Oyster Bay. When a golden cross was placed on its tall spire, people said you could see it shining all the way from Connecticut on a clear day.
What's Inside the Historic Chapel?
The chapel has many amazing features. It has a covered entrance called a porte cochere. Inside, you can find a special pipe organ built in 1901. It is a Hook and Hastings organ, and it's one of only three like it in the United States.
The chapel's ceiling has dark wood beams that were hand-painted with gold details in the 1950s. The windows are made of beautiful stained glass showing scenes from the Bible. The original altar is decorated with shiny mother-of-pearl tiles. Some people think the famous artist Louis Comfort Tiffany may have created these decorations.
Sadly, the large stained glass windows at the front of the chapel were destroyed by a powerful storm, the Great New England Hurricane of 1938. They had to be replaced.
How Did the Parish Grow?
St. Dominic's has grown much larger since the first chapel was built. In 1922, the parish opened a grammar school. A high school was added in 1928.
By the 1960s, so many people were part of the church that they needed more space. In 1968, a new, larger church was built across the street from the original chapel.
Today, the St. Dominic's campus covers six acres. It has eleven buildings, including the two churches, schools, offices, and a sports center.
See also
- Oyster Bay History Walk
- List of Town of Oyster Bay Landmarks
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Nassau County, New York
External links
- Oyster Bay Main Street Association - St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church
- St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church
