St. Philip's Church in the Highlands

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St. Philip's Church in the Highlands in 2007

St. Philip's Church in the Highlands is an Episcopal church in the Hudson Highlands on New York State Route 9D in Garrison , New York in the United States. It is a neo-Gothic building that was planned by Richard Upjohn , a member of the community and handed over to its intended use in 1865.

The parish itself has a long and confused history that goes back to colonial times . Its development is closely linked to the development of the locality in which it is located. The structure was found suitable for entry in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 , but since the parish objected, the entry was not made until 1995.

history

Colonial times and American independence

The church was originally founded around 1770 when St. Peter's Church in Peekskill was founded by King George III. received their charter. The community leader Beverley Robinson and Charles Moore decided to continue north to set up a district in the well-known at the time as "Four Corners" area, which was to serve the families there. After a transitional period in which services were held in the house of a parishioner, a small wooden chapel was built on the spot where the current church is. The cemetery surrounding the church was also established at this time. The name St. Philip’s possibly goes back to Frederick Philipse , who was originally granted land in the area by the English throne; Robinson was a son-in-law to his family.

The first pastor of both churches, John Doty, left the area for Nova Scotia after a few years , as he was an unwavering loyalist and the area became more and more divided during the American Revolutionary War . Robinson also declined his friend John Jay's invitation to swear allegiance to the recently founded United States. He worked actively in supporting the British cause. Robinson organized the Loyal American Legion and coordinated reconnaissance . His land and home were eventually confiscated by the new New York government, and he left America for England without ever returning.

A similar situation shared half of the families in the area around St. Philip's Church, and the church itself was so despised locally for its association with the Tories that, according to tradition, the mob gathered to start a fire . It is said to have been George Washington personally who stood up to them at the door and exclaimed: "That, Lord, is my Church!" In gratitude, a stained glass window was installed in the vestibule of the church, which depicts Washington.

After independence

In the first years after American independence , the church was unused and the town was being rebuilt. William Denning , who had replaced Robinson as both landowner and community leader, renovated the altar and interior of the church in 1786. Six years later the church got a parish pastor again, Andrew Fowler, who after a few years went to South Carolina to build the Episcopal Church there.

In 1837 the church was rebuilt and in 1840, after the parish had enough members to compete with the rival parishes, the parish was incorporated independently . A rectory was built in 1854.

New building

In May 1860 a new pastor arrived, Charles Frederick Hoffman. The completion of the Hudson River Railroad through the nearby hamlet of Garrison Landing made the village more accessible. It became a popular place to live for some of the most prominent New York City families of the time, many of whom became parishioners. Hoffman realized that the growing parish needed a new church structure.

The parishioner Henry Belcher donated 1.2  hectares of land for construction and other community members gathered 10,000  US dollars for the construction costs. The design was made by a parishioner, Richard Upjohn . He had already built Trinity Church in Manhattan and several other churches in the United States. The new structure was a one-story neo-Gothic building made of gray granite , which was completed in 1861 and consecrated a year later .

In the following decades a carriage house and shed were built near the church . The rectory was built at the turn of the century.

20th century

The early years of the 20th century were marked by a bitter discussion within the parish when a chapel further east in the mountains first became part of a monastery and then the seat of the Graymoor Friars , who had given up the Anglican faith and joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1909 connected. St. Philip's insisted on ownership of the land - now US Highway 9 , New York State Route 403 and the Appalachian Trail intersect there - and a resolution by the New York government was required to resolve the dispute in favor of the monks decide. However, the dispute in the community continued for several years.

St. Philip's had a new pastor in 1908, Edward Clowes Chorley. He wrote a two-volume history of St. Philip's and other churches and years later became editor-in-chief of Anglican & Episcopal History . During his time in Garrison, electricity and gas lighting were installed in the building and a boys' choir was established. Outside the church, the original rectory was replaced in 1911 and a house for the sexton was built in 1917 . These buildings are considered contributing structures to entry on the National Register of Historic Places . Chorley also helped found the Garrisons Volunteer Fire Department .

A kindergarten was later opened and moved to the expanded school during the 1960s when the day nursery was introduced. That same year, William Reisman began his 27-year tenure in the ward. Under his leadership of the community, the buildings were modernized and newly decorated, the stained glass windows were provided with protective windows. He eventually updated Chorley's historiography well into the 1970s.

Under his successor, a new organ was installed in the church , the roof and the floors of the rectory were renewed, which also served as a meeting place for Garrison.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c d e Elise Barry: National Register of Historic Places nomination, St. Philip's Church in the Highlands . March 18, 1982. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
  2. Early Years . Archived from the original on January 31, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 23, 2008. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / stphilips.highlands.com
  3. a b Turbulent Times for Opposing Loyalties ( English ) Archived from the original on January 31, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 17, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / stphilips.highlands.com
  4. ^ A b c Post Revolutionary Years to the Civil War . Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 17, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / stphilips.highlands.com
  5. a b c The Growth Years . Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 7, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / stphilips.highlands.com
  6. a b The 20th Century - 1900–1950 . Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 17, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / stphilips.highlands.com
  7. a b The 20th Century - 1950–2000 . Archived from the original on January 31, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 23, 2008. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / stphilips.highlands.com

Coordinates: 41 ° 22 ′ 55 ″  N , 73 ° 56 ′ 19 ″  W.