Queens Congregations Open Doors to Community During New York Landmarks Conservancy's "Sacred Sites Open House Weekend"

During The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Open House Weekend (May 21 & 22, 2016), New York’s world-class houses of worship offer this experience at your doorstep.

The Landmarks Conservancy’s sixth annual “Sacred Sites Open House Weekend” is when religious institutions throughout New York open their doors to the public, giving visitors a glimpse inside many of New York’s remarkable churches and synagogues and an opportunity to view the artistic treasures of many faiths, styles, and periods. Over 40 sites in New York City and over 120 statewide will participate in the weekend. Congregations will also showcase the cultural and social service programs they provide the wider community with special tours, concerts, food fairs and other events.

“Many of New York’s magnificent houses of worship have served generations and continue to anchor communities and all too often, they are seen only by their members,” said Peg Breen, President of The New York Landmarks Conservancy. “The Sacred Sites Open House Weekend allows everyone to enjoy the architecture, art, and history of these remarkable structures.”

This year’s Open House weekend celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program, 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 awarded 1,350 grants totaling over $9.3 million to more than 750 congregations regardless of denomination throughout New York State.

Queens congregations participating in the Open House Weekend to date include:

· Astoria Center of Israel: 27-35 Crescent Street, Astoria, May 22, 4:00-6:00pm

The Astoria Center sanctuary is a Classic Revival 1925 synagogue designed by Louis Allen Abramson, considered one of the chief architects of the synagogue-center movement, which aimed to meet broad, round-the-clock community needs by incorporating educational, recreational, and social facilities within buildings designed for worship. This synagogue is distinguished by religiously themed murals painted on the ceiling and walls of the sanctuary, and decorative painting at the lobby ceiling, all by renowned artist Louis Pierre Rigal in 1929. Special, pre-booked, docent-led tour Sunday May 22nd from 4:30-5:30pm.

· John Bowne House: 37-01 Bowne Street, Flushing, May 21, 12:00-5:00pm

The John Bowne House is one of the oldest buildings in New York City and was a place of worship (1662-1692) for 30 years before the Flushing Friend’s Meeting House was constructed. There will be two exhibits on display about the house site, along with a guided tour about John Bowne’s fight for his religious freedom and the relationship of this event to the First Amendment to the Constitution.

· First Presbyterian Church of Newtown: Queens Boulevard & 54th Avenue, Elmhurst, May 21, 10:00am - 12:30pm & May 22, 12:30-2:45pm

The First Presbyterian Church of Newtown’s current building was constructed in 1893-1895 to the designs of Frank A. Collins. This is the congregation’s fifth church. The church is a Gothic Revival structure of rough-faced granite with brownstone quoins and trim, and a two-stage tower that contains a bell originally made for the congregation’s fourth church, built in 1787 just after the Revolution. The church’s interior is intact, with original opalescent, figural stained-glass windows, exposed roof trusses, pews, wood paneling, and altar furnishings. The congregation was founded in 1652 under Dutch rule, and until the 1720s it was the only church in western Queens. In 1715 the church officially affiliated with the Presbyterian faith, and incorporated in New York in the late 1700s.

· Church of the Resurrection, Richmond Hill: 85-09 118 Street, Kew Gardens, May 21, 1:00-4:00pm

The Church of the Resurrection was designed by architect Henry Dudley in December 1874 and is the oldest church in Richmond Hill. Dudley designed a small wooden frame church in the Gothic style. This structure remains the core of the existing building. Among the early parishioners was Jacob Riis, the noted reformer who campaigned tirelessly on behalf of New York’s working poor through his pioneering photo essays. The Riis Family memorial stained glass window still remains in the building today. By 1905, the church could no longer accommodate the rapidly growing congregation and was remodeled and enlarged incrementally by additions in stone, which included side aisles, a front porch, belfry, transepts, and a chancel between 1905 through the 1920’s. Today, the property includes the parish hall, which was constructed as an addition to the church in the 1920’s, and a freestanding rectory dating from 1880’s.

For more information and a complete list of sacred sites participating in the Landmarks Conservancy’s Open House Weekend, visit www.nylandmarks.org.

Sponsors of Sacred Sites Open House Weekend include:

Acheson Doyle Partners, AIA NY Historic Buildings Committee, East Village Community Coalition, EverGreene Architectural Arts, Explore Buffalo, Faith & Form, Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Historic Albany Foundation, Historic Districts Council, Historic Ithaca, Landmark West! Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy, Lower East Side Preservation Initiative, Landmark Society of Western New York, OTSEGO 2000, Preservation Association of Central New York, Preservation Association of the Southern Tier, Preservation Buffalo Niagara, and Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy has led the effort to preserve and protect New York’s architectural legacy for over 40 years. Since its founding, the Conservancy has loaned and granted more than $40 million, which has leveraged more than $1 billion in 1,550 restoration projects throughout the State, revitalizing communities, providing economic stimulus, and supporting local jobs. The Conservancy has also offered countless hours of pro bono technical advice to building owners, both nonprofit organizations and individuals. The Conservancy’s work has saved more than a thousand buildings across the City and State, protecting New York’s distinctive architectural heritage for residents and visitors alike today, and for future generations. For more information, please visit www.nylandmarks.org.

Photo Credit: Peter Peck