St Saviour's Church, York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Saviour's Church, St Savioursgate, York |
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The church in 2014
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| 53°57′34.41″N 1°4′41.1″W / 53.9595583°N 1.078083°W | |
| Location | York |
| Country | England |
| Previous denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Saviour |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Closed | 1954 |
St Saviour's Church is an old church building located on St Saviourgate in York, England. It's also known as St Saviour in the Marsh. This building used to be a Church of England parish church, which means it was a local church for a specific area. Today, it's a special historic building, listed as Grade II* listed, and is no longer used as a church.
History of the Church
The first church on this spot was built way back in the 11th century. However, the building you see today was mostly built much later, in the 15th century.
In 1586, the areas (called parishes) of St John, Hungate, and St Andrew, St Andrewgate joined together with St Saviour's. This meant St Saviour's Church served a larger community.
Between 1844 and 1845, parts of the church, called the north and south aisles, were rebuilt. This work was done by an architect named Richard Hey Sharp.
The church got another big makeover in 1871. During this time, the roofs were painted in light colors like buff, with designs in blue, crimson, and gold. The wooden benches (pews) and a balcony at the back (west gallery) were cleaned and varnished. A new decorative screen, called a reredos, was put behind the altar.
Also, a fancy brass light fixture was hung in the chancel (the area near the altar). The stone pillars and arches inside the church were cleaned, removing old whitewash to show the original stone.
In 1878, a small room called a vestry was added on the south side of the church. This new vestry, designed by Walter Green Penty, replaced an older one.
The church stopped being used for regular services in 1954. Its parish then joined with All Saints’ Pavement. Today, the building is used by the York Archaeological Trust, which is a group that studies the history of York through archaeology.
Church Organ History
An organ is a large musical instrument often found in churches. St Saviour's Church had an organ installed in 1824 by Mr. Ward of York. He later improved it in 1845.
A brand new organ was put into the church in 1914 by a company called Harrison and Harrison. This organ was moved in 1952 to St Stephen's Church in Acomb. Sadly, that organ was later destroyed in a fire.
