18 FEBRUARY 13, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
The rise and fall of one of Maspeth’s most historic churches
BY THE OLD TIMER
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: THE WAY IT WAS
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
At one point in time, St. Saviour’s
Church in Maspeth was once
one of the neighborhood’s most
beautiful blocks — with deep roots in the
community’s history.
On the fringe of the industrial part of
the neighborhood, the house of worship
stood for more than a century on a treelined
block at the corner of Rust Street
and 57th Road. Founded by a relative of
a New York governor, it served Maspeth
for more than 150 years even as the immediate
area changed profoundly.
But the death knell fi nally rang for the
church in January 2006, as the church
closed for good, and the property was
sold to developers. It triggered a long
battle between a local civic group, the
new property owners, the city and even
a local lawmaker as to the sites future.
“Our Community: Its History and
People,” published in 1976 by the Greater
Ridgewood Historical Society, outlined
much of the St. Saviour’s Church history
as follows:
Located on a small hill, surrounded
by a wooded block of land, is St. Saviour’s
Episcopal Church, one of the oldest and
most cherished landmarks of old Maspeth.
… The church was organized by Judge David
Jones, son-in-law of DeWitt Clinton. He
was joined by other well-known pioneers
of Maspeth, including James Maurice, in
obtaining the land. The church was erected
upon the estate of Dr. Frederick Maurice,
for whom the avenue is named.
The Gothic style church, constructed out
of redwood, was copied from an old English
country church that the Maurice family
had seen on their European trip. The building
was designed for St. Saviour’s by the
architect of Trinity Church, Manhattan,
Richard Upjohn, and the cornerstone was
laid on Nov. 1, 1847.
The fi rst rector of the parish was the
Reverend William Walsh, who has been
succeeded by 12 other priests, each making
their contribution to the life of the church.
One of the most notable of these priests
was Father Frederick S. Griffi n, who was
rector for 45 years. The church was known
as “Father Griffi n’s Church” to many of the
neighborhood citizens.
During the expansion of the 20th century,
Maspeth became increasingly industrialized.
The congregation decreased
over these years, with so many young
people leaving the community. A small,
but spirited, nucleus of 57 church members
remained.
In December of 1970, just three days before
Christmas, a fi re ravaged the church,
destroying much of it and leaving its
members numb. Under the leadership of
its new rector, the Reverend John M. Mills
Sr., St. Saviour’s was rebuilt. The bishop of
the diocese rededicated it on April 30, 1972.
It stands atop the small hill surrounded by
St. Saviour’s Church in Maspeth, as it appeared in January 2006. Photo: Robert Pozarycki/Ridgewood Times
stately old trees, the last trace of the rustic
community that existed in old Maspeth.
As noted, one of the church’s founders
was related by marriage to Governor
DeWitt Clinton, who literally reshaped
the city and country.
Clinton, while serving as New York
City mayor, helped put forth the street
grid for Manhattan — plotting out the
streets and avenues of the island north
of the dense, compact heart of the city, on
the southern tip of the island.
After becoming governor of New
York, Clinton sought to revolutionize
American business and industrial
growth, while also transforming New
York City into a global metropolis. He
accomplished this by plotting out and
approving the construction of the Erie
Canal, a man-made river through the
southern tier of New York, connecting
Lake Erie with the Mohawk and Hudson
Rivers.
Clinton lived in the Maspeth area for
a number of decades in a Colonial-era
home constructed near St. Saviour’s.
It served as something of a retreat for
Clinton, as it was near the then-bucolic
Newtown Creek, long before the waterway
was forever tainted by the products
of industrialization.
The Clinton Home remained a fi xture
in Maspeth until it was destroyed by a
fi re in 1933.
As for St. Saviour’s, the congregation
folded in or about 1995 and merged with
nearby St. James Episcopal Church in
Elmhurst. A Korean church took its
place at the former St. Saviour’s site and
remained there until selling the church
and land a decade later.
The holding company that purchased
the site, known as Maspeth Development
LLC, sought to clear the block and
develop warehouses. News of their plans
stirred interest from the Juniper Park
Civic Association, then led by current
Councilman Robert Holden, and other
preservationists.
Citing the rich history of St. Saviour’s
and the lack of parkland in the community,
they called on the city to stop
the developer’s plans and landmark the
site. The area’s councilman at the time,
Dennis Gallagher, sought a compromise:
retain half of the site as a park and allow
A portrait of DeWitt Clinton, former
mayor and governor of New York.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
The DeWitt Clinton House in Maspeth, prior to the fi re that destroyed it in
1933. Photo courtesy of NYC Municipal Archives
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