St. Joseph's Church: Built to Serve Albany's Irish Population
The 150-year-old Gothic church near Ten Broeck Mansion may have held its last service in 1993, but that doesn’t mean St. Joseph’s Church has lost its historical importance. Designed by famed church architect Patrick Keely, who built nearly 600 Catholic churches in the Eastern United States and Canada, St. Joseph’s Church was finished in 1860 to serve the growing Irish population of Albany.
The building was constructed of Schenechtady bluestone, trimmed with French Caen limestone that has since been replaced with the Indiana variety. In 1910, the front tower and spire that currently graces the top of the church was completed by M. L. and H. G. Emery of Albany. German-style, stained-glass windows ring the church, casting light between the massive supporting columns of the main chamber. It was constructed in the Arbor Hill neighborhood to serve the Irish workers that came to Albany to work on the Erie Canal.
The church and the Ten Broeck Triangle around it (which includes the Ten Broeck Mansion, 97 townhouses, and two small urban parks) were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as the Ten Broeck Historic District. Two years after the addition to the register, in 1981, the church was sold to a private owner and then leased back to the congregation until the final service was held in 1993. Over the next 10 years, the church fell into disrepair until it was acquired by the city of Albany. Then, in June 2003, the Historic Albany Foundation took over ownership of St. Joseph’s Church and decided to go about restoring it.
Almost eight years and $1 million later, one of the major support columns has already been rebuilt and other portions of the church have been extensively restored to turn St. Joseph’s Church into a community resource for the Arbor Hill neighborhood. The roof has been weatherproofed to prevent further destruction from leaks, and once the threat of further damage is contained the restoration team intends to focus on the stained-glass windows. A recent challenge grant of $300,000 from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has sparked a new fundraising campaign to continue work on St. Joseph’s. There is still $25,000 to be raised to fully match the grant, but Historic Albany Foundation is well on its way to achieving its goal.
Public tours are offered during open houses held throughout the year, and private group tours that can be booked by contacting the Historic Albany Foundation. There are also events held throughout the year, which are announced on the Historic Albany Foundation website.
Posted on Feb 14, 2011 by Matt Delman
