Dennis Saul
Staten Island at the beginning of the twentieth century was home to a wide array of churches serving its diverse population across many neighborhoods. These churches functioned as vital centers of community life, worship, and social gathering, reflecting the varied religious traditions brought by generations of islanders. From the bustling North Shore to the quiet villages of the South Shore, church spires marked the landscape.
The North Shore, being the most populated area of the island, contained a high concentration of churches representing numerous denominations. In New Brighton, Christ Episcopal Church was a prominent congregation, alongside St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, recognized as the first Catholic parish established on Staten Island. West Brighton hosted the Calvary Presbyterian Church on Castleton Avenue and the impressive Church of the Ascension on Richmond Terrace, noted for its granite construction and tall spire. Port Richmond featured the historic Dutch Reformed Church (First Reformed Church), Park Baptist Church, and the Scandinavian Lutheran Zion Church serving immigrant communities. Mariners Harbor had congregations like Summerfield Methodist Episcopal Church and Mariners’ Baptist Church. Stapleton included the First Presbyterian Church and Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. In Clifton, St. John’s Episcopal Church stood, built as a replica of a famous church in England. The chapel at Sailors’ Snug Harbor also served its resident population of retired seamen.
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Along the developing East Shore, churches anchored growing communities. The Moravian Church had a significant presence, with congregations in New Dorp and at Castleton Hill, whose chapel was enlarged around 1908. Catholic parishes served residents in various neighborhoods, including St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s in Rosebank, Our Lady Queen of Peace in New Dorp, St. Christopher’s in Grant City, and St. Charles in Oakwood. St. Sylvester’s Church in Concord featured the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto. St. Simon’s-in-the-Clove Episcopal Church served the Concord area before its site was later overtaken by highway construction. St. Cuthbert Chapel provided a place of worship in the resort area of South Beach. The Community Church in Oakwood Heights also served local residents.
The more rural and sparsely populated South Shore villages were also served by established churches. In Tottenville, the island’s southernmost town, congregations included the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Wells Memorial Church. Nearby Pleasant Plains was dominated by the large Mission of the Immaculate Virgin at Mount Loretto, a major Catholic institution with its own chapels. St. Clare’s Catholic Church served the Great Kills community. The Huguenot Memorial Church in Huguenot Park reflected the area’s historical connection to French Protestant settlers. Dickinson Methodist Church stood in Travis (then known as Linoleumville). In Rossville, the Sandy Ground AME Zion Church served one of the oldest continuously inhabited free Black settlements in the United States. Eltingville also had a Lutheran Church.
In the island’s interior, the historic village of Richmond Town was anchored by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Its building, dating back to the early 1700s, stood as one of Staten Island’s oldest religious structures. Other inland communities like Westerleigh also had their own local churches serving residents.
Many of these church buildings were significant architectural structures within their neighborhoods. Some, like St. Andrew’s, were already centuries old by the early 1900s. Others were newly constructed or expanded during this era to accommodate growing congregations, built of stone, brick, or wood, and often featuring prominent towers or steeples that were visible landmarks across the island’s landscape.
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