St Mark's Church in-the-Bowery

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Exterior detail of painted pediment (HABS photo)

St. Mark's Church 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.

1 History and Architecture
2 Services
- 2.1 Staff
3 Miscellanea
4 External links

[edit] History and Architecture

In 1651, Peter 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. And Alexander Hamilton would then provide legal aid in incorporating St. Mark's Church as the first Episcopal Parish independent of Trinity Church in the new world.

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 Peter Stuyvesant. And later, in 1981 and 1982, Princess Margriet and Queen Beatrix, both of the Netherlands will 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 Tobler 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.

[edit] Services

Aspiration statue

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. St. Mark's also hosts modern artistic endeavors, The Poetry Project, Danspace Project holding events year round. Richard Foreman's avant-garde theater, Ontological-Hysteric Theater, is also housed there.

[edit] Staff

The Rev. Julio O. Torres, Priest-in-Charge
- Jahneen Otis, Music Director

[edit] Miscellanea

In 1825, Daniel D. Tompkins, Vice President of the U.S. under President James Monroe and former Governor of New York, is buried in St. Mark's yard.
Gideon Lee, Vestryman and Treasurer of St. Mark's Church, is elected Mayor of New York City in 1832.
Alexander T. Stewart, the wealthy New York merchant, is buried at St. Mark's Church in 1876. Three weeks later his body is stolen and held for ransom.
1860 The Ladies' Benevolent Society is formed by women of St. Mark's Church.
In 1919 poet Kahlil Gibran is appointed a member of the St. Mark's Arts Committee.
The two prominent Indian statues, "Aspiration" and "Inspiration" 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.
American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright presents plans to build two high-rise towers on St. Mark's grounds in 1929.
Martha Graham dances at St. Mark's in 1930.
In 1940, St. Mark's Church becomes a branch of Bundles for Britain, Inc.
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 and Reverend Allen and representatives of St. Mark's vestry and congregation join civil rights march in Selma, Alabama.
In 1986, St. Mark's Church and community complete the post-fire reconstruction.
Shortly after the 1996 murder of Abe Lebewohl, owner of the famous Jewish Deli, 2nd Avenue Deli across the street, the two triangle gardens in front of the church were renamed in his honor.
In 1999, St. Mark's celebrates its 200th anniversary.
During the 2004 Republican National Convention, hosted in New York City, St Mark's Church hosted the National Anarchist Movement by allowing the young members to erect a temporary encampment on its grounds.