| Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary | |
|---|---|
 Photographed in 2009 | |
 Interactive map of Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Location | Manhattan, New York City, United States |
| Completed | 1918[1] |
| Client | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Masonry brick with terracotta trim |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | ? |
| Website | |
| St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, Manhattan | |
TheChurch of St. Elizabeth of Hungary was aRoman Catholic parish church in theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 211 East 83rd Street, betweenSecond Avenue andThird Avenue, on theUpper East Side ofManhattan inNew York City. St. Elizabeth's was founded bySlovakian immigrants on theLower East Side in 1891, and the Upper East Side building was completed in 1918. The Archdiocese of New York issued a decree to close the church on June 30, 2017.
St. Elizabeth's was founded bySlovakian immigrants on theLower East Side, with the firstMass celebrated on April 26, 1891, in the basement of St. Bridget's Church on8th Street andAvenue B.[2][3] The first church building was located345 East 4th Street, which hosted its first Mass on August 7, 1892. A special feature ofThe New York Times in 1901, mentioned the church, listed as "the Hungarian church," among other Catholic structures on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, describing the group "for the most part...limit[ing] themselves to the functions of a parish church, in districts where social needs are otherwise supplied." Without comment on other facilities attached.[4]
As parishioners relocated, it became necessary to move the parish. The former Second Emmanuel Lutheran Church church on East 83rd Street, built in 1892, became the new home for St. Elizabeth's on June 7, 1917.[2] It underwent several expansions in the following decades.[2]
As the local Slovak population declined later in the 20th century,Cardinal Cooke redesignated it as a church for thedeaf Catholics of New York on July 1, 1980.[2]
In November 2014, the Archdiocese announced that the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary was one of 31 neighborhood parishes which would be merged into other parishes.[5] St. Elizabeth of Hungary andSt. Stephen of Hungary were to be merged into theChurch of St. Monica at 413 East 79th Street.[6][7]
The Archdiocese of New York issued a decree to close the church on June 30, 2017.[8] This decision, along with the earlier decision to merge, was appealed to the Vatican by parishioners.[9] While the appeals were still pending, the property was contracted for sale for $11.8M by the Diocese to Robert Saffayeh Development in 2024.[10] Removal of religious items from the church began on May 28, 2024.[11] TheNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commission had considered designating the church as a landmark but ultimately declined to do so.[12]
The 2010 edition of theAIA Guide to New York City neglects to mention an architect, describing theGothic Revival church as "a classy, spired neo-Gothic exterior, but the treat is within: ascent the stairs to view a just heavenly groin-vaulted ceiling painted in the colors ofRavenna'smosaics."[1]
| International | |
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| National | |
40°46′36.02″N73°57′16.2″W / 40.7766722°N 73.954500°W /40.7766722; -73.954500
