kids encyclopedia robot

St. George's Syrian Catholic Church facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
St. George's Syrian Catholic Church
St. George's Syrian Catholic Church.jpg
Location 103 Washington Street
Manhattan, New York City
Area Financial District
Lower Manhattan
Founded 1925
Built 1812
Built for Immigrant tenants
Restored 1929
Restored by Harvey F. Cassab
Architectural style(s) Neo-Gothic
Governing body Private
Owner Chapel Moran, Inc.
New York City Landmark
Designated July 14, 2009
Reference no. 2167
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

St. George's Syrian Catholic Church is a former church located at 103 Washington Street between Rector Street and Carlisle Street in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City. The church is the last physical reminder of the Syrian American and Lebanese American community that once lived in Little Syria.

History

Originally three stories tall with a peaked roof, the structure was built c.1812, and by 1850 was being used as a boardinghouse for immigrants; an additional two stories were added on in 1869. In 1925, the building was purchased by George E. Bardwil, a textiles importer, for the use of the Syrian Greek Catholic church, organized in 1889 to serve the Syrian- and Lebanese-American community in the Little Syria neighborhood, also known as the Syrian Quarter. Four years later, Harvey F. Cassab, a Lebanese-American draftsman, was hired to create a new facade for the building. His neo-Gothic design in white terra cotta with a polychrome relief of St. George and the Dragon remains intact.

After World War II, the Syrian and Lebanese population in the area declined, in part because the community was destroyed to make way for the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel ramps. The Eastern Mediterranean community later moved to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. The church briefly became a Roman Rite church, and then became disused as a church. In 1982 the building was bought by Moran Inc. and was turned into an Irish pub. The pub has now closed, however the building is still owned and maintained by Moran Inc.

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building a New York City landmark on July 14, 2009.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Iglesia católica siria de San Jorge para niños

kids search engine
St. George's Syrian Catholic Church Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.