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Church of the Holy Comforter (Poughkeepsie, New York)
Encyclopedia
The Church of the Holy Comforter, built in 1860
, is a Gothic Revival
church located on Davies Street, near the train station
in Poughkeepsie
, New York
, United States
, a few blocks from the Hudson River
. Its steeples are prominently visible to traffic passing through the city since the construction of the elevated US 9 expressway
in 1965.
The congregation first formed in 1854 as Christ Church. Six years later, it had incorporated
and hired Richard Upjohn
, a prominent architect noted for his churches, to design a building. His original plans are on file at Columbia University
's Avery Library
. The cornerstone
was laid on October 25, 1860. Holy Comforter is a cruciform church with walls of local bluestone
. Inside, the original pew
s are still in place and the vaulted ceiling is supported with Carpenter Gothic
-style wooden ribs.
It is now known as the Parish of the Holy Comforter in the Diocese of the Resurrection of the Holy Catholic Church (Anglican Rite
) and is no longer affiliated with the Episcopal Church. On April 13, 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. It is also a contributing property
to the Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District
listed on the Register later that year.
1860 in architecture
The year 1860 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:* Oxford University Museum of Natural History, by Benjamin Woodward, completed.-Births:* May 2 - Lucien Weissenburger * August 20 - Kirtland Cutter...
, is a Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
church located on Davies Street, near the train station
Poughkeepsie (Metro-North station)
The Poughkeepsie Metro-North Railroad station serves Poughkeepsie, New York and surrounding areas as the north end of the Hudson Line. It is also served by many Amtrak trains, which continue north to Albany and points beyond, and south to New York City's Pennsylvania Station. Trains leave for New...
in Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a few blocks from the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Its steeples are prominently visible to traffic passing through the city since the construction of the elevated US 9 expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
in 1965.
The congregation first formed in 1854 as Christ Church. Six years later, it had incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
and hired Richard Upjohn
Richard Upjohn
Richard Upjohn was an English-born architect who emigrated to the United States and became most famous for his Gothic Revival churches. He was partially responsible for launching the movement to such popularity in the United States. Upjohn also did extensive work in and helped to popularize the...
, a prominent architect noted for his churches, to design a building. His original plans are on file at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Avery Library
Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library
The Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library is one of twenty-five libraries in the Columbia University Library System and is located in Avery Hall on the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University in the City of New York. It is the largest architecture library in the world...
. The cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
was laid on October 25, 1860. Holy Comforter is a cruciform church with walls of local bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
. Inside, the original pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s are still in place and the vaulted ceiling is supported with Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
-style wooden ribs.
It is now known as the Parish of the Holy Comforter in the Diocese of the Resurrection of the Holy Catholic Church (Anglican Rite
Anglican Catholic Church
The Anglican Catholic Church is a body of Anglican Christians in the continuing Anglican movement, separate from the Anglican Communion centered on the Archbishop of Canterbury....
) and is no longer affiliated with the Episcopal Church. On April 13, 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is also a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District
Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District
The Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District is located along those streets and Main Street in western Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. It is an irregularly-shaped area of between US 9 and downtown Poughkeepsie, located on the slope up from the Hudson River...
listed on the Register later that year.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Poughkeepsie, New YorkNational Register of Historic Places listings in Poughkeepsie, New YorkList of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Poughkeepsie, New YorkThis is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the city and town of Poughkeepsie, New York, including the hamlet of New Hamburg...