Church of the Holy Comforter (Poughkeepsie, New York)

The Church of the Holy Comforter, built in 1860, is a Gothic Revival church located at 18 Davies Place, near the train station in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States, a few blocks from the Hudson River. Its steeples are prominently visible to traffic passing through the city since the construction of the elevated US 9 expressway in 1965.[1]

Church of the Holy Comforter
South elevation and tower, 2007
Religion
AffiliationDiocese of the Resurrection of the Holy Catholic Church
RiteWestern Rite
Year consecrated1860
Location
LocationPoughkeepsie, NY, USA
Geographic coordinates41°22′23″N 73°56′11″W
Architecture
Architect(s)Richard Upjohn[1]
StyleGothic Revival
General contractorWilliam Harloe
Groundbreaking1859
Completed1860
Construction cost1860 Church - $19,000, 1867 north addition - $8,700 - Funds provided by William Augustus Davies in memory of his late wife Sarah Van Wagenen.
Specifications
Direction of façadeEast
Capacity300
Spire height100'
MaterialsUlster County N.Y. Bluestone trimmed with New Jersey Brownstone
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Added to NRHPApril 13, 1972
NRHP Reference no.72000831[2]
Website
Parish of the Holy Comforter - Diocese of the Resurrection

The congregation first formed in 1854 as Christ Church. Six years later, it had incorporated and hired Richard Upjohn, a prominent architect noted for his churches, to design a building. His original plans are on file at Columbia University's Avery Library. The cornerstone - located at the southwest buttress of the tower was laid on June 14, 1859 and the church was consecrated by Bishop Horatio Potter on October 25, 1860. Holy Comforter is a cruciform church with walls of local Ulster County bluestone - from across the river and trim of New Jersey Brownstone. Inside, the original pews are still in place (note - the original church was "free" which meant that it did not have pews - as it was customary at the time to charge a fee for pews and this church was meant for the working people and poor of this area) and the vaulted ceiling is supported with Carpenter Gothic-style wooden ribs.[1]

It is now known as the Parish of the Holy Comforter in the Diocese of the Resurrection of the Holy Catholic Church (Anglican Rite) and is no longer affiliated with the Episcopal Church. Its break with the Episcopal Church grows out of disagreements and events in the 1970s.

On April 13, 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a contributing property to the Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District listed on the Register later that year.

See also

References
  1. Mauri, Stephanie (May 1971). "National Register of Historic Places nomination, Church of the Holy Comforter". Retrieved 2008-01-10. This link requires JavaScript.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
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