Troy's Community Newsletter

Troy Architecture: The Fifth Avenue Methodist Church.

Walter Richard Wheeler

Introduction.

Troy is fortunate to retain one of the most extensive collections of mid-Victorian urban buildings in America. Aside from the regrettable loss of the Seventh Avenue neighborhood, and the current decay and destruction of the north-central part of the city, the urban fabric is largely intact. Because of Troy’s rapid economic decline in the early 20^th century, the city escaped the hand of speculative development and the concern for parking that have so destroyed the fabric of cities such as Albany. It was virtually embalmed in time. However, we are at a point where the age of the building stock and years of neglect may cause a number of the city’s buildings to face the wrecker’s ball- either because of negligence or ignorance. We have seen this recently with the loss of the Bethlehem Baptist Church on 5^th Avenue; it is likely to become a more familiar occurrence.

There have been rumblings of development in several locales of the city as of late- the time is now if we want to prevent the wholesale destruction of these neighborhoods. A local chain of drugstores has been collecting options on the properties bordering 5^th Ave. and Federal Street, seeking a site for the placement of yet another drive-through and parking. Is this the highest we can aspire to? Is this the best we can hope for? The neighborhood in question is composed of largely-intact houses from the 1830’s and 1840’s; such a development would adversely impact the quality of life for those residents allowed to remain, and certainly cause the decay of the neighborhood, resulting in further destruction. While the expression of interest on the part of a business either to remain [or relocate] in a downtown location should be lauded, it must be admitted that such a decision should also benefit the city itself, and not just take into consideration business interests. We cannot expect a corporation to think of our neighborhoods and streets with the same concern that we do. It is up to us to declare the kind of city we want. A positive solution to the needs of all involved will always be found through dialogue. There was, sometime back, a group of individuals gathered around such concerns; preservationists, neighborhood champions- whatever one wants to call them. Perhaps the time is right for a revival of such a group?

The recent destruction of the Bethlehem Temple Church on 5^th Avenue [a.k.a. the 5^th Avenue Methodist Church, originally the North Second Street Methodist Church] underlines the urgency of addressing the plight of Troy’s important architecture. It will be my intention to provide sketches of some of Troy’s most important landmarks as well as some of the common house-types that we live in; some buildings currently most-threatened with destruction, some preservation success stories, and a few that are no longer with us, except in memory. If you have a particular building that you’d like this column to cover, contact me via the editor.

The North Second Street Methodist Church, 1854.

The Bethlehem Temple Church was constructed for the North Second Street Methodist congregation in 1854. The newspaper coverage from the day of its consecration gives us a good idea regarding the original appearance of the building.

"…The new church stands on the site of the old North Second street M. E. Church, (which was too small to accommodate the congregation worshipping there,) and was built to meet the present and future requirements of the congregation. It is a large and elegant structure, built of brick, in the castellated Gothic style of architecture, and cost about $20,000…The interior arrangements of the Church are all upon the most approved modern style, - the pews, the galleries, ceiling,- neat and appropriate to the general contour of the building, and indicative both of simplicity and modest beauty. The ceiling is frescoed, the pews cushioned and decorated with oak-leaf carving, the windows of stained glass, and the warming arrangements so fixed that the heat will be dispersed equally throughout the whole building. The chandeliers are beautiful patterns. The ventilating arrangement is perhaps the most admirable feature of the whole church, and will be better appreciated as the warm weather comes on with all its fury. Twenty-six good-sized ventilators in the walls of the building will in no wise detract from the comfort of the worshippers or from the beauty of the church. That great fault of all our churches and public buildings- insufficient ventilation- is here remedied. The main body of the church is capable of holding 1200 persons.

The basement of the building is devoted to the usual church committee rooms, lecture-room, & c., all fitted up in a comfortable manner.

The mechanical portion of the work was done by the following "masters":- the masonry by Messrs. Jacobs and Caswell; the carpenter’s work by John B. Colegrove; the frescoing by Thomas Coleman, with J. C. Markham as the architect. A new organ will be put in the west end of the church some time next spring. The congregation of this Church need not be ashamed of a comparison between their new edifice and any of the other churches of the city."

The photograph reproduced here shows the building soon after it was constructed. [Image reversed, collection RCHS] The architect, Jared C. Markam, probably came to Troy to oversee this project. It is not known where he lived previously, but it was likely New York City- he moved back there by 1867, retired in 1880, and died in 1898. Markam practiced in Troy until about 1864, and was also responsible for the design of the Saratoga Battlefield Monument. John Bard Colegrove [1798-1860] had come from New York City in 1826 to supervise the construction of the Hart-Cluett house; he stayed on and became the most prominent builder in Troy.

Sometime around 1870, the roof-towers and sheet-metal Victorian details that made the building appear so odd were added. [The engraving shows the building in 1886.] In 1888 the name of the church was changed to the Fifth Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church when the city changed the name of the street. Around the turn of the century further work was done on the building which provided additional ornament to its interior. In 1927 the church was purchased by an Armenian Apostolic congregation, and was known as St. Peter’s. [The Historical Society has two exterior and three interior pictures of the building taken at about this time.] That congregation held title to the building until 1973, when it was transferred to its last owners, the Bethlehem Temple Church. The building was razed in March 1999, when it was discovered to be structurally unstable.

Next Month: The Quackenbush Stores [The Rite-Aid Building]

Resources:

The Troy Daily Times, 29 December 1854, 3: 4.

Francis, Dennis Steadman. Architects in Practice: New York City 1840-1900. New York: Committee for the Preservation of Architectural Records, 1979, p. 52.

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Items published herein do not necessarily represent the opinions of Troy United Ink Corp., its officers or it's Board of Directors.

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