“Don’t be fooled by the present scaffolding We are open We are alive We are growing” That was once a poster outside Saint Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church. Today we will explore the history and architecture of this Harlem landmark.
Saint Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church was established in 1889. Father John J. Keogan was appointed to organize the new congregation. He hired Thomas Henry Poole to design the parish’s first small church.
By 1904, the congregation had grown. Father Keogan again called upon Poole to design a much larger church. The new Saint Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church was dedicated on May 26 1907. Its design was astonishing unique and magnificent.
The AIA Guide to New York City later called it “berserk eclecticism”. It said the style was “unnameable but wonderful”. The facade blended English Perpendicular Gothic Moorish and Venetian Gothic styles. A spiky screen ran along the upper face like a tiara. This stole attention from the stained glass windows. A projecting porch spanned the width of the structure.
Inside Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, you would have found fan-vaulted ceilings. There were also carved marble altars and stained glass windows. These windows were made by Mayer of Munich.
The original parishioners were immigrants. First came the Irish then the Germans. As Harlem evolved, the church became a mission to African-Americans. Harry Belafonte’s family worshiped here. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was said to have been baptized in Saint Thomas the Apostle Church. Hulan E. Jack, Manhattan’s first black borough president, was buried from here.
By the late 20th century, the congregation had dwindled. The building needed repairs. In 2000, repairs were estimated at around $1 million. The pipe organ no longer functioned and the roof leaked.
In 2003, the Archdiocese closed Saint Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church. Restoration was estimated at $5 million. The Archdiocese planned to demolish the building for senior housing. Despite pleas, the Landmarks Preservation Commission declined to designate it.
Former parishioners sued the Archdiocese in 2004. The New York Landmarks Conservancy intervened and helped suspend demolition. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2005. The stained glass windows were removed. They were shipped to a new church in Lagrangeville, New York.
In 2012, Artimus purchased the church. They planned to preserve the facade as a community arts center. The school building and vacant lot would become housing units.
The facade remains the most acclaimed feature. It has a Venetian Gothic projecting front porch. The paired staircases lead to a long sanctuary. Architect Thomas Henry Poole also designed other notable churches. These include Holy Name of Jesus Church and Lady of Good Counsel Church.
Today, Saint Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church stands as a testament to history and community. It has been reborn as a concert venue. It also has a community space for arts groups. The adjacent rectory has been renovated into an artist’s home and studio. Saint Thomas the Apostle Church continues to evolve. It remains a landmark in Harlem’s ever-changing landscape.