Church of St. Dismas, the Good Thief
Why it's listed
Inside the walls of Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora stands a Neogothic-style fieldstone chapel, the Church of St. Dismas, the Good Thief. Built between 1939 and 1941, it was constructed by inmates under prison chaplain Ambrose Hyland, using stone salvaged from the prison's first cell block, an old wall and the farm building. Architects from Catholic University donated the plans, and the Rambush Decorating Company trained inmates in ironwork, woodcarving, sculpture and stained glass. The rectangular building has a slate roof, a rose window, buttressed side walls and a 106-foot tower. Inside are marble altars, a bronze tabernacle, oak pews and stained glass windows of the Stations of the Cross made by inmates. A greenhouse, grotto and stone wall on the 1.07-acre site also contribute. The chapel was listed for its architecture and as a rare prison-built church illustrating efforts to serve inmates' spiritual needs. It remains in use for Catholic and Protestant services.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a rare and distinguished example of a house of worship built and used by state prison inmates, and believes it to be the only intact historic church built on New York State prison grounds. It is significant under Criterion C for its intact Neogothic design and finely crafted interior of rare materials and decorative arts. Under Criterion A it illustrates a renewed emphasis on the spiritual welfare of inmates within the state prison system.
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 91001673, listed November 21, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Clinton Correctional Facility, Cook St., Dannemora |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County |
| Listed | November 21, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001673 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1939-1941 |
| Architect / builder | Frederick Vernon Murphy & Thomas Lorcroft (architects); Viggo F.S. Rambush; Rambush Decorating Company |
| Architectural style | 20th Century Revival: Neogothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a place of worship for the prison's Catholic and Protestant inmates; the interior is described as highly intact. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 44.72469, -73.72209 (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 91001673.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5117213
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.