Union Church of Pocantico Hills

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Union Church of Pocantico Hills
UnionPocantico.tif
Union Church of Pocantico Hills
Interactive map highlighting the church's location
Location555-559 Bedford Rd., Pocantico Hills, New York
Coordinates 41°5′44″N73°49′58″W / 41.09556°N 73.83278°W / 41.09556; -73.83278
Area1.2 acres (0.49 ha)
Built1921
ArchitectEisinger, Ludwig W.
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 02000447 [1]
Added to NRHPMay 06, 2002

Union Church of Pocantico Hills is a historic, nondenominational church in Pocantico Hills, New York. It is a notable example of an NRHP-listed church building, whose modern artistic contributions are central to its historic status.

Contents

Fieldstone for the building, as well as timber for the interior, were harvested from the Rockefeller estate Pocantico Hills Union Church3.jpg
Fieldstone for the building, as well as timber for the interior, were harvested from the Rockefeller estate
Henri Matisse rose window Henri Matisse rose window.jpg
Henri Matisse rose window

Construction of the church was funded primarily by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1921, [2] as part of his plans to develop the community of Pocantico Hills, which was below the Rockefeller family estate, Kykuit. [3] His father, John D. Rockefeller Sr., donated the land. Prominent advertising entrepreneur Barron Collier, owner of a neighboring estate, also contributed to the building of the church.

Upon the death of Rockefeller's wife Abby Aldrich Rockefeller in 1948, their son Nelson Rockefeller commissioned Henri Matisse to design the church's rose window in honor of her memory shortly before the artist's own death in 1954. [3] [2] When John D. Rockefeller Jr. died in 1960, his children commissioned artist Marc Chagall to design a Good Samaritan window in his honor. [3] It is a one-story neo-Gothic style building with fieldstone foundation and walls and a slate covered, highly pitched gable roof. In 1930–1931, a parish hall was added to the east end of the church. [4]

Outside view of one of Chagall windows Chagall Window at Union Church.jpg
Outside view of one of Chagall windows

On May 6, 2006, the church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. [5]

The church offers weekly, nondenominational Sunday services in the Christian tradition, open to the public, at 10:00 am ET. For more information about the services, choir, and Sunday school, see the official Website, Union Church of Pocantico Hills.

Organ

David Rockefeller, members of the Rockefeller family, and members of the church commissioned organbuilder Sebastian M. Glück to design and build the Laurance Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Pipe Organ in 2006. It is based upon the organs of fin-de-siècle Paris, notably influenced by the work of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, and it complements the family's taste in the art of that era. It is used for public recitals as well as for church services.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Foderaro, Lisa W. (February 23, 2007). "Spending a Day at the Rockefellers'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Susan Hodara (2004-10-01). "From Rip van Winkle to Rockefellers in Sleepy Hollow Country". New York Times . Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  4. ↑ Peter D. Shaver (November 2001). National Register of Historic Places Registration: New York SP Union Church of Pocantico Hills. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved December 4, 2025. (Downloading may be slow.)
  5. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Listings" (PDF). United States National Park Service. 2002-05-31. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
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