St. Savior’s Church

This dilapidated relic sits on a block filled with greenery amid a neighborhood of row houses.

By Iman Khan

One of the last remaining relics of mid-19th century Maspeth rests in the town’s historical center.

St. Saviour’s Church was founded in 1847 atop a hill in Maspeth, on land donated by U.S. Congressman and Maspeth pioneer James Maurice. Renowned architect Richard Upjohn designed St. Saviour’s in a style copied from a church the Maurice family saw while on a trip to Europe.

Looking at the area in its present form, there are few indications that this is where the town actually began its existence as such, however, this is the land that some of the earliest colonists settled.

In recent history, St. Savior’s church has become a battleground where the community residents, elected officials, parishioners and developers have been going to war over whether or not its historical significance is great enough to keep it standing in its current form or be developed over.

St. Savior’s Church suffered from a fire in 1970, which damaged its tower, roof and vestibule, which led the City Landmarks Commission to deem that the church lost its historic value. However, the Juniper Park Civic Association recently brought attention to siding constructed with redwood that they believe to be remnants from the original 1847 church construction, according to Christina Wilkinson, Chair of the Committee to Save St. Savior’s.

“We later received additional information about the building,” said Lisi DeBourbon, spokeswoman for the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. “In an effort to be certain whether it met the criteria for designation as an individual landmark, Commission Chairman Robert B. Tierney and other senior staff from our agency visited the site on May 18. They concluded that it doesn’t meet the requirements specified by law to receive landmark status.”

But the building remains a treasure to those who cherish its value.