Photographs and thoughts on photography and camera collecting
So far, I’ve been unable to find any information about this church, other than that it’s for sale. It’s not even mentioned in the Village of Ossining Significant Sites and Structures Guide
If you’re interested in buying a church, there’s some information on Caldwell Banker Realty. $775,000 and it’s yours!
Taken with a Sony RX100 MVII.
These three statues stand outside a church, the name of which I’m having trouble with. The header on the church’s website refers to: “St. John Paul II Maronite Catholic Church at Immaculate Conception”. Other parts of the site refer only to “The Church of the Immaculate Conception”.
There’s section on The History of the Maronites, part of which reads:
The Maronite Church dates back to the early Christians of Antioch where “they were called Christians for the first time” (Acts 11:26). She still uses as her liturgical language, Syriac, a dialect of the Aramaic that Jesus Himself spoke, and takes her name from the hermit-priest, Saint Maron, who died in 410 AD. Within a few years after Saint Maron’s death, over 800 monks adopted his way of life and became known as the Maronites. Later, the Muslim invasions (7th-10th Centuries), coupled with conflicts from within the Byzantine Empire, caused the Maronites to flee the plains of Syria and their churches and monasteries, to the natural protection of the mountains of Lebanon where they first lived in caves and grottos, and then later built small churches and monasteries. By 687, Maronites organized themselves around Saint John Maron, whom they elected Patriarch of the vacant See of Antioch and thus developed as a distinct Church within the Catholic Church.
. To read more about the history of the Maronite church see here.
There’s also a section on what the site refers to as the Westchester Mission, which I take to mean the history of this particular church rather than this much longer history of the Maronite Church in general. This section reads:
The Westchester Maronite Catholic Mission (WMCM), as it was originally known, was founded by several Westchester families. The idea of a Maronite Church in Westchester began in 2002. First mass took place at the Trinity Church in Mamaroneck NY in April 2002. Bishop Gregory Mansour officially created the Westchester Maronite Catholic Mission in June 2006. Regular masses started once a month, then starting in 2007 twice a month. September 2007, Mission home moves to the Sisters of Divine Compassion – Good Counsel Campus on 55 North Broadway, White Plains NY. In July 2011, the mission is named after Saint John Paul II.
Through the commitment of its parish members, the Westchester Maronite Catholic Mission’s home was established at the Immaculate Conception Church at 199 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow NY in April 2013. In August 2014, the Mission acquires the Immaculate Conception Church from the Archdiocese of New York and becomes the Saint John Paul II Parish at the Immaculate Conception.
There’s also an interesting section, featuring a few black and white pictures on the art and design of the church which reads:
It is believed that our Church was designed by James Renwick, Jr. (1818–1895, Architect Columbia College 1836, M.A. 1839), who also designed the Smithsonian “Castle” in Washington and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York among many other landmarks in New York City and Westchester area.
A leader of multiple architectural movements in the 19th-century United States, James Renwick, Jr., elevated contemporary regard for the profession through his designs for high-profile buildings such as the Smithsonian “Castle” in Washington and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Renwick’s great success was especially noteworthy given that he was, in a sense, a hobbyist: He had no formal architectural training and did not need to work to support himself, but rose to the top of his field on the strength of his engineering background, historical knowledge, and refined sensibilities. Renwick was 25 when he won his first commission, in 1843, to build New York’s Grace Episcopal Church (Broadway and 10th Street); the popular design brought him instant renown and is an early marker of the Gothic revival period. He used a related style when designing St. Patrick’s, the largest Catholic cathedral in the United States. Begun in 1858 and completed 21 years later, the cathedral was modeled on a German forebear but incorporated French and English elements as well. Responsive to both changing tastes and the desires of his patrons, Renwick also worked in the Romanesque, as exemplified by the red-sandstone Smithsonian Institution building (1855), and in later years helped introduce the Second Empire style to America, as at Washington’s original Corcoran (now Renwick) Gallery (1871). For several years the supervising architect for New York’s Commission of Charities and Correction, Renwick designed public buildings on Roosevelt, Randall’s, and Ward’s islands. He also designed the original Main Building (1865) on the Vassar College campus in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. A house built for his parents at 21 5th Avenue—the first on its 9th Street block—was later occupied for a time by Mark Twain.
The church’s home page can be found at: https://www.johnpaul2parish.org/
Taken with a Sony A7IV and Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm f3.5
Last weekend I went to an organ recital at the Briarcliff Manor Congregational Church. I’ve been to some local events in the past and was not always impressed by the performances. I will not quickly forget a performance of Hande’s Messiah. The singers were whoever showed up and wanted to sing. I read that the orchestra was anyone who wanted to play. No auditions necessary.
But this was very different. The two performers clearly knew what they were doing and delivered an excellent performance. The organ is an amazing instrument, but it looks exceedingly difficult to play.
I really enjoyed it.
Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 75mm f1.8 FE
Ossining has a number of churches. These are two of them. The following descriptions are from the Ossining Significant Sites & Structures Guide.
On the left is the First Baptist Church:
Date of Construction: 1871- 1874
Architectural Style: High Victorian Gothic (1860s-1890s)
High Victorian Gothic architecture, which evolved from the older Gothic Revival style, differs from that style in its use of contrasting polychromatic bands on the exterior wall surfaces and more elaborate decorative elements. This style was usually reserved for public buildings such as schools or churches. As it is related to the Gothic Revival style, structures in this style also contain such elements as steeply pitched rooflines, elaborate ornamentation, and a predominantly vertical orientation.
The First Baptist Church consists of two sections: a rectangular main section and a smaller, perpendicular northern section. The main section’s 100 foot tall spire, which is surrounded by 16 pinnacles, was added in 1894. Older photographs show that the building originally had an
ornamental roof cresting that was subsequently removed at an unknown date. The structure is capped with a gray slate gable roof with four gabled dormers. Each contains a large pointed arch window and elaborate decorative exterior woodwork around the gables. The pointed arch-shaped double front doors at the main entryway facing Church Street are surrounded with polychrome brick trim and a decorative fanlight above the door. Eight stained glass windows located around the perimeter of the structure illustrate scenes from the Bible. The church is constructed with brick and limestone.
Significance: Architectural and Cultural
The First Baptist Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as architecturally significant for its status as the best example of High Victorian Gothic architecture in the Village. Other examples include the First Presbyterian Church. The nomination took place prior to the 1989 designation of the Downtown Ossining Historic District in which the Church is located and listed as a contributing structure. The Church is also culturally significant for its association with its founder, Captain Elijah Hunter (1749-1815), a Sing Sing-based landowner and businessman who later served as the first Supervisor for the Town of Mount Pleasant prior to the formal incorporation of Sing Sing Village in 1813; the Sing Sing Baptist Congregation, founded in 1786; and for its overall role in the cultural life of the Village since its construction in 1874.
Narrative:
The First Baptist Church, completed in 1874, is actually the second structure to occupy the site at 1 Church St; the first was constructed in the early 19th Century to house the Sing Sing Baptist Congregation. This congregation was founded in April of 1786 by Captain Elijah Hunter, a Revolutionary War spy who was the founder of the hamlet Hunter’s Landing, an early waterfront settlement located near the current-day train station which grew to later become part of Sing Sing Village. Hunter chose a triangular-shaped site at the center of the Village near the convergence of the Albany Post Road (known today as Highland Avenue or Route 9), Croton Avenue, and Main Street in order to maximize its visibility and emphasize its central importance to Ossining’s religious life. The original First Baptist Church was a place where blacks and whites would worship side by side in a setting that permitted a degree of equality that did not exist elsewhere, a tradition that continued with the construction of the current structure. The original church building was demolished once the size of the congregation grew too large and the present structure was built on the same site. The church was designed by J. Walsh, a Brooklyn-based architect, and was built for a cost of $75,000 in 1874 dollars.
On the right, the First Presbyterian Church.
Date of Construction: 1870
Architectural Style: High Victorian Gothic (1860s-1890s)
The First Presbyterian Church is two stories in height with rectangular massing. The front façade is dominated by two front towers on either side of the main entryway. Typical of the High Victorian Gothic style, the church makes use of the polychrome theme with the contrasting brick colors on window sills, lintels, surrounds, buttress caps, and surrounding the main entrance. The gothic pointed arch motif is used for window openings and entryways. The gabled main entrance, which faces South Highland Avenue, is surrounded with elaborate limestone work. The church originally was constructed with a tall steeple on the southeast tower that was subsequently removed in the 1950s when the building was renovated and modernized. The church is constructed with brick and limestone.
Significance: Architectural and Cultural
The First Presbyterian Church is National Register-listed as a contributing structure within the Downtown Ossining Historic District. It is architecturally significant as a well preserved example of High Victorian Gothic architecture within Ossining. Other structures of this style include the First Baptist Church. This structure is also culturally significant as the home of the First Presbyterian Congregation of Ossining.
Narrative:
The First Presbyterian Congregation was formed in 1763 and originally occupied a site located in what is now Sparta Cemetery on land donated by Frederick Phillipse, owner of the vast Phillipse Estate that stretched from modern-day Kingsbridge, Bronx to the Croton River. The original building was damaged during the Revolutionary War, prompting the congregation to build a new structure in the village of Sing Sing on the site of the current Trinity Episcopal Church at 7 South Highland Avenue in 1803. As the congregation grew, this church was expanded until it was no longer adequate to house all those who wished to worship there. The present church was constructed from 1868 to 1870 for a cost of approximately $95,000 by contractor Peter H. Terhune of Binghamton, NY and designed by architect Isaac Gale Perry. Perry was later
appointed as the State Architect for the State of New York and designed the final phase of the New York State Capitol in Albany from 1883 to 1899 as well as the New York State Armory in Poughkeepsie in 1891.
Taken with a Sony RX10 IV.
My plan had been to walk back into Ossining along Route 9/Albany Post Road. However, as I was walking to the diner, I noticed that the road crossed the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail.
According to New York State’s Parks, Recreation and Preservation site:
During the 1830s New York City was in dire need of a fresh water supply to combat the steady rise of disease and to fight numerous fires that often engulfed large tracts of businesses and homes. After numerous proposals and an abandoned plan two years into its production, construction of an unprecedented magnitude began in 1837 under the expertise of John Bloomfield Jervis. The proposed plan called for a 41-mile aqueduct and dam to be built in order to run water from the Croton River to New York City. Three to four thousand workers, mostly Irish immigrants earning up to $1.00 per day, completed the masonry marvel in just five years. In 1842 water flowed into above-ground reservoirs located at the present sites of the New York Public Library and the Great Lawn of Central Park. Throngs of people attended the formal celebration held on October 14th and celebrated with “Croton cocktails” – a mix of Croton water and lemonade.
This 19th-century architectural achievement cost New York City approximately 13 million dollars and was believed able to provide New Yorkers with fresh water for centuries to come. The population spiraled upward at a dizzying rate, however, and the Croton Aqueduct, which was capable of carrying 100 million gallons per day, could no longer meet New York City’s needs by the early 1880s. Construction of the New Croton Aqueduct began in 1885 and water began to flow by 1890. Although no longer the sole supplier of fresh water, the Old Croton Aqueduct continued to provide water to New York City until 1965.
In 1968, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation purchased 26.2 miles of the original 41-mile aqueduct from New York City. Presently, Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park is a linear park which runs from Van Cortlandt Park at the Bronx County/City of Yonkers border to the Croton Dam in Cortlandt. In 1987 a section was reopened to supply the Town of Ossining and in 1992 the Old Croton Aqueduct was awarded National Historic Landmark Status. The scenic path over the underground aqueduct winds through urban centers and small communities. It passes near numerous historic sites, preserves, a museum highlighting the construction of the Aqueduct, and many homes. The Aqueduct’s grassy ceiling provides abundant recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. While primarily for walking and running, parts of the trail are suitable for horseback riding, biking (except during “mud season”), bird watching, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
A stone aqueduct bridge was completed in 1842 to carry the Old Croton Aqueduct over both the Sing Sing Kill and the Broadway Arch Bridge. Designed by civil engineer John B. Jervis, the aqueduct carried fresh water from Croton Reservoir to New York City. The original Ossining weir was located a quarter mile north of the bridge but a program initiated in 1881 modified the function of the weirs to provide valves that could divert the entire flow of the aqueduct at any one weir. This was a feat not possible in the original 1842 design. All other weirs were modified but the original Ossining weir, located on a stream, could not accommodate the entire flow of the aqueduct. Therefore, a new weir was constructed in 1881-1886 at the Aqueduct Bridge where the water could be diverted.
The marker reads:
Taken with a Sony RX10 IV.