ENDANGERED BUILDING OF THE MONTH:
All Saint’s Church, School and Rectory

Located on East 129th Street, All Saint’s Church, School and Rectory was heard by the Landmarks Preservation Commission on September 21, 2004, but action has yet to be taken. Known as “the Saint Patrick’s of Harlem,” this ecclesiastical assemblage is a masterpiece of colorful patterned brickwork. The church, designed by James Renwick and completed in 1894, is notable for its tall bell tower and unique wheel windows in the clerestory. The Venetian Gothic rectory, designed later by Renwick’s successor firm, Renwick, Aspinwall, & Russell, recalls the wheel windows of the church and has beautifully ornamented dormer windows. The school building, designed in the early 20th century by W.W. Renwick, while more utilitarian in style, maintains gothic detailing. Handsome terra cotta detailing and Gothic tracery only add to beauty of the complex.

Although this building is well-cared for and seems to have a stable congregation, HDC fears that as the Archdiocese continues to close churches, this architectural treasure may be lost. Its designation should also be a first step in identifying and designating the best of institutional and especially church design in the period when Harlem was receiving the attention of the best architects of the time. Please contact the Landmarks Preservation Commission at comments@lpc.nyc.gov and ask them to take action and designate the All Saint’s complex.

June Endangered Building