St. Aloysius Catholic Church (New York City)

The St. Aloysius Catholic Church[2] is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Archdiocese of New York, located at 209-217 West 132nd Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1902-04 and was designed by William W. Renwick – the nephew of James Renwick Jr. – in the Italian Gothic Revival style.[3] It has been called a "little-known treasure".[4]

St. Aloysius Catholic Church
(2014)
General information
Location209-217 West 132nd Street
Manhattan, New York City
Construction started1902 (church);[1]
1940(school)[1]
Cost$60,000 (church);[1]
$60,000 (school)[1]
ClientRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New York[1]
Technical details
Structural systemMasonry
Design and construction
ArchitectWilliam W. Renwick (1902 church);[1]
Starret & Van Vleck & Purdy & Henderson (1940 school)[1]

The church was designated a New York City Landmark on January 30, 2007.[5]

History and description

The St. Aloysius congregation was established in 1899 and has been staffed by the Jesuit Fathers, of which Saint Aloysius Gonzaga was himself a member.[6] The congregation was originally primarily German, Irish and Italian immigrants and their families.[3] The current congregation is primarily African American, and gospel music is utilized in the services.[4]

The brick church designed by Renwick has an "usually intricate facade, with colorful bands of red brick, celadon glazed bricks and polychrome terra cotta,"[3] creating "an evocative and delicate facade."[7] Sculpted reliefs on the depict Christ, the Holy Family and two angels.[3] The overall design compares favorably to Renwick's All Saints Church on East 129th Street,[4] and may have been inspired by Renwick's travels in Italy before joining his uncle's firm.[7]

  • In 1914
  • Entrance
  • Circular window detail
  • Top right of facade
  • Relief sculpture detail

See also

References

Notes

  1. Office for Metropolitan History, "Manhattan NB Database 1900-1986" (Accessed 25 December 2010).
  2. This is the name of the church according to the information board attached to the building
  3. New 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. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1. p.203
  4. Dunlap, David W. (2004). From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-12543-7., p.188
  5. Shockley, Jay."St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church Designation Report" New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (January 30, 2007)
  6. Remigius Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. Volume 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg Together with some Supplementary Articles on Religious Communities of Women.. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.310.
  7. White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot & Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7. p.540


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