St. Luke's Episcopal Church

Introduction

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Built in 1921-1923 the St. Luke's Episcopal Church is an example of the Tudor Revival style that was popular in the United States during the 1920s. It was designed by Hobart B. Upjohn, a noted American church designer and son of architect Richard Upjohn. The location of this church at the fork between the two main streets of the village makes it a prominent landmark. On the front lawn is an enormous spruce which serves as the community Christmas tree every year.

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St. Luke's Episcopal Church Front

Backstory and Context

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The members of the St. Lukes Episcopal Church were organized in 1855 under the name St. Marks and worshiped at St. Matthew’s church in Bedford. It wasn't until 1888, that plans were made to build a church. The plans arose after the grandson of the chief of justice John Jay II passed away and left $500 for their building in Katonah.

The original site of the church was abandoned in 1895 due to the construction of the Croton Dam for the New York City water supply. The congregation began meeting again in 1916, gathering at a meeting house and a storage building. In 1921, the town of Katonah asked St. Marks in Mount Kisco to adopt this church as a Parochial mission. After petition money was raised to buy the property and Hobart Upjohn was chosen as the architect, construction began in 1921. The first services were held in 1923.

On May 17, 1994, St. Luke's separated from St. Marks and converted into an organized mission of the Diocese New York. The current parish house was built in 1959 by Mrs. Cassie Hoffman.

The church was in the Tudor Revival style that was popular for residential designs and religious buildings in the 1920s. Characteristics of this early English style are the building's half-timbered walls and the use of diamond-paned windows.

Sources

1.Meade, Helena Rutherford. St. Mark’s Church—A History-. Mt. Kisco, New York, 1967.

2. National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Westchester County Historical Society Archives, Accessed December 16, 2020

3.Williams, Gray. Picturing Our Past: National Register Sites in Westchester County. Elmsford, New York. Westchester Historical County Historical Society, 2003.