On the day after the 4th of July 2024 I made my only visit to Staten Island all year and puttered around the Stapleton area, specifically Van Duzer Street and St. Paul’s Avenue, both of which feature a plethora of beautiful and landmarked houses. I brought a Forgotten NY tour through the area in 2014 and had contacted the owner of the handsomest of the houses and got an exclusive look inside.
However, as I made my rounds this year, I concluded that I couldn’t in good conscience bring 25-30 people on this strip again; not because I disliked that area, but because sidewalks are absent or ill-maintained, and traffic on both streets can be pedal to the metal as stoplights are infrequent. I nearly tripped on sidewalk cracks several times. However, I’m hopeful of doing powerpoint presentations when the opportunity arises.
Pictured is Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s Ave. and Beach Street. Though the congregation was founded in 1856 this building dates to 1913 and was built by the firm of Upjohn and Conable (Hobart Upjohn was the grandson of Trinity Church builder Richard Upjohn). The church’s original name, Deutsche Evangelische Lutheran Kirche (German Evangelical Lutheran Church) is inscribed on the cornerstone at the base of the tower, which is guarded by gargoyles which seem to be straining against their protective ropes like watchdogs on their leashes. Constructed of grey brick with cast stone and limestone trim, the cruciform planned church is distinguished by its recessed central entry porch with curving sidewalls and a groined and ribbed ceiling, large stained-glass windows with Gothic tracery produced by the Mayer studio in Munich.
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11/5/24