CARROLL GARDENS — Bob Grande sat down in an oak pew at St. Agnes and gazed at the ceiling of the Gothic-style church that was completed in 1913. “I’ve been here 81 years,” said the retired carpenter. “I was baptized, confirmed, everything here. And I never get tired of looking. I always see things that I haven’t seen before. It just never gets tired.”
People from throughout New York and beyond can experience the grandeur of Grande’s parish on Sunday, May 18, as part of the 15th Annual Sacred Sites Open House. The event features St. Agnes Church, 433 Sackett St., and many other churches, mosques, and synagogues throughout the state. People can choose which sites they want to see and register on the organization’s website at nylandmarks.org. The Sacred Sites event is occurring over two days, but tours of St. Agnes will be held on May 18 from 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
The annual event is sponsored by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, which is a nonprofit group that promotes preservation, revitalization, and reuse of New York state’s historic buildings. Its Sacred Sites Program provides grants and technical expertise to help renovate or maintain houses of worship in New York State. Any religious denomination can apply. The theme of this year’s Open House is “Building for Eternity: Religious Architecture and Artisans.”
Peg Breen, president of the conservancy, said the event is an opportunity for congregations of all faiths to showcase their buildings and share their unique histories. She explained that churches are often some of the most architecturally beautiful buildings in their neighborhoods because their histories are snapshots of time that can share historic milestones, such as immigration patterns. But they’re also centers of important social services, like food pantries and cultural programming that complement the entire community, Breen noted. “So they really are reaching out and serving a lot more than their congregations,” she said. “They’re really community assets. They are the definition of ‘landmark.’ ”
The tour guide for St. Agnes is Bill Tone, who also spent his youth at the parish and was a few years ahead of Grande in the parish school, which is now closed. Tone and Grande, on May 8, gave The Tablet a preview of the St. Agnes Open House tour.
The parish was formed in 1878 for a growing community of Irish immigrants in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood, according to Tone. Father James Duffy, the parish’s first pastor who would later become a monsignor, oversaw the construction of a temporary structure at the intersection of Hoyt and Degraw streets. The parish grew, so in 1881, the cornerstone was laid for a larger church at Sackett and Hoyt streets.
That Gothic-style building was designed by Brooklyn architect Thomas Houghton, the protégé and son-in-law of famed church architect Patrick Keely, Tone said. But in 1901, a lightning bolt ignited a fire that razed the church, killing two firefighters, Grande said. Father Duffy again turned to Houghton to design the current church — this one made of granite with Indiana limestone trimming.
The interior is ornately decorated with numerous stained-glass windows, including eight depicting the life of St. Agnes. Stained-glass windows in the dome above the sanctuary show each writer of the Gospel — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — with a window depicting the Lord Jesus Christ at the center. Stenciling throughout the church is by the Rambusch Decorating Company of Jersey City, which is still in business. Tone added that the pipe organ was purchased from the Masonic Hall on 23rd Street in Manhattan’s Flatiron District.
He described how the early parishioners existed on modest incomes, but they were exceedingly generous in the funding of their neighborhood church. “This was a poor area,” Tone said. “The housing was wood structures. But before the church was opened, they had booths set up, like a big fair, to raise money. Father Duffy would have these huge card parties, and 2,000 people would come.” That first pastor’s work formed a masterpiece worthy of the conservancy’s appreciation. A few years ago, the group provided a grant to help purge years of grime from the building’s granite exterior.
The Sacred Sites program, started in 1986, has provided nearly $5 million in matching funds for more than 600 properties, Breen said. The conservancy has likewise helped other churches in the Diocese of Brooklyn. For example, it provided a $20,000 grant from the Sacred Sites program to help fund the $2 million renovation of the exterior of St. Raphael Church in Long Island City. Completed in 1881, this church was also designed by Houghton. In April, the conservancy honored the parish with its Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award.
Breen noted that St. Agnes Church was featured in previous open house tours. “We’re delighted that they have done this before and want to do it again,” she said. “It’s a lovely church, and it’s an active church.” Breen said she was particularly moved by reading inscriptions from families and individuals who donated stained-glass windows. “Why did they want to do that?” she asked. “It’s because of faith in God, faith in family, and then also a faith that the church was going to be there in their community and … honor their loved ones into the future.”
MORE INFO
For details on the 15th Annual Sacred Sites Open House visit:
nylandmarks.org/sacred-sites-open-house