14th street and union square preservation plan - Columbia ...

NINTH TO SEVENTH AVENUES
Surrounded by Greenwich Village to the south, Chelsea to the north, a commercial
zone to the east, and the historically industrial Meatpacking District to the west,
the section of 14 th Street between Seventh and Ninth Avenues is characterized by a
diverse assortment of small-scale buildings. Residential buildings, including many midnineteenth-century
rowhouses, with ground-level commercial spaces predominate,
while commercial, light-manufacturing and religious buildings dating from the latenineteenth
to the early-twentieth century dot the streetscapes. The rich variety of
building uses, ages, architectural styles and materials, combined with the small scale of
the structures, help to create a distinct sense of neighborhood.
The building occupied by Guadalupe is a mid-nineteenth-century brownstone that
has been masterfully converted from a posh rowhouse to a double-height sanctuary,
complete with a monumental entrance, side chapel, tiny balcony, and clerestory. This
transformation which makes Guadalupe extremely rare, if not unique, in the city
spanned two decades and involved several notable architects one of which was Gustave
Steinback. Steinback, known for his work on religious projects, designed No. 229’s
classically proportioned Spanish Revival façade in 1921. Although the church remained
extremely popular, it was consolidated with nearby St. Bernard’s parish and closed in
2003. Today, Guadalupe is clear architectural trace of Little Spain. (Figure 5)
ST. BERNARD’S PARISH
Historically, St. Bernard’s Parish was considered one of the most important parishes in
the city. In the 1870s, the congregation was primarily composed of Irish immigrants
and descendants of Irish immigrants. Irish-born architect Patrick Charles Keely was
selected to design a new St. Bernard’s and the cornerstone was laid in May of 1873. The
church is built in the Victorian Gothic style with the twin towers, triple-portal entrance,
and rose window inset into a pointed
arch reveal a masterful blending
of French and English influences.
(Figure 4)
242 WEST 14 TH STREET
The building located at 242 West 14 th Street is a great example of a residential to partial
commercial conversion due to its intact, double-height cast iron storefront. (Figure 6)
(FORMER) ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF
GUADALUPE
Founded at the turn of the twentieth
century by the Augustinians of the
Assumption, Guadalupe was the
first Spanish-speaking Catholic
parish in New York City and for a
time served as the national parish for
Spanish-speaking Catholics. At this
time 14th Street between Seventh
and Eighth Avenues was the heart
of “Little Spain,” and working-class
Spanish immigrants composed
most of the early congregation.
4. ST. BERNARD’S.
SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES: NINTH TO SEVENTH AVENUES
5. OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE. 6. 242 WEST 14 TH STREET.
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