St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Beacon, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Luke's Episcopal Church |
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West elevation and south profile of St. Luke's, 2008
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Episcopal Church in the United States of America |
| Leadership | The Rev. Dr. Edwin H. Cromey (vicar) |
| Year consecrated | 1879 |
| Location | |
| Location | Beacon, NY, United States |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Frederick Clarke Withers |
| Architectural type | church |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| General contractor | William Harloe |
| Groundbreaking | 1868 |
| Completed | 1870 |
| Construction cost | $60,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | west |
| Width (nave) | 29.5 feet (9.0 m) |
| Materials | Bluestone, sandstone |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | May 30, 2008 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 08000517 |
| Website | |
| St. Luke's Episcopal Church - Beacon, NY | |
St. Luke's Episcopal Church is a historic church located in Beacon, USA. The church property includes four buildings and a cemetery. It covers about 12 acres of land. This church started in 1832 as a religious school. It soon became known as St. Anna's Church.
The main church building and the rectory (the house for the priest) were built between 1868 and 1870. They were designed by a famous architect named Frederick Clarke Withers. He thought this church was one of his best works. The buildings are in the Gothic Revival style. This style was popular at the time for churches. It followed ideas from a group called the Cambridge Camden Society. Even with some changes, the buildings and grounds still look much like they did when they were first built. In 2008, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historic site.
Contents
Exploring the Church Buildings
Frederick Clarke Withers designed the church and the rectory. They are located at the corner of Wolcott and Rector Streets. A building called the Parish House was added later in the 1800s. It was expanded in the mid-1900s, and a garage was also built. The church grounds and cemetery were planned by Henry Winthrop Sargent.
The Church Building
St. Luke's is a large church with a cross shape. It is built from dark blue stone called bluestone and has light brown sandstone details. The church is over 100 feet long and 60 feet wide. There are two entrances on the south side. One is the main entrance, and the other is smaller. Another entrance is on the north side. A room for the organ and a robing room are attached to the north side.
The roof has different materials, mostly cement-asbestos shingles. A small bell tower with an iron cross sits on the west end of the roof. Stone chimneys and decorative stone crosses also rise from the roof. All the windows are tall and narrow, or rounded at the top. Some have extra decorative shapes. The beautiful stained glass windows were made by famous artists like Louis Comfort Tiffany's company. Above the main entrance, there is a bronze lamp and a stone carving of a bull. A bull is a symbol for St. Luke.
Inside, the walls are smooth plaster. There is wood paneling and decorative trim along the walls. The wooden pews (church benches) are made of oak. They have carvings of three- and four-leaf clover shapes. The floors in the main walkways are made of colorful glass patterns. Carpets cover the areas under the pews. A brass plaque on the west wall remembers the church's dedication.
The ceiling has open wooden beams called trusses. They are made of pine and are stained. These beams connect to stone supports on the walls. Sandstone also frames the arches between different parts of the church. Hanging lamps light up the main area. In the front part of the church, the bishop's throne, seats, and prayer desks are all made of oak. The font (for baptisms) is made of special stone on a sandstone base.
The Rectory
The rectory was built at the same time as the church. It is a two-and-a-half-story building made of bluestone with brick details. It was rebuilt after a fire but kept its original design. The front of the house has a pointed roof and a tower. The roof is covered in asphalt shingles.
Inside, the rectory has a style from the later Victorian era. The walls are plaster, and the floors are thin oak wood. The woodwork, especially around the mantels, shows designs from the Eastlake Movement. In the hallway, near the main stairs, there is an old church safe.
Other Buildings
The Parish House is on Rector Street. It is a Romanesque Revival style building with a large, newer addition. Inside, there is a fireplace with a decorative plate from the rectory's earlier location. Because of the newer additions, this building is not considered part of the original historic design.
The only other building on the property is the garage. It is a modern building made of concrete blocks. It is also not part of the original historic design.
Cemetery and Gardens
The land around the church is mostly flat near the buildings. But it gently rolls and dips to the north. Henry Winthrop Sargent planted special specimen trees along the edges of the property. Many of these trees are still there today. They are mostly placed in a natural, uneven way. However, some trees line a path to the church's north entrance. The gravestones in the cemetery date from the mid-1800s to today. They show many different styles of funerary art.
Church Design Ideas
Both Henry Winthrop Sargent and Frederick Clarke Withers were very religious Episcopalians. They followed the Ecclesiological movement. This movement believed that the Gothic Revival style, like old English country churches, was the best design for an Anglican or Episcopal church. Withers had learned about this style in England. He even wrote an essay in 1858 about how to build churches. He also worked with Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux. This made him appreciate the "Picturesque" style of Gothic Revival even more.
Withers' design for St. Luke's church shows Downing's ideas. These ideas focused on buildings that fit well with the natural landscape around them. Many parts of the church, like its wide main area, large side sections, and deep front area, follow exactly what the Ecclesiological writers suggested. Withers cared about many small details of the church. He even designed the altar cloth himself. In his 1873 book, Church Architecture, he wrote a lot about St. Luke's and included a picture. This shows he was very proud of how it turned out.
The Rectory also shows Withers' ideas for homes. It has an uneven roofline and mixes brick and stone. This was less common for homes at the time. Its original tower, which was destroyed by fire, made it look even more Gothic.
Sargent's landscape design for the church grounds was one of the few times he and Withers worked together. The most interesting part of his design is how the trees are placed. They are mostly scattered naturally, except for those that line the path to the church and the streets.
Church History
Before the Revolutionary War, Trinity Church in Fishkill was the only Episcopal church in the area. It was hard for people in the nearby towns of Matteawan and Fishkill Landing (which is now Beacon) to get there. So, in 1832, three sisters started teaching religion to children in their home. Soon, adults also met in a store. By the end of that year, enough people joined to form their own church group. In 1833, they officially became St. Anna's church. The next year, they built a small brick church on land that was given to them.
Later, the railroad was built near the old church. This made the location less desirable. So, in 1863, the church decided to build a new one. A church member named Charles Wolcott gave six acres of land next to the church's cemetery. In 1866, he added more land that was being used as a cemetery by a local Presbyterian church.
The agreement said that a new church worth at least $20,000 had to be built on the land within three years. To get the money, the church sold its old church and rectory.
Frederick Clarke Withers was chosen to design the new church and rectory. He had already designed other buildings in the area. He was also a devoted Episcopalian and knew some church members. Henry Winthrop Sargent was also a church member at the time.
Construction began in 1868. The church officially became St. Luke's Church of Matteawan. The first service was held the next year. The project included the church, the rectory, and a small schoolhouse. The total cost was $60,000. It took a while to pay off this debt. Because of this, the church was not officially dedicated until 1879.
In 1887, a fire badly damaged the rectory. The outside was saved, but the inside had to be rebuilt. The original layout was kept, but some newer decorations were added.
Five years later, in 1892, the church decided to replace the old schoolhouse with the Parish House. The building was supposed to be cross-shaped, but there wasn't enough money to finish it. The addition of the Great Hall in the 1950s finally completed the original design. Around that time, the church also got a new heating system, new carpet, and new roof tiles.
The Church Today
In 2018, St. Luke's merged with St. Andrew's Church in Beacon. They became one church called St. Andrew and St. Luke Episcopal Church. The church continues to hold services and help the community. This includes running a food pantry program. They also maintain both of the original church properties.
See also
