St. Mary's Church, Albany New York
St. Mary's Church in downtown Albany was built in 1867 after a design by the architects Charles C. Nichols and Frederick Brown, and is the third church building for this parish, the oldest parish in the city. Built at the time of a great influx of immigration from Europe to the New World, the existence of this building reflects the growth and strength of the Roman Catholic Church in Albany during the mid-nineteenth century. Significant for its striking Italian Romanesque Revival exterior, the Church, with its tall bell tower topped by the trumpeting Angel of Judgment has been a visual landmark in Albany for many years. Situated amidst an eclectic grouping of buildings of other architectural styles as well as vacant lots, it creates the atmosphere of a small town Romanesque church of northern or central Italy.
St. Mary's parish is the oldest Roman Catholic parish in the City of Albany and the second oldest in New York State. Incorporated in 1796, the parish once served the area of New York State south to Hudson, west to Rochester, and north to Canada. The present St. Mary's is the third church structure. When it was built in 1867 the area in which it stands was residential. The tremendous growth of the Roman Catholic church in upstate New York during the middle years of the nineteenth century, parallels with the influx of Irish and European immigrants to the New World.
Unique in downtown Albany, the church was built in the Italian Romanesque Revival style with a highly vernacular French Gothic/Renaissance/Mannerist interior. Because of the topography of the land which slopes off abruptly to the rear of the church, the apse is raised on a high basement and recalls many a church of the hilltowns of central Italy, such as those in Perugia and Assisi which are built clinging to the hillside. Noteworthy features of this structure are the fine stonework with its many rhythmic patterns particularly on the bell tower and in the arched windows of the side elevations. The exterior of the apse with its elevated stone basement and blind brick recessed arches is massive and powerful in its simplicity.
The interior creates a marked contrast to the relative simplicity of the exterior. Here there are a great number of images: statues real and painted, a real gallery, and a false clerestory created by paint on plaster. Taken as a whole, this church is highly vernacular and has an integrity which is created from this unusual combination of architectural Revival styles.
Building Description
St. Mary's Church is situated in downtown Albany just one block north of State Street and one block east of Lafayette Park. The church faces east and is built on a hill which falls off sharply towards the Hudson River and is part of the same slope that forms Capitol Hill.
The church is situated in an area which contains some fine buildings which are, however, not visually united because of the large amount of new construction taking place here. Because of the large amount of vacant land the church has a significant visual impact, particularly when viewed looking down Pine Street.
The brick with, stone trim exterior of St. Mary's Church (1867) is in the Italian Romanesque Revival style. The facade is three bays wide with the central bay projecting slightly and forming the base of the bell tower (completed in 1894). The tower rises 175 feet above the street and is topped by a bronze Angel of Judgment blowing a trumpet. The church is six bays deep and ends in a five-sided apse.
The stonework creates interesting rhythmic patterns on the brick walls of the church. The gable roof is sharply pitched and, coupled with the bell tower, gives the church a strong vertical thrust, culminating in the figure of the angel. The open bell tower and angel have made the church a well-known focal point of downtown Albany.
The interior of the church is not Romanesque, rather, it combines a number of styles. A gallery runs around the back and sides of the church and is supported by bundled columns reminiscent of French Gothic examples. The arches of the area near the altar recall Italian Renaissance examples, while the use of statues and tromp d'oeil paintings of statues and architectural elements on the plaster ceilings and walls recall Mannerist prototypes. The parade of statues and architectural details painted above the gallery creates a false clerestory. The gallery is a pleasing visual aspect of the interior and serves to divide what is actually a rectangular nave in such a way that a Latin cross is formed because the gallery ends one bay before the chancel, thus creating the impression of transept arms.
The church itself is little changed with the exception of the replacement in 1912 of the original stained glass windows (now in storage). The rectory was demolished and a new three-and-a-half-story replacement built on its site in 1937. It is connected to the church by a vestibule. A garage of later date is behind and connected to the Rectory. Neither of these structures contributes to the church visually but being built of brick they do blend in as part of the complex, which occupies one square block bounded by Lodge, Pine, Chapel, and Steuben Streets.
West facade seen looking east (1977)
Looking east towards altar (1977)
