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Church of the Holy Comforter (Poughkeepsie, New York)

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Church of the Holy Comforter
South elevation and tower, 2007
Religion
AffiliationThe Archdiocese of New York (The Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church of America
RiteWestern Rite Orthodox
Year consecrated1860
Location
LocationPoughkeepsie, NY, USA
Geographic coordinates41°22′23″N 73°56′11″W / 41.37306°N 73.93639°W / 41.37306; -73.93639
Architecture
Architect(s)Richard Upjohn[1]
StyleGothic Revival
General contractorWilliam Harloe
Groundbreaking1859
Completed1860
Construction cost$19,000 (church, 1860)
$8,700 (north addition, 1867)
Specifications
Direction of façadeEast
Capacity300
Spire height100'
MaterialsUlster County bluestone trimmed with New Jersey brownstone
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Added to NRHPApril 13, 1972
NRHP Reference no.72000831[2]
Website
[1]

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 steeple is prominently visible to traffic passing through the city since the construction of the elevated US 9 expressway in 1965.[1]

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 Gothic-Revival structure 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 and the vaulted ceiling is supported with wooden ribs.[1][3] An addition to the north was built in 1867 with funds provided by William Augustus Davies in memory of his late wife, Sarah Van Wagenen.

It is now known as the Church of the Holy Comforter in the Archdiocese of New York of the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church of America and is no longer affiliated with the Episcopal Church. Its break with the Episcopal Church grew out of disagreements and events in the 1970s. It was later affiliated with the Anglican Church and recently became affiliated with the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church of America.

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

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References

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  1. ^ a b c 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.
  3. ^ The original church was "free" which meant that it did not have pew rents. It was customary at the time to charge a fee for pews and this church was meant for the working class people and poor of this area.
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