St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery

Infobox nrhp
name = St.-Marks-In-The-Bowery
nrhp_type = nrhp


caption = St Mark's Church in-the-Bowery
location = E. 10th St. and 2nd Ave., East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York
lat_degrees = 40
lat_minutes = 43
lat_seconds = 49
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 73
long_minutes = 59
long_seconds = 15
long_direction = W
locmapin = New York
area =
built =1795; 1799, restored 1975-1978, restored 1978-1984 ["AIA Guide to New York City, 4th Edition, pg 173]
architect = Ithiel Town, et al.
Harold Edelman
architecture = Georgian; Federal body, Greek Revival steeple
added = June 19, 1972cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
refnum=72000885
governing_body = Private (Episcopal Church)

St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, also known as St.-Marks-In-The-Bowery, at 131 East 10th Street, is located at the intersection of 10th and Stuyvesant Streets and 2nd Avenue in the East Village in New York City.

History and architecture

In 1651, Petrus Stuyvesant, Governor of New Amsterdam, purchased land for a bowery or farm from the Dutch West India Company and by 1660 built a family chapel at the present day site of St. Marks Church. Stuyvesant died in 1678 and was interred in a vault under the chapel.

Stuyvesant's great-grandson, Petrus, would donate the chapel property to Episcopal Church in 1793, stipulating that a new chapel be erected and in 1795 the cornerstone of the present day St. Mark's Church was laid. The church was completed and consecrated in 1799. Alexander Hamilton would then provide legal aid in incorporating St. Mark's Church as the first Episcopal Parish independent of Trinity Church in the United States.

In 1828, the church steeple, designed by Martin E. Thomson and Ithiel Towne is erected. Soon after the two-story fieldstone Sunday School is completed. In 1838, St. Mark's Church establishes the Parish Infant School for poor children. Later, in 1861, St Mark's Church commissioned a brick addition, designed and supervised by architect James Renwick, Jr. and the St. Mark's Hospital Association is organized by members of St. Mark's. And at the start of the 20th century, leading architect Ernest Flagg designed the rectory.

While the 19th century saw St Mark's Church grow through its many construction projects the 20th century would be marked by community service and cultural expansion. Several Dutch dignitaries made stops by the church on their visit to the states. In 1952, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands would visit the church and lay a wreath given by her mother, Queen Wilhelmina, at the bust of Petrus Stuyvesant. And later, in 1981 and 1982, Princess Margriet and Queen Beatrix, both of the Netherlands would visit.

In 1966, The Poetry Project and The Film Project (later to become the Millennium Film Workshop), were founded. And in 1975, The Danspace Project is founded by Larry Fagin; the Community Documentation Workshop under the direction of Arthur Tobier is established; and the Preservation Youth Project expands to a full-time Work Training Program and under the supervision of artisan teachers undertakes mission of the preserving St Mark's landmark exterior.

On July 27, 1978, a fire nearly destroyed St. Mark's Church. The Citizens to Save St Mark's was founded to raise funds for its reconstruction and the Preservation Youth Project undertakes the reconstruction supervised by architects Harold Edleman and craftspeople provided by preservation contractor I. Maas & Sons. The Landmark Fund emerged from the Citizens to Save St Mark's and continues to exist to help maintain and preserve St. Mark's Church for future generations. Restoration finished in 1986.

ervices

St. Mark's Church is a very active parish church, holding services, concerts, and occasional lectures. The church services include a long established Hispanic ministry and more recently a Japanese ministry.

taff

* Reverend John E. Denaro, Priest-in-Charge
* Reverend Michael Relyea, Associate Pastors
* Reverend Frank Morales, Associate Pastors

t Mark's and the arts

St Mark's has supported an active artistic community since the 1800's. In 1919 poet Kahlil Gibran is appointed a member of the St. Mark's Arts Committee.

The two prominent Indian statues, "Aspiration" and "Inspiration" by sculptor Solon Borglum, flanking the church entry are unveiled in 1920.
Isadora Duncan dances at St. Mark's in 1922. In 1926, poet William Carlos Williams lectures at the St. Mark's Sunday Symposium, which over the years features such personages as Amy Lowell, Edward Steichen, Houdini, Edna St. Vincent Millay, St. Denis and Carl Sandburg. * Martha Graham dances at St. Mark's in 1930.

Theatre Genesis is founded by Director Ralph Cook in 1964. Also, in the same year, Sam Shepard has his first two plays, "Cowboys" and "Rock Garden" produced.

In 1969 St. Mark's rocked and shocked the nation with the first nationally televised Rock and Roll worship service, the Electric Liturgy given by the Mind Garage.

St. Mark's also hosts modern artistic endeavors, [http://www.poetryproject.com The Poetry Project] , [http://www.danspaceproject.org Danspace Project] holding events year round. Richard Foreman's avant-garde theater, [http://www.ontological.com Ontological-Hysteric Theater] , is also housed there.

Famous congregants

* Gideon Lee, Vestryman and Treasurer of St. Mark's Church as well as Mayor of New York City

Notable burials

* Daniel D. Tompkins, Vice President of the U.S. under President James Monroe and former Governor of New York
* Alexander Turney Stewart, the wealthy New York merchant, was buried in 1876. Three weeks later his body was stolen and held for ransom.
* Joseph S. Brasuell, noted Lower East Side resident, political and social activist who served as part of the church's leadership as Senior Warden, was interred in the East Lawn's crypt in 1993.
* Nicholas Fish (1758-1833), American Revolutionary soldier, who later served as adjutant general of New York State. Father of New York Governor/Senator Hamilton Fish (1808-1893).

References

External links