Anthony J. DePace
Encyclopedia
Anthony J. DePace was an American architect who designed numerous Roman Catholic churches in throughout the Northeastern United States area during the mid to late 20th century.
. Shortly thereafter he emigrated to the United States
and moved to the Bronx in New York where he lived for the rest of his life. He was educated at Morris High School (Bronx, New York)
and studied evenings at the Engineering and Architecture School of New York University, earning a degree there in architectural engineering.
from 1920 to 1923 and served as project manager for the construction of the New York Life Insurance Company Building in New York City
, on the hallowed site of Richard M. Upjohn
's Madison Square Presbyterian Church, New York City (1854)
and later Stamford White's Madison Square Presbyterian Church, New York City (1906)
. The NY Life Insurance Tower was erected late in Cass Gilbert's career when the architect had withdrawn from most aspects of design and client relations, even for important projects. While Gilbert was the lead designer of the NY Life, it has been widely reported in his biographies that he appeared very disinterested in the project when meeting with clients and left most of the work to his staff. This might suggest a greater role for DePace.
. The firm continued in practice until 1947 when the partnership was dissolved.
, published 1970.
DePace was a registered architect in Connecticut
, Massachusetts
, New Jersey
, New York
, Pennsylvania
. He considered his principle works to be St. James's Hospital (Newark, New Jersey) (1960), Cathedral High School (Hartford, Connecticut) (1960), Norwalk Cathedral High School (Norwalk, Connecticut) (1960), Pelham Bay General Hospital (Bronx, New York) (1960), Immaculate Heart Academy (Bergen County, New Jersey) (1961).
Diocese of Brooklyn:
Archdiocese of Newark:
Archdiocese of Hartford:
Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut:
Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts:
Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts:
elsewhere:
Early life and education
DePace was born on July 13, 1892 in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Shortly thereafter he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and moved to the Bronx in New York where he lived for the rest of his life. He was educated at Morris High School (Bronx, New York)
Morris High School (Bronx, New York)
Morris High School was a high school in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It was built in 1897. It was the first high school built in the Bronx...
and studied evenings at the Engineering and Architecture School of New York University, earning a degree there in architectural engineering.
Early career
Upon graduation, he entered the firm of Albert C. Bossom where he rose to the position of chief draftsman from 1917 to 1920, or alternatively recorded as 1916 to 1921. He then moved to the firm of Cass GilbertCass Gilbert
- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
from 1920 to 1923 and served as project manager for the construction of the New York Life Insurance Company Building in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, on the hallowed site of Richard M. Upjohn
Richard M. Upjohn
Richard Michell Upjohn, FAIA, was an influential American architect, co-founder and president of the American Institute of Architects.-Early life and career:...
's Madison Square Presbyterian Church, New York City (1854)
Madison Square Presbyterian Church, New York City (1854)
Madison Square Presbyterian Church was a Presbyterian church in Manhattan, New York City, located on Madison Square Park at the southeast corner of East 24th Street and Madison Avenue. Construction on the church began in 1853 and was completed in 1854. It was designed by Richard M. Upjohn, the son...
and later Stamford White's Madison Square Presbyterian Church, New York City (1906)
Madison Square Presbyterian Church, New York City (1906)
Madison Square Presbyterian Church was a Presbyterian church in Manhattan, New York City, located on Madison Square Park at the northeast corner of East 24th Street and Madison Avenue. It was designed by Stanford White in a High Renaissance architectural style, with a prominent central dome over a...
. The NY Life Insurance Tower was erected late in Cass Gilbert's career when the architect had withdrawn from most aspects of design and client relations, even for important projects. While Gilbert was the lead designer of the NY Life, it has been widely reported in his biographies that he appeared very disinterested in the project when meeting with clients and left most of the work to his staff. This might suggest a greater role for DePace.
DePace and Juster (1923-1947)
In 1923, DePace left Cass Gilbert and formed DePace and Juster, in partnership with Samuel JusterSamuel Juster
Samuel Juster, AIA, was a minor American architect who practiced in mid-20th-century New York and New Jersey.-Early life and education:...
. The firm continued in practice until 1947 when the partnership was dissolved.
Anthony J. DePace, AIA (1947-1977)
DePace established his own firm under his own name in 1947 and continued this practice until his death. His office was located at 151 West 46th Street, New York City. However, the firm of Anthony J. DePace, AIA was not listed in the third edition of the American Architects DirectoryAmerican Architects Directory
The American Architects Directory is a directory of American architects registered with the American Institute of Architects. It was published by R.R. Bowker LLC. The first edition was published in 1956, second edition in 1962, and third edition in 1970....
, published 1970.
DePace was a registered architect in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 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...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He considered his principle works to be St. James's Hospital (Newark, New Jersey) (1960), Cathedral High School (Hartford, Connecticut) (1960), Norwalk Cathedral High School (Norwalk, Connecticut) (1960), Pelham Bay General Hospital (Bronx, New York) (1960), Immaculate Heart Academy (Bergen County, New Jersey) (1961).
Legacy
Over his long career, DePace is remembered as a prolific designer of Roman Catholic churches, schools, rectories and convents. Throughout his career he worked closely with several Roman Catholic Diocese including the Archdiocese of New York (Southern New York), Archdiocese of Newark (Northern New Jersey), Archdiocese of Hartford (Connecticut), Diocese of Brooklyn (Brooklyn and Queens, New York City), Diocese of Bridgeport (Connecticut), and Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts. Although his work was prolific, he never achieved critical recognition.Honors, awards, and publication
- 1929: Gold Medal for 5th Ave, 640 Madison Ave
- 1950: Honorable Mention for Holy Year (Rome, Italy) for St. Peter Church (Bridgeport, Connecticut).
- An illustration of his work was published in Illustration of Modern Church Design (1932).
Works include
Archdiocese of New York:- 1925: Church of St. DominicSt. Dominic's Church (Bronx, New York)The Church of St. Dominic is a Roman Catholic parish church under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 1739 Unionport Road, Van Nest, Bronx, New York City. The parish was established in 1927. The Romanesque Revival was built 1925 to the designs of Bronx-native...
, Bronx, New York - 1929-1931 St. Claire of Assisi Church, Bronx, New York
- 1930, 1970 St. Teresa Church Pelham Bay, New York (both the first church (1930) and its replacement (1970s))
- 1931: St. Roch's Church, Bronx, NY (as DePace & JusterDePace & JusterDePace & Juster was an architectural firm established in 1923 by architects Anthony DePace and Samuel Juster, who met while working at the firm of Alfred C. Bossom in the late 1910s...
) - 1939: St. Vincent De Paul Church, New York, NY (façade (1939), church by Henry EngelbertHenry EngelbertHenry Engelbert was an architect best known for buildings in the French Second Empire style, which emphasized elaborate mansard roofs with dormers. New York's Grand Hotel on Broadway is the most noteworthy extant example of Engelbert's work in the French Second Empire Style...
(1857) - St. Valentine Church, Bronx, New York (now St. Thomas Syro Malibar Church)
- St. Vito Church, Mamaroneck, New YorkMamaroneck (village), New YorkMamaroneck is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 18,929 at the 2010 census. It is located partially within the town of Mamaroneck and partially within the town of Rye. The portion in Rye is unofficially called "Rye Neck"...
- Sacred Heart Church, Newburgh, New York
- Nazareth High SchoolNazareth Regional High School (Brooklyn)Nazareth Regional High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Brooklyn, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn....
, Brooklyn, New York
Diocese of Brooklyn:
- St. Rosilita Regina Pacis Shrine, Brooklyn, New York
- Our Lady of Grace Church, Brooklyn, New York
- St. Adalbert Church, Queens, New York
- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Ozone Park, New York
Archdiocese of Newark:
- St. Aloysius Church, Caldwell, New JerseyCaldwell, New JerseyCaldwell is a borough located in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, about outside of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,822....
- Holy Family Church, Nutley, New JerseyNutley, New Jersey2010 Census Data:*TOTAL: 28,370 or 100%*White: 23,405 *African American: 628 *Asian: 2,824 *American Indian and Alaska Native: 36 *Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 4...
- St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Bloomfield, New JerseyBloomfield, New JerseyBloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
- St. Rose of Lima Church, East Hanover, New JerseyEast Hanover, New JerseyEast Hanover Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 11,393. The town was incorporated in 1928. The headquarters of the Nabisco company and the pharmaceutical company Novartis are located in East...
- St. Ann Church Fair Lawn, New JerseyFair Lawn, New JerseyFair Lawn is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457. Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March...
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Montclair, New JerseyMontclair, New Jersey-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
- St. Catherine of Sienna Church, Cedar Grove, New JerseyCedar Grove, New Jersey-Climate:Cedar Grove has a humid subtropical climate, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly colder overall during the summer than in New York City because there is no urban heat island effect....
- Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
- Holy Rosary School, Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
Archdiocese of Hartford:
- Holy Cross Church, New Britain, ConnecticutNew Britain, ConnecticutNew Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254....
- St. Ann Church, New Britain, ConnecticutNew Britain, ConnecticutNew Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254....
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Waterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
- St. Ann Church, Hamden, ConnecticutHamden, ConnecticutHamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut:
- St. Ambrose ChurchSt. Ambrose Church (Bridgeport, Connecticut)St. Ambrose is a Roman Catholic church in Bridgeport, Connecticut, part of the Diocese of Bridgeport.- History :The church is sometimes referred to as the "Church on the Hill." St. Ambrose's Church is a landmark in this part of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The Romanesque style church was built 1939 to...
, Bridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area... - Holy Rosary ChurchHoly Rosary Church (Bridgeport, Connecticut)Holy Rosary Church in Bridgeport is a Catholic Church in Diocese of Bridgeport.- History :Formally known as Our Lady of Pompeii of the Holy Rosary, the Romanesque Revival-style church was built 1930 to the designs by the Brooklyn architect Anthony J...
, Bridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area... - St. Peter Church, Bridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
- St. Emory Church, Fairfield, ConnecticutFairfield, ConnecticutFairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
- St. Anthony Church, Fairfield, ConnecticutFairfield, ConnecticutFairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts:
- Sacred Heart Church Milford, MassachusettsMilford, MassachusettsMilford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It had a population of 27,999 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Milford, constituting the center of the town, please see the article Milford ,...
Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts:
- Christ the King Church, Ludlow, MassachusettsLudlow, MassachusettsLudlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census. It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, east of Chicopee, southeast of Granby, southwest of Belchertown, west of Wilbraham and is considered part of the...
- St. Anthony Church, North Adams, MassachusettsNorth Adams, MassachusettsNorth Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state...
- St. Thomas Church, Palmer, MassachusettsPalmer, MassachusettsThe Town of Palmer is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,140 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
elsewhere:
- Christ the King Church, Columbus, OhioColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
- Liberal Arts Building and Rotunda at Marywood College, Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, PennsylvaniaScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
(with Professor Gonippo RaggiGonippo RaggiGonippo Raggi was an Italian artist who provided murals for many churches and church institutions in the United States.-Early childhood and education:He was born in Rome, Italy, in 1875, and studied at the Art Institute of St...
, artist) - St. Gabriel Parish Convent Hazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...