St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, Episcopal church in East Village, Manhattan, United States
St. Mark's Church is an Episcopal house of worship in Manhattan's East Village, featuring a gray stone building with a prominent bell tower designed by architects Martin Thompson and Ithiel Town in 1828. The structure combines classical Georgian details with its street-level setting in a crowded neighborhood.
Religious practice has continued at this location since 1660, when Petrus Stuyvesant established a chapel on the grounds, making it the longest continuously used religious site in New York City. The congregation later broke away to form an independent parish, marking a turning point in its development.
The church hosts Poetry Project, Film Project, and Danspace Project, making it a meeting point for artists and performers in the neighborhood. These creative programs have become part of how the community experiences the building today.
The building sits at the corner of Second Avenue and East 10th Street, making it easy to reach on foot from various subway stations and bus lines nearby. The space hosts regular services and events, so checking ahead helps you plan your visit around scheduled activities.
Alexander Hamilton provided legal support to help establish the parish as the first independent Episcopal congregation separate from larger city institutions. This early independence became a defining feature of the place.
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