St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Hoosick Falls, New York)
Encyclopedia
St. Mark's Episcopal Church is located on Main Street in Hoosick Falls
, New York, United States. It is a mid-19th century brick building. The congregation itself was founded in the 1830s.
Architect Henry Dudley
designed it according to the Ecclesiological
principles of Episcopal
church design, after English country parish churches, which they held to be the ideal for churches of that denomination. Uncharacteristically, he used brick rather than stone. He was probably commissioned by local industrial magnate Walter A. Wood
, a member of the church.
Several additions and renovations were made to the original building in the decades after its construction, most notably a parish hall
in the early 20th century. In 2000 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
opposite. It is two blocks south of downtown
. It is on a small flat lot
, set back slightly with a hedge and lawn in front and mature trees around it. A driveway on the south leads to a small parking lot in the rear. Behind it is the only section of a cast iron
fence that once surrounded the entire property.
There are three sections to the building itself: the nave
, a freestanding bell tower
with hyphen
connecting it to the nave, and a parish house
attached on the south. The first two are brick while the third is stucco
over wood frame
.
The nave has a steeply pitched
gable
roof shingled in slate. It has corner buttress
es. Its west (front) facade
has a small enclosed porch with a similar roof and buttresses. Two lancet window
s are on either side; a rose window
is above. A shallow molded
cornice
is at the roofline; two ornamental
brackets
are at the peak. The main entrance has double wood doors with wrought iron
decorative hinges and a pointed arch limestone
surround.
On the sides sympathetic later enlargements have covered the original walls. Two lancet windows remain on the south, and there are roof dormers on either side. The north side's addition, which allowed for a side aisle in the sanctuary
, has paired lancets and a shed roof. A transept
with lancets and a steep roof similar to the church's main block is at the rear. The one-and-a-half-story parish hall projects from the south. It also has a steep gabled roof, and is decorated with hood moldings on the windows.
Narrow lancets also light the single-story connector to the bell tower. It has four stages, all delineated by sandstone
trim. Corner buttresses rise two stories. The first has an entrance similar to the front. The second has another lancet on the east and west, the third a clock and the fourth a pointed arch louver
ed opening with Meneely
chimes. The hipped roof
is pierced by triangular vents and topped by a cross.
Inside, the sanctuary has a hammerbeam roof
with truss
es of dark stained wood. Plaster walls, original pews, a lectern
with brass eagle and stained glass from different periods complete the trim. In the chancel
are a marble altar originally from another church and an elaborate oak reredos
.
was founded in 1833. It held services first in the local schoolhouse, then in a meetinghouse where the village's Baptist Church is now. Two decades after its founding, it had a congregation big enough to build its own church.
Walter A. Wood
, later to become the village's major industrialist through the manufacture of mechanical mower
s and reaper
s, played a major part in building the church. He visited Troy
, the county seat
, frequently and was familiar with Henry Dudley's work there, such as St. John's Episcopal Church (now a contributing property
to the Central Troy Historic District
) and some of the buildings at Oakwood Cemetery. Dudley also designed and built Wood's Tudor Revival house (no longer extant) on the hillside behind the church.
Dudley, an English immigrant
, was a member of the New York Ecclesiological Society. Its members advocated that Episcopal churches be modeled on English country parish churches, particularly in small country towns, where they felt that form was more harmonious with the surrounding rural landscape than the white frame Greek Revival
churches that had dominated American church architecture at the time. They also called for simplicity, since it was not necessary for a church to be elaborately decorated to fulfill its purpose. Most churches designed by Ecclesiologists thus featured steeply pitched roofs, axial plans, and clearly defined separations between the various functional spaces.
The only unusual aspect of St. Mark's among Dudley's work is its use of brick rather than stone. It is not known why, although perhaps that material was available in enough quantity in Hoosick Falls at the time to make it economical to build the church of it.
Construction began on the main block in 1858; it was completed and consecrated
two years later. Dudley designed the later additions, the north aisle and transept, in 1865. In the next two decades, the chimes would be added to the tower and the altar windows installed. The church underwent a major refurbishing in 1880 without any effect on the design. Ten years later the chancel was enlarged.
The last significant addition was the construction of the parish hall, in 1912–13, almost 20 years after Dudley's death. Its original large single hall on the first floor was divided into classrooms in the mid-20th century. Since then the church has remained unchanged.
Hoosick Falls, New York
Hoosick Falls is a village in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 3,182 at the 2010 census, a decline of 254 since 2000. During its peak around 1900, the village had a population of about 7,000...
, New York, United States. It is a mid-19th century brick building. The congregation itself was founded in the 1830s.
Architect Henry Dudley
Henry Dudley
Henry C. Dudley , known also as Henry Dudley, was an English-born North American architect, known for his Gothic Revival churches...
designed it according to the Ecclesiological
Cambridge Camden Society
The Cambridge Camden Society, later known as the Ecclesiological Society from 1845 when it moved to London, was a learned architectural society founded in 1839 by undergraduates at Cambridge University to promote "the study of Gothic Architecture, and of Ecclesiastical Antiques." Its activities...
principles of Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
church design, after English country parish churches, which they held to be the ideal for churches of that denomination. Uncharacteristically, he used brick rather than stone. He was probably commissioned by local industrial magnate Walter A. Wood
Walter A. Wood
Walter Abbott Wood was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Mason, New Hampshire, Wood moved to New York in 1816 with his parents, who settled in Rensselaerville...
, a member of the church.
Several additions and renovations were made to the original building in the decades after its construction, most notably a parish hall
Church hall
A church hall is a room or building associated with a church, general for community and charitable use . It is normally located near the church, typically in smaller and village communities. Activities in the hall are not necessarily religious, but are typically an important part of local community...
in the early 20th century. In 2000 it was listed on 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...
.
Building
The church is on a small lot on the west side of Main Street, just south of a village park and a short distance from the post officeU.S. Post Office (Hoosick Falls, New York)
The U.S. Post Office in Hoosick Falls, New York, is located on Main Street a block south of downtown. It is a brick building erected in the mid-1920s, serving the 12090 ZIP Code, which covers the village of Hoosick Falls and surrounding portions of the Town of Hoosick.It took the government nine...
opposite. It is two blocks south of downtown
Hoosick Falls Historic District
The Hoosick Falls Historic District is located in the downtown section of the village of that name in New York, United States. It is an eight-acre area concentrated along Church, Classic and John streets south of the Hoosick River....
. It is on a small flat lot
Lot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
, set back slightly with a hedge and lawn in front and mature trees around it. A driveway on the south leads to a small parking lot in the rear. Behind it is the only section of a cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
fence that once surrounded the entire property.
There are three sections to the building itself: the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, a freestanding bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
with hyphen
Hyphen (architecture)
In architecture, a hyphen is a connecting link between two larger building elements. It is typically found in Georgian style architecture, where the hyphens form connections between a large central house and end pavilions in the Georgian five-part house, which was in turn derived from Palladian...
connecting it to the nave, and a parish house
Church hall
A church hall is a room or building associated with a church, general for community and charitable use . It is normally located near the church, typically in smaller and village communities. Activities in the hall are not necessarily religious, but are typically an important part of local community...
attached on the south. The first two are brick while the third is stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
over wood frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
.
The nave has a steeply pitched
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
roof shingled in slate. It has corner buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. Its west (front) facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
has a small enclosed porch with a similar roof and buttresses. Two lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s are on either side; a rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
is above. A shallow molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
is at the roofline; two ornamental
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
are at the peak. The main entrance has double wood doors with wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
decorative hinges and a pointed arch limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
surround.
On the sides sympathetic later enlargements have covered the original walls. Two lancet windows remain on the south, and there are roof dormers on either side. The north side's addition, which allowed for a side aisle in the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, has paired lancets and a shed roof. A transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
with lancets and a steep roof similar to the church's main block is at the rear. The one-and-a-half-story parish hall projects from the south. It also has a steep gabled roof, and is decorated with hood moldings on the windows.
Narrow lancets also light the single-story connector to the bell tower. It has four stages, all delineated by sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
trim. Corner buttresses rise two stories. The first has an entrance similar to the front. The second has another lancet on the east and west, the third a clock and the fourth a pointed arch louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed opening with Meneely
Meneely bell foundry
The Meneely Bell Foundry was a bell foundry established in 1826 in West Troy , New York, by Andrew Meneely. Two of Andrew's sons continued to operate the foundry after his death, while a third son, Clinton H. Meneely, opened a second foundry across the river with George H. Kimberly in Troy, New...
chimes. The hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
is pierced by triangular vents and topped by a cross.
Inside, the sanctuary has a hammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...
with truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
es of dark stained wood. Plaster walls, original pews, a lectern
Lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...
with brass eagle and stained glass from different periods complete the trim. In the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
are a marble altar originally from another church and an elaborate oak reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
.
History
The St. Mark's parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
was founded in 1833. It held services first in the local schoolhouse, then in a meetinghouse where the village's Baptist Church is now. Two decades after its founding, it had a congregation big enough to build its own church.
Walter A. Wood
Walter A. Wood
Walter Abbott Wood was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Mason, New Hampshire, Wood moved to New York in 1816 with his parents, who settled in Rensselaerville...
, later to become the village's major industrialist through the manufacture of mechanical mower
Mower
A mower is a machine for cutting grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g...
s and reaper
Reaper
A reaper is a person or machine that reaps crops at harvest, when they are ripe.-Hand reaping:Hand reaping is done by various means, including plucking the ears of grains directly by hand, cutting the grain stalks with a sickle, cutting them with a scythe, or with a later type of scythe called a...
s, played a major part in building the church. He visited Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
, frequently and was familiar with Henry Dudley's work there, such as St. John's Episcopal Church (now 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 Central Troy Historic District
Central Troy Historic District
The Central Troy Historic District is an irregularly-shaped, area of downtown Troy, New York, United States. It has been described as "one of the most perfectly preserved 19th-century downtowns in the [country]" with nearly 700 properties in a variety of architectural styles from the early 19th to...
) and some of the buildings at Oakwood Cemetery. Dudley also designed and built Wood's Tudor Revival house (no longer extant) on the hillside behind the church.
Dudley, an English immigrant
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
, was a member of the New York Ecclesiological Society. Its members advocated that Episcopal churches be modeled on English country parish churches, particularly in small country towns, where they felt that form was more harmonious with the surrounding rural landscape than the white frame Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
churches that had dominated American church architecture at the time. They also called for simplicity, since it was not necessary for a church to be elaborately decorated to fulfill its purpose. Most churches designed by Ecclesiologists thus featured steeply pitched roofs, axial plans, and clearly defined separations between the various functional spaces.
The only unusual aspect of St. Mark's among Dudley's work is its use of brick rather than stone. It is not known why, although perhaps that material was available in enough quantity in Hoosick Falls at the time to make it economical to build the church of it.
Construction began on the main block in 1858; it was completed and consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
two years later. Dudley designed the later additions, the north aisle and transept, in 1865. In the next two decades, the chimes would be added to the tower and the altar windows installed. The church underwent a major refurbishing in 1880 without any effect on the design. Ten years later the chancel was enlarged.
The last significant addition was the construction of the parish hall, in 1912–13, almost 20 years after Dudley's death. Its original large single hall on the first floor was divided into classrooms in the mid-20th century. Since then the church has remained unchanged.