St. Nicholas Ukranian Catholic Church
Also known as: St. Nicholas Greek Catholic Church
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Why it's listed
Built between 1906 and 1908 at the corner of 4th Avenue and 24th Street in Watervliet, this Ukrainian Catholic church is a large one-story building of buff pressed brick over red brick, trimmed in limestone and topped by copper-clad onion domes. Architect Bernhardt Noack, a German-born Troy designer, drew on Romanesque and Byzantine precedents, using round-arched windows and an engaged central bell tower with smaller towers at the corners. The parish grew from a fraternity founded in 1895 by Ukrainian immigrants who settled in Cohoes, South Troy and West Troy. Construction stalled in 1907 when funds ran out and neighboring congregations withdrew, but a loan arranged with help from the Bishop of Albany allowed completion in spring 1908. Later changes include removal of the central dome in 1957, copper roofing in place of slate, and interior redecoration in 1949-1950. The building is valued as the city's leading architectural expression of its Ukrainian community.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is architecturally significant locally as an intact example of Ukrainian-inspired religious design, with round-arched windows and multiple onion domes drawn from Eastern European precedents. It is also significant for its cultural ties to the Ukrainian immigrant settlement of the Cohoes-Troy-Watervliet area. It has served as the worship and gathering place for the local Ukrainian Catholic community since completion.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 04000288, listed April 15, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4th Ave. and 24th St., Watervliet |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | April 15, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000288 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1906-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Noack, Bernhardt: architect |
| Architectural style | Other: Romanesque/Byzantine |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a religious facility; the form says it has served continuously as a worship center since completion and retains a high degree of integrity to 1908, though the central dome and flank turrets were removed. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.73439, -73.70306 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 04000288.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7590846
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.