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St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Scarborough, NY was completed in 1851 and based on the design of the English St. Mary's church in Scarborough, North Yorkshire which was constructed in 1180. It has a simple and austere design but is adorned with a large stain glass windows by John Bolton. John and his older brother William were pioneers in the production of stain glass in this country. St Mary's Church, unfortunately, shut down in 2015.

St. Mary's Episcopal Church

St. Mary's Episcopal Church

Engraving of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 1853.

Engraving of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 1853.

Stained glass window by John Bolton behind the altar at St. Mary's Episcopal Church.

Stained glass window by John Bolton behind the altar at St. Mary's Episcopal Church.

St. Mary's Episcopal Church of Scarborough, was founded in 1851. The design concept for the church came when the Reverend Dr. Edward N. Mead and his wife Jane Mead came back from England. The couple based it on the 12th-century Church of St. Mary's in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Jane's father, the Reverend Dr. William Creighton, provided the money and the land for the church's construction. Dr. Creighton served as rector til his death in 1865. Dr. Mead was his successor until his death in 1877. Both of them are entombed under the chancel of the church.

The design of the church is simple and austere with unadorned walls and tall, narrow windows, but creates a harmonious ensemble.

What is most notable about the St. Mary's Episcopal Church are the stained glass windows, created by John Bolton. John Bolton and his brother William were pioneers of stain glass in America. Bolton also created stained glass windows for many other churches including the Grace Episcopal Church of Long Island.

On July 5th of 2015 the St. Mary's Episcopal Church of Scarborough shut down due to fiscal issues along with a diminishing congregation. When the Church was shut down by the Episcopal church, a new ministry took residence.

  1. Williams, Gray. Jackson, Kenneth T.. Picturing Our Past National Register Sites in Westchester County New York. 2003.
  2. St. Mary's Episcopal Church, St, Mary's spring field center. Accessed June 15th 2020. https://www.stmarysspringfieldcenter.org/.
  3. Highest Level of Craftsmanship Ensures Impeccable Restoration of Stained Glass Window by John Bolton., ROHFL studio. Accessed June 23rd 2020. http://rohlfstudio.com/john-bolton/.
  4. Taliaferro, Lanning. St. Mary's Scarborough is Closing its Doors, patch. June 21st 2015. Accessed June 23rd 2020. https://patch.com/new-york/pleasantville/st-marys-scarborough-closing-its-doors.
Image Sources(Click to expand)

Westchester County Historical Society. Photo by Gray Williams.

Westchester County Historical Society.

St. Mary's Episcopal Church. Photo by Peter Bittner.