Watchlist: St. Mary’s Church

By admin on February 25, 2017

Countless thousands of Staten Islanders share personal memories there, from family baptisms and weddings to
funerals. The Archdiocese of New York closed the church in 2015.

• St. Mary’s is the second oldest Roman Catholic
  Church on Staten Island. (The oldest is St. Peter’s
  on St. Marks Place in New Brighton.)
•  The cornerstone for St. Mary’s was laid in 1857; the
  first mass was celebrated at the church on Christmas
  Day 1857
• The adjoining rectory was constructed in 1858.

DESERVING LANDMARK STATUS:
“The church is an instant landmark in its red brick composition and tall central tower, its style elegantly
rendered in a Northern Italian Romanesque style,” says the nonprofit Historic Districts Council (HDC), headquartered
in Manhattan. “It sits prominently upon a hill, virtually intact since its construction in 1857, although its
surroundings – suburban corporate infill encroaches upon it.”
“Landmark status would preserve this structure’s place on Bay Street in case this property is ever sold, as the
continued subdivision of Staten Island and loss of its history unfortunately prevails,” HDC has noted.
St. Mary’s could face demolition if the Archdiocese of New York decides to sell the property on which it is
located.

“This historic church should not suffer the same fate as the historic structures at Mount Manresa and the very
rare old-growth forest on that site that include a Black Tupelo tree slightly over 400 years old and possibly the
oldest living tree in New York City,” said Jack Bolembach, president of the Committee to Save Mount Manresa.