St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery facts for kids
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St.-Marks-In-The-Bowery
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(2007)
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| Location | 131 E. 10th St. (at Second Ave.) Manhattan, New York City |
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| Built | 1795; 1799, restored 1975–1978, restored 1978–1984 |
| Architect | Ithiel Town, et al. Harold Edelman |
| Architectural style | Georgian; Federal body, Greek Revival steeple |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000885 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1972 |
St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery is an Episcopal Church located in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. You can find it at 131 East 10th Street, where Stuyvesant Street meets Second Avenue. This spot has been used for Christian worship since the mid-1600s. This makes it New York City's oldest place for continuous religious practice. The church building itself is the second-oldest church in Manhattan.
Contents
History and Architecture of St. Mark's Church
In 1651, Petrus Stuyvesant bought land for a farm, called a "bowery." He was the Director General of New Netherland. By 1660, he built a family chapel on the same spot where St. Mark's Church stands today. Stuyvesant passed away in 1672 and was buried in a special vault under the chapel.
Stuyvesant's great-grandson, also named Petrus "Peter" Stuyvesant, sold the chapel land to the Episcopal Church in 1793 for just $1. He asked that a new chapel be built there. This new chapel would serve the growing community around the old Stuyvesant family chapel.
Building the Church: 1795 to 1799
The first stone for the current St. Mark's Church was laid in 1795. The church was built in the Georgian style using fieldstone. The architect and builder was John McComb Jr.. The church was finished and officially opened on May 9, 1799. Alexander Hamilton, a famous American statesman, helped the church become the first Episcopal parish in New York City that was separate from Trinity Church. By 1807, the church had many people attending its services.
Adding the Steeple and Renovations
In 1828, the church added its steeple. This steeple was designed in the Greek Revival style. Its design is thought to be by Martin Euclid Thompson and Ithiel Town. More changes happened starting in 1835. A stone Parish Hall was built, and the church itself was updated in 1836. The original square pillars inside were replaced with thinner ones in the Egyptian Revival style.
Also, a fence made of cast- and wrought iron was added in 1838. These updates are credited to Thompson. Around the same time, a two-story Sunday School building was completed. The church also started a school for poor children.
Later Additions and Restoration
In 1861, the church added a brick section to the Parish Hall. This was designed by architect James Renwick Jr.. The St. Mark's Hospital Association was also started by church members. Outside the church, a cast iron portico was added around 1858. Its design is believed to be by James Bogardus, who was a pioneer in using cast iron for buildings.
At the start of the 1900s, architect Ernest Flagg designed the rectory, which is the home for the church's priest. The 1800s were a time of growth for St. Mark's Church with many building projects. The 1900s focused more on helping the community and expanding cultural activities.
In 1966, the Poetry Project and The Film Project were started at the church. The Film Project later became the Millennium Film Workshop. In 1975, the Danspace Project was founded by Larry Fagin. A workshop for documenting community history was also set up. A youth program helped preserve the church's historic exterior.
On July 27, 1978, a fire almost destroyed the church. A group called "Citizens to Save St Mark's" was formed to raise money for rebuilding. The youth preservation program helped with the reconstruction. Architect Harold Edelman and skilled craftspeople supervised the work. The restoration was finished in 1986. New stained-glass windows were designed by Edelman for the restored church.
St. Mark's Church Today
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The rectory building now houses several organizations. These include the Neighborhood Preservation Center and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Other groups like the Poetry Project, Millennium Film Workshop, and Danspace Project are also there.
Royal Visits to the Church
Over the years, several important visitors from the Netherlands have come to the church. In 1952, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands visited. She placed a wreath at the bust of Petrus Stuyvesant. This bust was given to the church by her mother, Queen Wilhelmina, and the Dutch government in 1915. Later, in 1981 and 1982, Princess Margriet and Queen Beatrix, both from the Netherlands, also visited St. Mark's.
The Arts at St. Mark's
St. Mark's has been a big supporter of the arts since the 1800s.
In 1919, the poet Kahlil Gibran joined the St. Mark's Arts Committee. The next year, two large statues called "Aspiration" and "Inspiration" were put up. These statues, made by sculptor Solon Borglum, stand on either side of the church entrance. Gibran also gave readings of his famous writings there.
Famous dancers like Isadora Duncan performed in the church in 1922. Martha Graham danced there in 1930. In 1926, poet William Carlos Williams gave a talk at the St. Mark's Sunday Symposium. Over the years, many artists spoke there, including Amy Lowell, Edward Steichen, Houdini, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Ruth St. Denis, and Carl Sandburg.
Starting in 1955, artists from the Lower East Side held an annual art show at St. Mark's during the summer. This show included hundreds of artists from the neighborhood. It used both the inside spaces of the church and the yard.
Theatre Genesis was started by director Ralph Cook in 1964. In the same year, Sam Shepard had his first two plays, Cowboys and Rock Garden, performed at the church. In 1969, St. Mark's combined church services with experimental rock music. This was called the Electric Liturgy by the Mind Garage. It was the first time such a performance was shown on national television.
Today, St. Mark's continues to host modern artistic events. These include the Poetry Project and Danspace Project. A Poetry Project reading in November 1971 by Patti Smith, with Lenny Kaye on guitar, helped start their rock and roll careers. This event led to the founding of the Patti Smith Group.
Also, Richard Foreman's avant-garde Ontological-Hysteric Theater was located in its own space at the church from 1992 to 2010.
Notable Burials at St. Mark's
The church has stone burial vaults under its East and West Yards. Many important New Yorkers were buried there. The church no longer does full body burials. However, it still performs cremation burials in the church vault under the West Yard.
Some of the notable people buried here include:
- Charles Anthon – a scholar of ancient Greek and Roman studies.
- Miriam Friedlander (1914-2009) – a politician who represented the Lower East Side in the New York City Council.
- Augustus van Horne Ellis – a lawyer, sea captain, and a general in the Union Army during the Civil War. He died in battle.
- Thomas Addis Emmet – a lawyer and politician who served as the New York State Attorney General.
- Nicholas Fish (1758–1833) – a soldier in the American Revolution. He later became a high-ranking military officer in New York State. He was the father of Hamilton Fish, who became a New York Governor and U.S. Senator.
- Philip Hone (1780–1851) – a merchant and Mayor of New York.
- Gideon Lee (1778–1841) – also a Mayor of New York and a U.S. Representative.
- Commodore Matthew C. Perry – famous for his role in opening Japan to the West. His body was later moved to Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island.
- Alexander Turney Stewart (1803–1876) – a very rich New York merchant. His body was later moved from the vault.
- Peter Stuyvesant (1612–1672) – the Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam.
- Daniel D. Tompkins (1774–1825) – served as Vice President of the United States under President James Monroe. He was also a former Governor of New York.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Marcos (Manhattan) para niños
- St. Mark's Historic District
