St. Theresa's Church (New York City)

The Former First Presbyterian Church of New York
General information
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Town or city	New York City
Country	United States
Completed	1841
Cost	?
Technical details
Structural system	Brick masonry
Design and construction
Client	Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
Architect	?
Engineer	?

The Church of St. Theresa is a Roman Catholic parish located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, at 16-18 Rutgers Street, northwest corner of Henry Street.^[1] The parish is under the authority of the Archdiocese of New York.^[2]

The church building was built in 1841 for the First Presbyterian Church of New York (PCUSA) in the Gothic Revival architectural style. A special feature of the New York Times in 1901, mentioned the church among other Catholic structures in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, describing the group "for the most part...limit[ing] hemseves to the functions of a parish church, in districts where social needs are otherwise supplied." Without comment on other facilities attached.^[3]

The AIA Guide to New York City describes the church as “An ashlar church in the tradition of the others nearby, which antedate 1850. This one conducts services in three languages: English, Spanish and Chinese.”^[4]

References

1. ^ The World Almanac 1892 and Book of Facts (New York: Press Publishing, 1892), p.390.
2. ^ 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.375.
3. ^ "Centres of Civilization; On the Lower East Side of New York", New York Times, Jul 21, 1901. Excerpt: “Everybody who read it must have been struck by a remark of Mr. Hewitt's, made not very long ago, touching the tenement house district, which was considerably commented on in the press. The remark was that it was not only the part of humanity and charity for the more favored to assist the less favored, but that in this particular case, it was not less the part of prudence…..St. Nicholas in Second Street, St. Rose of Lima in Cannon Street, and St. Teresa in Henry Street. There is also a remarkable church, remarkable for the ...””
4. ^ White, Norval and Elliot Willensky, AIA Guide to New York City. Rev. Ed., (New York: Collier Books, 1978.), p.38.