St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Amenia Union, New York)
Encyclopedia
St. Thomas' Episcopal Church is located on Leedsville Road (Dutchess County
Route 2) in Amenia Union
, New York, United States. It is a mid-19th century brick church designed by Richard Upjohn
in the Gothic Revival architectural style
, built for a congregation organized shortly before.
It is considered one of the finest American imitations of an English country parish church. Inside, it has a historic organ
and Tiffany
stained glass
windows. In 2005 it, along with its parish house
and a carriage step, were added to the National Register of Historic Places
state line; state highway
CT 41 begins at a junction just to the southeast. The lot is cleared up front, where the church and parish house are, and wooded in the rear. In addition to the church and parish house, there is a parking lot on the northwest.
Both buildings are at the southeast corner of the lot, close to the road. The church is oriented parallel to the road with the parish house behind it on a slight rise. The carriage step is near the southwest corner.
The church itself is a one-story building on a stone foundation
faced in white-painted brick laid in common bond, with marble
trim. It is topped by a steeply pitched
gable
d roof shingled in asphalt. A flat, slightly projecting tower capped with a gabled bellcote is on the northwest (front) facade above a hooded lancet-arched double wooden door and narrow lancet opening.
Both side elevations have buttress
es separating lancet window
s. On the south side the southwest corner has a projecting side entrance with gabled roof and two double wooden arched doors similar to the main entrance. From the rear the chancel
, lower in height than the nave
, projects. Its northeast has a small wing that contains the sacristy
.
Inside, the nave has its pew
s arranged around a central aisle, with wooden floors and plaster walls. Pointed arch brackets
support the purlins of the high ceiling; the windows have deep splayed plain surrounds. A three-part stained glass
window at the rear of the chancel depicts an elderly St. John being carried into church. The geometric colored glass window behind the organ
is the only original one.
The parish hall is a long concrete block mid-20th century structure with a similar gable
d roof. The carriage step has large stone slabs on a brick foundation. Both are contributing resources
to the National Register listing.
movement in American Episcopalianism
, of which its architect Richard Upjohn
was a part. The English journal The Ecclesiologist, a part of the Oxford Movement
, wrote strongly in favor of Gothic-styled churches like those found in English country parishes. They believed the form was ideal and conducive to the liturgical
practices they advocated.
Most important was that the chancel
face east, toward the rising sun. This was easy to do on the site, but awkwardly sited the church parallel to the road. Upjohn mitigated the effect by putting the porch entrance along that wall. It had the added benefit of being asymmetrical, another feature promoted by the high-church advocates, in contrast to the classically
inspired church architecture of the early 19th century. The tall bell cote and entrance porch are also found on many of the English country churches seen as ideals by the writers at The Eccelesiologist.
Inside, the deep chancel
is the most prominent high church feature, its floor raised to emphasize the altar
and what goes on around it. The three lancet windows symbolize the Trinity
. The walls are simple plaster and the chestnut
ceiling truss
es exposed. The minimal ornamentation
reflects the dictum of A.W. Pugin, a leading theorist of the Gothic Revival, that "all ornament should consist of enrichment of the essential construction of the building", a position held just as firmly by Upjohn.
"Both inside and out", William Pierson, Jr.
, says in American Buildings and Their Architects, "St. Thomas is a coherent and austerely beautiful building, as expressive of its immediate circumstances as it is reflective of the ancient Gothic tradition from which it is born." He and other architectural historians
have considered it one of the finest American interpretations of the Gothic English country parish church.
work in the area by the Rev. Homer Wheaton of the hamlet of Lithgow in the nearby Town of Washington
. By the next year $2,000 had been raised by subscription
to build a church. A local farmer donated not only $500 but all the bricks as well. Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan
held a $500 mortgage
on the property to complete the $3,000 ($ in contemporary dollars) construction cost.
Prior to Wheaton's missionary work in eastern Dutchess, he had been rector of Christ Church in Poughkeepsie
and a trustee of General Theological Seminary
in New York City. In that capacity he came to know the leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of New York
, and through them met Richard Upjohn
, then working on Trinity. He invited Upjohn to design St. Thomas as well.
The original plan for the church called for a stone building, but that turned out to be too expensive. Members of the new congregation complemented their financial contributions by drawing foundation
stones, sand and timber to the site with their own teams. Other materials were provided locally besides the bricks—the chestnut
rafters were hewn from trees cut at Handlin Mill in the eastern portion of neighboring Sharon, Connecticut
.
Stephen Knibloe was appointed senior warden
in 1849. He was the first of a line of Knibloes to hold that post for all but two of the next 90 years. The church was completed in 1851, but was not consecrated
until April 1852, when the Acting Bishop of New York could make the time to do so.
Later additions to the church include the stained glass, two of which are believed to have been Tiffany
windows. In 1869 the bell, cast by Meneely Bell Foundry
in Troy
, was installed for $300 ($ in contemporary dollars) The tripartite chancel window was imported from England at a cost of $1,085 ($ in contemporary dollars) in 1875 and installed in memory of a recently deceased rector. Lastly, in 1886, the six-rank Odell organ was purchased from Jardine and Son in New York for ($ in contemporary dollars) in 1886.
There have been no significant changes to the church interior since then, other than the replacement of most of the other stained glass in the 1950s. The parish house was built at that time as well, and the brick on the church exterior painted over in white in the hope of preventing spall
ing. A half century later, in the early 2000s, the organ was restored and then designated a historic instrument by the Organ Historical Society
.
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
Route 2) in Amenia Union
Amenia (town), New York
Amenia is a town in Dutchess County, United States. New York, United States. The population was 4,048 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Latin word, amoena, which means "pleasant to the eye."...
, New York, United States. It is a mid-19th century brick church designed by 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...
in the Gothic Revival architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
, built for a congregation organized shortly before.
It is considered one of the finest American imitations of an English country parish church. Inside, it has a historic organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows. In 2005 it, along with its 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...
and a carriage step, were 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...
Buildings and grounds
The church and its outbuildings are located on a 3.6 acres (1.5 ha) lot on the north side of Leedsville Road in a small unincorporated hamlet known as Amenia Union in the eastern portion of the Town of Amenia. The property's northeast corner is on the ConnecticutConnecticut
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...
state line; state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
CT 41 begins at a junction just to the southeast. The lot is cleared up front, where the church and parish house are, and wooded in the rear. In addition to the church and parish house, there is a parking lot on the northwest.
Both buildings are at the southeast corner of the lot, close to the road. The church is oriented parallel to the road with the parish house behind it on a slight rise. The carriage step is near the southwest corner.
The church itself is a one-story building on a stone foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
faced in white-painted brick laid in common bond, with marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
trim. It is topped by 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...
d roof shingled in asphalt. A flat, slightly projecting tower capped with a gabled bellcote is on the northwest (front) facade above a hooded lancet-arched double wooden door and narrow lancet opening.
Both side elevations have buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es separating 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. On the south side the southwest corner has a projecting side entrance with gabled roof and two double wooden arched doors similar to the main entrance. From the rear 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...
, lower in height than 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...
, projects. Its northeast has a small wing that contains the sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
.
Inside, the nave has its 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 arranged around a central aisle, with wooden floors and plaster walls. Pointed arch 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...
support the purlins of the high ceiling; the windows have deep splayed plain surrounds. A three-part stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
window at the rear of the chancel depicts an elderly St. John being carried into church. The geometric colored glass window behind the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
is the only original one.
The parish hall is a long concrete block mid-20th century structure with a similar 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...
d roof. The carriage step has large stone slabs on a brick foundation. Both are contributing resources
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 National Register listing.
Aesthetics
The church's design reflects the principles of the high churchHigh church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
movement in American Episcopalianism
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...
, of which its architect 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...
was a part. The English journal The Ecclesiologist, a part of the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
, wrote strongly in favor of Gothic-styled churches like those found in English country parishes. They believed the form was ideal and conducive to the liturgical
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
practices they advocated.
Most important was that 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...
face east, toward the rising sun. This was easy to do on the site, but awkwardly sited the church parallel to the road. Upjohn mitigated the effect by putting the porch entrance along that wall. It had the added benefit of being asymmetrical, another feature promoted by the high-church advocates, in contrast to the classically
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
inspired church architecture of the early 19th century. The tall bell cote and entrance porch are also found on many of the English country churches seen as ideals by the writers at The Eccelesiologist.
Inside, the deep 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...
is the most prominent high church feature, its floor raised to emphasize the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
and what goes on around it. The three lancet windows symbolize the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
. The walls are simple plaster and the chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
ceiling 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 exposed. The minimal ornamentation
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...
reflects the dictum of A.W. Pugin, a leading theorist of the Gothic Revival, that "all ornament should consist of enrichment of the essential construction of the building", a position held just as firmly by Upjohn.
"Both inside and out", William Pierson, Jr.
William Pierson, Jr.
William Harvey Pierson, Jr. was an American painter and art historian. He was the first person to receive a master’s degree in painting from Yale....
, says in American Buildings and Their Architects, "St. Thomas is a coherent and austerely beautiful building, as expressive of its immediate circumstances as it is reflective of the ancient Gothic tradition from which it is born." He and other architectural historians
Architectural History
Architectural History is the main journal of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain .The journal is published each autumn. The architecture of the British Isles is a major theme of the journal, although it includes more general papers on the history of architecture. Member of...
have considered it one of the finest American interpretations of the Gothic English country parish church.
History
The congregation was established in 1848 by local residents following missionaryMissionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
work in the area by the Rev. Homer Wheaton of the hamlet of Lithgow in the nearby Town of Washington
Washington, New York
Washington is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 4,742 at the 2000 census. The town is named after George Washington, who passed through the town during the Revolution....
. By the next year $2,000 had been raised by subscription
Subscription business model
The subscription business model is a business model where a customer must pay a subscription price to have access to the product/service. The model was pioneered by magazines and newspapers, but is now used by many businesses and websites....
to build a church. A local farmer donated not only $500 but all the bricks as well. Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
held a $500 mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
on the property to complete the $3,000 ($ in contemporary dollars) construction cost.
Prior to Wheaton's missionary work in eastern Dutchess, he had been rector of Christ Church 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...
and a trustee of General Theological Seminary
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
in New York City. In that capacity he came to know the leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of New York
Episcopal Diocese of New York
The Episcopal Diocese of New York is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island in New York City, and the New York state counties of Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and...
, and through them met 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...
, then working on Trinity. He invited Upjohn to design St. Thomas as well.
The original plan for the church called for a stone building, but that turned out to be too expensive. Members of the new congregation complemented their financial contributions by drawing foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
stones, sand and timber to the site with their own teams. Other materials were provided locally besides the bricks—the chestnut
American Chestnut
The American Chestnut is a large, deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. Before the species was devastated by the chestnut blight, a fungal disease, it was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range...
rafters were hewn from trees cut at Handlin Mill in the eastern portion of neighboring Sharon, Connecticut
Sharon, Connecticut
Sharon is a town located in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the northwest corner of the state. It is bounded on the north by Salisbury, on the east by the Housatonic River, on the south by Kent, and on the west by Dutchess County, New York...
.
Stephen Knibloe was appointed senior warden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
in 1849. He was the first of a line of Knibloes to hold that post for all but two of the next 90 years. The church was completed in 1851, but was not 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...
until April 1852, when the Acting Bishop of New York could make the time to do so.
Later additions to the church include the stained glass, two of which are believed to have been Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
windows. In 1869 the bell, cast by Meneely Bell Foundry
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...
in 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...
, was installed for $300 ($ in contemporary dollars) The tripartite chancel window was imported from England at a cost of $1,085 ($ in contemporary dollars) in 1875 and installed in memory of a recently deceased rector. Lastly, in 1886, the six-rank Odell organ was purchased from Jardine and Son in New York for ($ in contemporary dollars) in 1886.
There have been no significant changes to the church interior since then, other than the replacement of most of the other stained glass in the 1950s. The parish house was built at that time as well, and the brick on the church exterior painted over in white in the hope of preventing spall
Spall
Spall are flakes of a material that are broken off a larger solid body and can be produced by a variety of mechanisms, including as a result of projectile impact, corrosion, weathering, cavitation, or excessive rolling pressure...
ing. A half century later, in the early 2000s, the organ was restored and then designated a historic instrument by the Organ Historical Society
Organ Historical Society
The Organ Historical Society is an international organization primarily composed of pipe organ enthusiasts and those who enjoy its music, and professional restorers. The main activities of the Society include promoting an active interest in the organ and its builders, particularly those in North...
.