St. James' Episcopal Church and Parish House
Encyclopedia
St. James' Episcopal Church and Parish House is a historic Episcopal
church at 2500 Jerome Avenue and 190th Street, in the Fordham
section of The Bronx
, New York City
, New York
.
It was founded July 5, 1853, becoming the first Episcopal parish in Fordham. The parish at first met at the Manor Reformed Church on Kingsbridge Road, then on June 11, 1854 acquired an old schoolhouse for use. On October 1, 1854, the Rev. Joshua Weaver became its first rector.
laid the cornerstone of the present building on May 28, 1864, and the church was consecrated by the same on All Saints' Day
, November 1, 1865.
It is a "native stone" building with brownstone
trim in the Gothic Revival
style. It was completed at a cost of $25,000.
The stone parish house, located on Jerome Avenue, was built 1891-1892 to the designs by Henry Franklin Kilburn
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982. It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1980.
The parish also operated an apartment building on its property, built to relieve the housing shortage after World War I
and as a business venture to raise revenue for expanding the church and parish house. It opened in 1924; however, the debt proved onerous with the coming of the Great Depression
. The property was finally sold in 1924.
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 at 2500 Jerome Avenue and 190th Street, in the Fordham
Fordham, Bronx
Fordham is a neighborhood of New York City, United States, located in the West Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 5. It is bordered by Fordham Road to the north, Webster Avenue to the east, East 183rd Street to the south, and Jerome Avenue to the west...
section of The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, 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...
, 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...
.
It was founded July 5, 1853, becoming the first Episcopal parish in Fordham. The parish at first met at the Manor Reformed Church on Kingsbridge Road, then on June 11, 1854 acquired an old schoolhouse for use. On October 1, 1854, the Rev. Joshua Weaver became its first rector.
Buildings
The church was designed in 1863 by noted architect Henry C. Dudley (1813-1894). Bishop Horatio PotterHoratio Potter
The Right Reverend Horatio Potter , was an Episcopal Bishop in the Diocese of New York.The youngest brother of Bishop Alonzo Potter, he was born near Beekman , Dutchess County, New York on 9 February 1802, to Quaker farmers Joseph and Anne Potter...
laid the cornerstone of the present building on May 28, 1864, and the church was consecrated by the same on All Saints' Day
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
, November 1, 1865.
It is a "native stone" building with brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
trim in the Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style. It was completed at a cost of $25,000.
The stone parish house, located on Jerome Avenue, was built 1891-1892 to the designs by Henry Franklin Kilburn
Henry Franklin Kilburn
Henry Franklin Kilburn, FAIA, was an American architect active in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century New York City who is particularly associated with church architecture...
. 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...
in 1982. It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1980.
The parish also operated an apartment building on its property, built to relieve the housing shortage after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and as a business venture to raise revenue for expanding the church and parish house. It opened in 1924; however, the debt proved onerous with the coming of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The property was finally sold in 1924.