Church Building

POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK · ART DECO, 1930s

Church Building

A two-story Art Deco commercial block at Main and Market Streets, owned by the Reformed Dutch Church of Poughkeepsie since 1717.

At a glance

The Church Building is a complex of stores and other commercial space in downtown Poughkeepsie, at the corner of Main and Market Streets. It stands just across Market Street from the Dutchess County Court House and north of the Bardavon Theater. The name comes not from its use but from its owner: the Reformed Dutch Church of Poughkeepsie, which has held the land since 1717 and receives the rental income.

History

The Reformed Dutch Church of Poughkeepsie has owned the land on which the building stands since 1717. The present building dates from the period when Art Deco was popular in the 1930s. It later served as the western anchor of Main Mall, the city’s former pedestrian mall. In 1982 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

What you see

The two-story building is considered the best example of Art Deco architecture in Poughkeepsie, where most commercial buildings predate the style. Its tilework designs suggest Native American aesthetics. Other ornamental touches associated with Art Deco include floral and patterned metalwork along the shop cornices, and polished green and black marble inside. There are ribbed pilasters between the windows. A multicolored chevron pattern runs above and below the roof parapets.

The interior is intact. Some offices and shops have been modernized, but one of the former remains in its original condition.

Cultural significance

Poughkeepsie’s commercial architecture mostly predates the 1930s. The Church Building is the city’s strongest surviving statement of Art Deco design, with its geometric ornament and Native American-inspired tilework. Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 recognized that distinction.

Key facts

Country: United States
City: Poughkeepsie, New York
Coordinates: 41.70388889, -73.92888889
National Register of Historic Places: 1982

Practical information & getting there

The building is at the corner of Main and Market Streets in downtown Poughkeepsie, New York. It is across Market Street from the Dutchess County Court House and north of the Bardavon Theater.

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