Here stands St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery. It boasts 350 years of history. St. Mark’s is New York’s oldest site of continuous religious practice. The church itself is the second-oldest church building in Manhattan.
In 1651, Petrus Stuyvesant purchased land here. It was for a farm. The Dutch called it a “bouwerij”. By 1660, he had built the first chapel on this site. It was a family chapel. When he died, he was buried beneath it. The church building faces true South because of this. It is skewed from the City’s grid. It originally stood on a rural lane. The city grew north to meet it later.
That original structure isn’t the one you see today. In 1793, the Stuyvesant family sold the chapel. They sold it to the Episcopal Church for just one dollar. In 1795, they laid the cornerstone of the present church. John McComb Jr. built it. He also built New York City Hall. The church was consecrated on May 9, 1799. Alexander Hamilton helped incorporate St. Mark’s. It became the first Episcopal parish independent of Trinity Church in the United States. By 1807, the church flourished.
St. Mark’s continued to grow in stature throughout the 1800s. It was the spiritual home to many notable families. These included New York City mayors Philip Hone and Gideon Lee. Also, New York State Attorney General Thomas Addis Emmet. Commodore Matthew C. Perry was a member. New York State Governor Daniel D. Tompkins attended. He later became Vice President of the United States.
During this time, the building saw improvements. In 1828, the church steeple was erected. Martin Euclid Thompson and Ithiel Town designed it. In 1835, the Parish Hall was built. In 1836, the Sanctuary was renovated. Its square pillars were replaced. They used slender Egyptian Revival pillars. The cast- and wrought-iron fence was added in 1838. In 1856, the Italianate cast-iron portico was added. In 1861, the building gained a brick addition.
Beautiful stained-glass windows were installed in 1903. Some remain in the Sanctuary’s first floor. In 1913, St. Mark’s received the altarpiece of the annunciation. It is in the Parish Hall. It’s a reproduction of an original. Andrea della Robbia created the original c.1475.
St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery was designated a New York City Landmark in 1966. The church is also part of the St. Mark’s Historic District. This was designated in 1969. Its boundaries were extended in 1984. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The church still functions as a spiritual center. It is also used for political, artistic, and community activities. Danspace Project has been housed at St. Mark’s. The Poetry Project also calls St. Mark’s home. So does The Incubator Arts Project. Richard Foreman’s The Ontological-Hysteric Theater is here too.
After being designated a landmark, the building was badly damaged. A fire occurred in 1978. Harold and Judith Edelman oversaw the restoration. It took nearly 10 years. After another fire a decade later, the rectory was restored. Ernest Flagg designed it in Beaux-Arts style.
Today, the rectory functions as the rector’s residence. It also houses the Neighborhood Preservation Center. Also, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. And the Historic Districts Council. The Saint Mark’s Landmark Fund is here. Other small preservation-related not-for-profits occupy the space.
Celebrating its rich history, the church welcomed Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1982. This visit highlighted the church’s Dutch connections through Peter Stuyvesant. It also celebrated its re-emergence from the 1978 fire. St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery stands as a testament to history. It’s a place of continuous worship. It is a center for community and the arts.