Zion Memorial Chapel
Encyclopedia
Zion Memorial Chapel, now known as St. Nicholas-on-the-Hudson, is an historic Carpenter Gothic
style Episcopal church building located at 37 Point Street in New Hamburg
, New York
, United States
. It was built in 1902 as a chapel of nearby Zion Church in Wappingers Falls
and became a separate parish
in 1983.
The small wooden church building overlooks the nearby Hudson River
. It was built in the early 20th century in a late interpretation of the Gothic Revival architectural style
. For that reason it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1987.
structure on a brick
foundation
. It takes a form common to late 19th-century rural churches, with a main block housing the sanctuary
and projecting pavilion
s housing the front vestibule
and altar
. It is sided in brown-stained
wood shingles
. The steeply-pitched
cross-gable
d roof is covered in slate
with a belfry
. Its ridges end in jerkin heads with a metallic wave-shaped finial
. At the eaves the roof flares into soffit
s decorated
with scroll-sawn
rafter ends and brackets
. The front entranceway also has decorative bracework.
On either side there is, in the middle of the cross-gable, a group of three narrow Gothic-arched windows. They are filled with translucent leaded glass
bordered by stained glass
. On the rear, over the altar, is a stained-glass window in a rosette pattern.
The church's interior has not been altered since its construction. It is finished entirely in plaster
, with two four-globed gasoliers hanging from the ceiling. Two sets of unpainted wooden pew
s are divided by a center aisle. An all-purpose room in the basement
serves as the vicar
's office and storage space.
was founded in 1876, its parish included nearby New Hamburg. Two of its congregants, William Henry Willis and his wife Adele Satterlee, pushed for the construction of the chapel
around 1900 to serve residents in the latter community. Satterlee, who was also a close relative of Zion's rector
, pushed for the church commission to be given to her nephew Edward Lansing Satterlee. Following President William McKinley
's assassination
in 1901, contributions to the building fund rose and it was decided to add "Memorial" to the chapel's name.
No significant alterations have been made to the building since it opened in 1902. It was maintained jointly by laypeople
and clergy until 1983, when it became its own parish. As of 2008 its congregation has about 40–50 members. It is the only institutional building in New Hamburg still used for its original purpose.
had largely been discarded for new churches in the United States by the turn of the 20th century, as the newer Romanesque Revival became the preferred. Satterlee's design therefore represents the final stage of its evolution, begun with the ideas of the American Ecclesiological Movement in the 1840s.
Its most prominent Gothic Revival features are the cross-gabled roof, lancet window
s, and the plaster and unpainted wood of the interior. However, Satterlee incorporated some aspects of later 19th-century trends as well. The cross-bracing on the vestibule porch and the use of shingled siding suggest the Stick and Shingle styles respectively. The textural contrast of the brick, wood and slate exterior surfaces and the flaring rakeboards presage touches that became more common in the 20th century.
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
style Episcopal church building located at 37 Point Street in New Hamburg
New Hamburg, New York
New Hamburg is a small hamlet along the Hudson River in Dutchess County, New York, best known as home of a popular marina and a busy Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line station. It is located in the southern corner of the Wappingers Falls....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built in 1902 as a chapel of nearby Zion Church in Wappingers Falls
Wappingers Falls, New York
Wappingers Falls is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The name is derived from the local Wappinger Indians. One half of the village is in the town of Wappinger and the other half is in the town of Poughkeepsie, with Wappinger Creek forming the dividing line between the...
and became a separate parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in 1983.
The small wooden church building overlooks the nearby Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. It was built in the early 20th century in a late interpretation of the Gothic Revival architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
. For that reason it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1987.
Building
The church is a one-story frameFraming (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
structure on a brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. It takes a form common to late 19th-century rural churches, with a main block housing the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
and projecting pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
s housing the front vestibule
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
and altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
. It is sided in brown-stained
Wood stain
A wood stain consists of a colorant suspended or dissolved in a 'vehicle' or solvent. The suspension agent can be water, alcohol, petroleum distillate, or the actual finishing agent...
wood shingles
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
. The steeply-pitched
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
cross-gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof is covered in slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
with a belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. Its ridges end in jerkin heads with a metallic wave-shaped finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
. At the eaves the roof flares into soffit
Soffit
Soffit , in architecture, describes the underside of any construction element...
s decorated
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
with scroll-sawn
Scroll saw
A scroll saw is a small electric or pedal-operated saw that is useful for cutting intricate curves in cases where a jigsaw or coping saw is not appropriate. It is capable of creating curves with edges...
rafter ends and brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
. The front entranceway also has decorative bracework.
On either side there is, in the middle of the cross-gable, a group of three narrow Gothic-arched windows. They are filled with translucent leaded glass
Lead glass
Lead glass is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass. Lead glass contains typically 18–40 weight% lead oxide , while modern lead crystal, historically also known as flint glass due to the original silica source, contains a minimum of 24% PbO...
bordered by stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
. On the rear, over the altar, is a stained-glass window in a rosette pattern.
The church's interior has not been altered since its construction. It is finished entirely in plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
, with two four-globed gasoliers hanging from the ceiling. Two sets of unpainted wooden pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s are divided by a center aisle. An all-purpose room in the basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
serves as the vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
's office and storage space.
History
When the Zion Episcopal Church of Wappingers FallsWappingers Falls, New York
Wappingers Falls is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The name is derived from the local Wappinger Indians. One half of the village is in the town of Wappinger and the other half is in the town of Poughkeepsie, with Wappinger Creek forming the dividing line between the...
was founded in 1876, its parish included nearby New Hamburg. Two of its congregants, William Henry Willis and his wife Adele Satterlee, pushed for the construction of the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
around 1900 to serve residents in the latter community. Satterlee, who was also a close relative of Zion's rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
, pushed for the church commission to be given to her nephew Edward Lansing Satterlee. Following President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
's assassination
William McKinley assassination
The assassination of William McKinley occurred on September 6, 1901, inside the Temple of Music located on the grounds of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York...
in 1901, contributions to the building fund rose and it was decided to add "Memorial" to the chapel's name.
No significant alterations have been made to the building since it opened in 1902. It was maintained jointly by laypeople
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
and clergy until 1983, when it became its own parish. As of 2008 its congregation has about 40–50 members. It is the only institutional building in New Hamburg still used for its original purpose.
Aesthetics
The Gothic Revival styleArchitectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
had largely been discarded for new churches in the United States by the turn of the 20th century, as the newer Romanesque Revival became the preferred. Satterlee's design therefore represents the final stage of its evolution, begun with the ideas of the American Ecclesiological Movement in the 1840s.
Its most prominent Gothic Revival features are the cross-gabled roof, lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s, and the plaster and unpainted wood of the interior. However, Satterlee incorporated some aspects of later 19th-century trends as well. The cross-bracing on the vestibule porch and the use of shingled siding suggest the Stick and Shingle styles respectively. The textural contrast of the brick, wood and slate exterior surfaces and the flaring rakeboards presage touches that became more common in the 20th century.