☞ ARCHITECTURE: Saint Mary's

St. Mary's is one of Manhattanville's first churches and has the distinction of being around when Harlem was still a village. The Episcopal Church was founded in the early 1820's, and services started from a schoolhouse until the funds were raised to build a wood frame church that would be completed in 1826. The top photo shows what the church looked like in the 1860s. The street that the church established itself on was originally called Lawrence Street and would later change to 126th Street once the Manhattan grid took over the uptown regions. In 1908, the church's original wood frame construction received a new, modern brick design, and this building still stands today (middle photo). The last shot is around 1930 with St. Mary's at the end of the West 126th Street. The buildings in the forefront are still there but have been altered. Take the 1 train to 125th Street and walk one street north and a block east to take a look at the church today. Archival photos courtesy NYPL