St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery Awarded Sacred Sites Grant of $35,000

Photo: New York Landmarks Conservancy

One of the oldest houses of worship in the city will receive some much needed financial aid for their ongoing restoration endeavours.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy has awarded St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery $35,000 through their Sacred Sites grant, a designation that administers monies to historic religious properties throughout the state. The church on East 10th Street has recently matched the grant, which will help fund a comprehensive $500,000 restoration of its built-in copper gutters, which have leaked for several decades. This has resulted in substantial damage to the sanctuary, which is still actively used both for worship and public events and performances.

The grant was made possible by the Estate of Robert W. Wilson, a devoted patron of the Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program and substantial contributor in safeguarding New York’s historic religious art and architecture.

“We’re deeply appreciative to Bob Wilson and his passion and commitment to our Sacred Sites program. He singularly supported this effort for a number of years, and for that we will always be grateful,” said Peg Breen, President, The New York Landmarks Conservancy.

St. Mark’s in-the-Bowery was constructed in 1795-99 on the site of Peter Stuyvesant’s family chapel, making it the the oldest site of continuous worship in New York City. It has undergone many architectural changes through the decades; more recently, a major fire in 1978 caused extensive damage to the church and parish hall, which were restored in the ensuing years until 1987.