History, Restoration and Community

St. Peter's Episcopal Church was formally organized May 9, 1831, growing out of a congregation centered around the General Theological Seminary. The Seminary had opened in 1827 on Ninth Avenue between 20th and 21st Streets. More and more neighbors joined faculty and students in Sunday worship until it became obvious that independent structuring was necessary. On February 4, 1832, a new chapel – the present rectory – was consecrated on land leased, later deeded, from Clement Clarke Moore. The present church was consecrated February 22, 1838. Moore had also donated the land for the Seminary and became

an early warden, vestryman, and organist for St. Peter's. The Moore estate, "Chelsea," overlooked the North (Hudson) River, which met the shore where Tenth Avenue is now, and extended from present day 19th to about 25th Street and east to what is now Sixth Avenue. Moore himself was a respected teacher, Biblical scholar, and linguist, but he is best remembered today for creating the classic Christmas poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas."

Over the 180-plus years since its founding, St. Peter's has undergone numerous changes with accompanying highs and lows. In the second half of the 19th century, the parish, with its many outreach programs, saw Sunday school attendance soar to over 650 children per week. Other parish societies visited the needy, clothed the Sunday school students, and even supervised an industrial school. In the middle of the 20th century, attendance and membership declined, and this coupled

with overwhelming costs forced St. Peter's to deed its property and buildings to the Diocese of New York, and in 1954 became a Mission.

In 1980, the Rev. Wray MacKay became Vicar. Gradually, through a system of "shared ministry" that actively involved the congregation in every aspect of parish life, membership improved, and social outreach, while scaled back considerably, was given new life. Through the combined efforts of Father MacKay, the Vestry, Wardens, and congregation, St. Peter's regained Parish status in 1995. In 1996 Father MacKay retired, and after a 2-year search the parish called the Rev. K. Dennis Winslow, Jr., to be its 11th Rector, a post which he held until 2010.

In October 2010, the parish named The Reverend Canon Alan G. Dennis to be its new Priest in Charge, with option to call as Rector. His bio appears elsewhere on this site.

An ever-mounting priority during the last several decades has been the preservation of the architectural heritage of the parish: a long-neglected landmark church and rectory requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars in restoration costs in order to remain fully functional. A Capital Campaign was started, and that, plus a significant bequest have allowed the completion of several critical structural repairs. The tower and its roof have been repaired. The South Wall, behind the high altar, including the stained glass windows and the murals to each side, have been completely repaired and restored. The sacristy and rectory roofs have been redone. Major work is being done on the Parish Hall by its long-term tenant, the Atlantic Theater Company (a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization).

Much more needs to be done, and the Restoration Campaign will soon be revived in earnest towards the accomplishment of these goals.