Featured On ‘Sacred Sites’ Weekend
Historic houses of worship in Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Kew Gardens will be showcased during the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s “Sacred Sites Open House Weekend” on May 17-18.
The conservancy’s fourth annual citywide event is when culturally important religious institutions throughout the city and state open their doors to the public and introduce people to remarkable art and architecture they would not normally have the opportunity to explore.
The weekend will also provide religious institutions the opportunity to highlight their history, cultural programming and social services that benefit the wider community.
The theme of this year’s open house is “Sacred Sites and the Community: How Immigration and Migration Shape New York,” and will focus on the rich histories and extraordinary contributions of New York City’s diverse immigrant communities.
“Religious institutions are at the heart of every community and a place where previous immigrant groups have made their impact, new immigrants gather to share their cultural heritage and traditions, and future generations will thrive. Nowhere in the United States is this better demonstrated than right here in New York with its rich diversity of religions and ecclesiastical buildings,” says Peg Breen, president of the Landmarks Conservancy. “The open house weekend is a perfect opportunity to view the magnificent religious art and architecture of these sacred sites and truly be a tourist in your own town, while learning about the histories of congregations present and past.”
The conservancy’s Sacred Sites program is the only statewide program in the country providing financial and technical assistance for the restoration of culturally significant religious properties. Since 1986, the program has disbursed grants of more than $8 million to more than 700 congregations regardless of denominations.
The three participating Queens churches are the following:
– Church of the Resurrection: 85- 09 118th St., Kew Gardens, open on Saturday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The church’s original members migrated from the city to the new suburb of Richmond Hill in 1869, after transportation was made possible when the new railroad station was established. Today, members come from neighboring diverse communities.
– St. Joan of Arc Parish: 82-00 35th Ave., Jackson Heights, all weekend. Founded in 1920 and named for the then-recently canonized Joan of Arc, the St. Joan of Arc Parish was designed by architects Lehman and Murphy in a Gothic-revival structure. The building was to be modeled after the Nancy Cathedral in France, of which St. Joan is the patron saint. Today, the church holds a thriving congregation and busy schedule of masses including several in Spanish and a monthly Tagalog mass.
– First Presbyterian Church of Newtown: 54-05 Seabury St., Elmhurst, open Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, May 18, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The church was founded in present day Elmhurst in 1652, in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam by English dissidents seeking freedom of religion.
In its early days, the congregation was made up of refugees and immigrants from England and Scotland. Through the years other nationalities came, as Elmhurst (part of Newtown) changed. The congregation has become a multinational and multiracial church with Christians from all over the world, reflecting the Elmhurst area, one of the most diverse places in the country.
Congregation members speak many languages but worship together in English. In addition, the church provides space to Philippino and Ghanain churches, as well as a South Asian youth group, SAYA.
Talks on the history and architecture of the church will be given on Saturday, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., each followed by a short walking tour. Unveiling of the National Register for Historic Places Plaque will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, followed by display, talk on history and architecture, and a short walking tour.
For more information and a complete list of sacred sites participating in the Landmarks Conservancy’s Open House Weekend, visit www.nylandmarks.org.
This year’s Open House principal sponsor is EverGreene Architectural Arts, one of the country’s premier full-service companies in the restoration of historic religious buildings. Additional sponsors include: Acheson Doyle Partners, a diverse firm that provides comprehensive architectural services in a broad array of markets; American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York Chapter Historic Buildings Committee; Lichten Craig Donaldson, an architecture firm that works with institutional clients with significant real estate assets or properties that are historic landmarks.
Faith & Form, the Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art and Architecture, is the exclusive media sponsor. Faith & Form is affiliated with the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture (IFRAA), part of the AIA.
