Great news! Next Tuesday, March 10, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) will be holding a public hearing on individual landmark designation for the Church of St. Mary on Grand Street. The Commissioners may very well vote to landmark the building that day.

Here’s some background information on this important Lower East Side sacred site:

St. Mary’s is the oldest Catholic church in New York City. Built of fieldstone in 1833, and updated with a façade of warm brick and brownstone in 1864, it looks much the same as it did 160 years ago. 

In addition to its important place in the cultural and architectural heritage of the Catholic Church in New York, St. Mary’s has had a highly significant role in the unfolding story of immigration, a defining feature of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. St. Mary’s served first as a place of worship and community for Irish immigrants seeking maritime jobs along the East River. Over the years it has served a variety of groups, and today it’s a multi-ethnic congregation, primarily Latino.

The Church of St. Mary clearly merits individual landmark designation for its architectural distinction and its important place within the history of New York.

More information on this important church can be found in LESPI’s LPC Request for Evaluation, including the Statement of Significance found HERE. 

TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT LANDMARKING ST. MARY’S!  If you haven’t already, you can:

– Testify in-person at the LPC Public Hearing this coming Tuesday, March 10, at 9:30AM at 253 Broadway, 2nd Floor Public Hearing Room. 

– Testify remotely via Zoom. See HERE for instructions.

– Send your written testimony to LPC to testimony@lpc.nyc.gov. 

– Send LESPI’s automated email to LPC HERE. You can edit the email before sending it as you see fit. 

Written testimony must be submitted by Monday at 12:00PM.

Thank you for supporting this important landmarking effort!