Wikipedia

St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery

St. Mark's Church in-the-Boweryis a parish of theEpiscopal Churchat 131East 10th Street(nearStuyvesant StreetandSecond Avenue) in theEast Villageneighborhood ofManhattaninNew York City.The property has been the site of continuous Christian worship since the mid-17th century, making it New York City's oldest site of continuous religious practice. The structure is the second-oldest church building in Manhattan.[3]

St.-Marks-In-The-Bowery
(2007)
Map
Location131 E. 10th St. (at Second Ave.)
Manhattan,New York City
Coordinates40°43′49″N73°59′14″W/ 40.730376°N 73.987121°W/40.730376; -73.987121
Built1795;[1]1799,
restored 1975–1978,
restored 1978–1984[2]
ArchitectIthiel Town,et al.
Harold Edelman
Architectural styleGeorgian;[1]Federalbody,Greek Revivalsteeple
Websitestmarksbowery.org
NRHP referenceNo.72000885
NYCLNo.0229
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 19, 1972[1]
Designated NYCLApril 19, 1966

In 2020, it reported 103 members, average attendance of 67, and $142,197 in plate and pledge income.

History and architecture

edit

In 1651,Petrus Stuyvesant,Director General of New Netherland, purchased land for a bowery or farm from theDutch West India Companyand by 1660 built a family chapel at the present day site of St. Mark's Church. Stuyvesant died in 1672 and was interred in a vault under the chapel.[4][5]

The church in 1936
(HABSphoto)

Stuyvesant's great-grandson,Petrus "Peter" Stuyvesant,sold the chapel property to theEpiscopal Churchfor $1 in 1793,[3]stipulating that a new chapel be erected to serve Bowery Village, the community which had coalesced around the Stuyvesant family chapel.[6]In 1795 the cornerstone of the present day St. Mark's Church was laid, and the fieldstoneGeorgian stylechurch, built by the architect andmasonJohn McComb Jr.,was completed and consecrated on May 9, 1799.[4]Alexander Hamiltonprovided legal aid in incorporating St. Mark's Church as the first Episcopal parish independent ofTrinity Churchin New York City. By 1807 the church had as many as two hundred worshipers at its summer services, with 70 during the winter.[6]

View of the spire

In 1828, the church steeple, the design of which is attributed toMartin Euclid ThompsonandIthiel Town,inGreek Revival style,was erected. More changes came about beginning in 1835, when John C. Tucker's stone Parish Hall was constructed,[4]and the next year (1836) the church itself was renovated, with the original square pillars being replaced with thinner ones inEgyptian Revival style.In addition, the currentcast-andwrought ironfence was added in 1838; these renovations are credited to Thompson.[4][7]At around the same time, the two-storyfieldstoneSunday School was completed, and the church established the Parish Infant School for poor children.

Later, in 1861, the church commissioned a brick addition to the Parish Hall, which was designed and supervised by architectJames Renwick Jr.,and the St. Mark's Hospital Association was organized by members of the congregation. Outside the church, the cast ironportico,was added around 1858; its design is attributed toJames Bogardus,who was an early innovator in cast iron construction.[4]

At the start of the 20th century, leading architectErnest Flaggdesigned the rectory. Overall, while the 19th century saw St. Mark's Church grow through its many construction projects, the 20th century was marked by community service and cultural expansion.[8]

In 1966, thePoetry Projectand The Film Project, which later became the Millennium Film Workshop, were founded. Furthermore, in 1975, theDanspace Projectwas founded byLarry Fagin;the Community Documentation Workshop under the direction ofArthur Tobierwas established; and the Preservation Youth Project expanded to a full-time work training program, which undertook the mission of the preserving St Mark's landmark exterior under the supervision of artisan teachers.[4]On July 27, 1978, a fire nearly destroyed the church. The Citizens to Save St Mark's was founded to raise funds for its reconstruction and the Preservation Youth Project undertook the reconstruction supervised by architectHarold Edelmanand craftspeople provided by preservation contractorI. Maas & Sons.TheLandmark Fundemerged from the Citizens to Save St Mark's and continues to exist to help maintain and preserve St. Mark's Church for future generations. The restoration was completed in 1986, with newstained-glass windowsdesigned by Edelman.[2]

Usage

edit
"Inspiration" and "Aspiration" bySolon Borglum
The Rev. William Harris, Rector of St. Marks, 1801–1816

Rector William Guthriewas known to incorporate Native American, Hindu, Buddhist, and Bahá'í ceremonies and guest speakers into services.[8][9][10][11]

Today, the rectory houses the Neighborhood Preservation Center,[12]theGreenwich Village Society for Historic Preservationand the Historic Districts Council, as well as other preservation and community organizations such as the Poetry Project, the Millennium Film Workshop, and the Danspace Project.[4]

Over the years, several Dutch dignitaries visited the church while they were in the United States. In 1952,Queen Juliana of the Netherlandsvisited the church and laid a wreath given by her mother,Queen Wilhelmina,at the bust of Petrus Stuyvesant, which had been given to the church by Wilhelmina and the Dutch government in 1915.[4]In 1981 and 1982,Princess MargrietandQueen Beatrix,both of the Netherlands, also visited.[13]

The arts

edit

St Mark's has supported an active artistic community since the 19th century.

In 1919 poetKahlil Gibranwas appointed a member of the St. Mark's Arts Committee, and the next year, the two prominent Indian statues, "Aspiration" and "Inspiration" by sculptorSolon Borglum,which flank the church entry, were unveiled. Gibran also presented readings of his famous written works,[8]some of which became annual affairs for a while,[14]as well as an exhibition of his drawings.[15]Isadora Duncandanced in the church in 1922, andMartha Grahamin 1930. In 1926, poetWilliam Carlos Williamslectured at the St. Mark's Sunday Symposium, which over the years featured such artists asAmy Lowell,Edward Steichen,Houdini,Edna St. Vincent Millay,Ruth St. DenisandCarl Sandburg.

Starting in 1955, the Lower East Side artists' held an annual exhibition during the summer at St. Mark's. It was an inclusive, non-juried group exhibition that featured hundreds of artists from the neighborhood and utilized both the interior spaces and the yard.

Theatre Genesis was founded by directorRalph Cookin 1964 and, in the same year,Sam Shepardhad his first two plays,CowboysandRock Gardenproduced at the church. In 1969, St. Mark's innovated a fusion ofliturgyandexperimental rockmusic, theElectric Liturgygiven by theMind Garage,which was the first work of its kind to be nationally televised.

St. Mark's hosts modern artistic endeavors, including the Poetry Project,[16]and Danspace Project,[17]which stage events throughout the year. A November 1971 Poetry Project reading byPatti Smith,accompanied byLenny Kayeon guitar, launched their rock and roll careers and marked the founding of thePatti Smith Group.[18]

In addition,Richard Foreman's avant-gardeOntological-Hysteric Theater[19]was also housed there in its own space from 1992 until 2010.[20]

Notable burials

edit

Both the church's East and West Yards have under them stone burial vaults, in which many prominent New Yorkers were interred. Although it no longer does full body burials, the church still does cremation burials in the church vault under the West Yard.[4]

Cover of the burial vault ofPeter Stuyvesant

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abc"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.April 15, 2008.
  2. ^abWhite, Norval& Willensky, Elliot (2000).AIA Guide to New York City(4th ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press. p. 173.ISBN978-0-8129-3107-5.
  3. ^abNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commission;Dolkart, Andrew S.;Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.).Guide to New York City Landmarks(4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 67.ISBN978-0-470-28963-1.
  4. ^abcdefghiVirtual touron the St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery website
  5. ^Dunlap, David W.(2004).From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship.New York:Columbia University Press.p.224.ISBN0-231-12543-7.
  6. ^abBurrows, Edwin G.andWallace, Mike(1999).Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898.New York:Oxford University Press.p. 389.ISBN0-195-11634-8.
  7. ^Burrows, Edwin G.andWallace, Mike(1999).Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898.New York:Oxford University Press.ISBN0-195-11634-8.p. 467
  8. ^abcNichols, Kimberly (April 16, 2013)."The Brothers Guthrie: Pagan Christianity of the Early 20th Century".Newtopia Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon December 17, 2014.RetrievedApril 5,2016.
  9. ^"Do we need a new world religion to unite the old religions?".Brooklyn Daily Eagle.March 26, 1921. p. 7.RetrievedMarch 25,2016– via Brooklyn Public Library; newspapers.
  10. ^"Rector will continue in Church fight".Arizona Republic.January 12, 1924. p. 6.RetrievedApril 4,2016– via newspapers.
  11. ^"St. Mark's-in-the-Bouwerie's latest row is over the" Body and Soul Clinic "".St. Louis Post-Dispatch.July 24, 1932. pp.54,55– via newspapers.
  12. ^"Join Our Mailing List".Neighborhood Preservation Center.RetrievedMarch 31,2017.
  13. ^Blair, William G. (April 24, 1982)."Dutch Queen Pays a Friendly Call".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedMay 11,2023.
  14. ^"The Rev. Dr. William Norman Guthrie…".Brooklyn Daily Eagle.October 24, 1931. p. 11.RetrievedMarch 25,2016– via Brooklyn Public Library; newspapers.
  15. ^"St. Mark's-in-the-Bouwerie…".Brooklyn Daily Eagle.November 8, 1919. p. 16.RetrievedMarch 25,2016– via Brooklyn Public Library; newspapers.
  16. ^"Home".The Poetry Project.RetrievedMarch 31,2017.
  17. ^"Danspace Project".Danspace Project.RetrievedMarch 31,2017.
  18. ^"Patti Smith w/ Lenny Kaye & Janet Hamill | the Poetry Project".Archived fromthe originalon September 14, 2011.RetrievedDecember 31,2011.
  19. ^"Ontological-Hysteric Theater".Ontological.November 30, 2015.RetrievedMarch 31,2017.
  20. ^"Ontological-Hysteric Theater leaves St. Mark's Church"ArchivedJuly 17, 2012, at theWayback MachineOntological-Hysteric Theater website. Accessed August 12, 2012.
  21. ^Berger, Meyer (August 30, 1941)."That Was New York The Tombs—I".The New Yorker.RetrievedOctober 8,2011.
  22. ^abSt. Mark's Church In-the-Bowery,St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund. Accessed April 7, 2016. "Today, along with that of Peter Stuyvesant are visible on vault markers such familiar names as Beekman, Fish and Tompkins. Other notable New Yorkers buried on the site include two Mayors of New York City: Gideon Lee, Vestryman and Treasurer of St. Mark's Church and Philip Hone, known as a chronicler of the city's social life of his time."
  23. ^"St. Mark's Fights for Church Name",The New York Times(May 26, 1913)
  24. ^Bryk, William."A.T. Stewart's Grave Was Robbed, His Body Snatched",New York Press,October 30, 2001, updated February 17, 2015. Accessed April 7, 2016. "Stewart's funeral was held at the Episcopalian Church of St. Mark's-in-the-Bowerie at the northwest corner of 2nd Ave. and E. 10th St. The church was jammed with mourners, representing 'the foremost men in law, literature, commerce, [and] politics,' according to the Times. The body was placed in the Stewart family vault in the churchyard."
  25. ^"Religion: In the Bouwerie".Time.June 23, 1924.RetrievedMay 11,2023.St. Mark's-in-the-Bouwerie... last Easter, went A. Van Horne Stuyvesant, as the Stuyvesants have always gone, to assure themselves that the grave of their ancestor, Peter Stuyvesant, was in good keeping.
  26. ^"TOMPKINS, Daniel D., (1774–1825)",Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.Accessed April 7, 2016. "interment in the Minthorne vault in St. Mark's Churchyard, New York City."

Further reading

edit
  • St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery,Memorial of St. Mark's Church in the Bowery: containing an account of the services held to commemorate the one-hundredth anniversary of the dedication of the church on May 9, 1799.New York: Published by the Vestry, 1899
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related toSaint Mark's Church in-the-Bowery.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St._Mark%27s_Church_in-the-Bowery&oldid=1267779854"