St. Mary's of the Mountain Church
Why it's listed
Perched on a hillside along Route 23A in Hunter, this wood-framed church began in 1839 as a small hemlock and basswood building, 30 by 20 feet, built for Irish Catholic workers drawn to the Catskill tanning industry. A parish cemetery was laid out at the same time and survives to the west. The church was enlarged in 1850 with a sanctuary, then reshaped in the 1870s when a resident pastor arrived and railroads brought summer visitors and new workers. That work added the asymmetrical entry towers with quoined corners, round-arched windows and paired louvered openings that give the building its Romanesque character. In 1904 the interior was renovated with pressed metal walls and ceilings, new altars and Munich stained glass, of which one window remains. The building is described as unusual among regional churches, which mostly follow Federal, Greek Revival or Gothic Revival models. Although altered and deteriorated, it remains an important regional example of its type, and the cemetery records early immigrant burial customs.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is a rare and unique example of Romanesque-style ecclesiastical architecture in the Catskill Mountain region, where most churches follow Federal, Greek Revival or Gothic Revival models. It also shows how a rural settlement-era church changed with its congregation's fortunes, from the tanning boom to the railroad and tourist era. The cemetery, the region's first Roman Catholic cemetery, adds to its importance.
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 99000057, listed January 27, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 23A, Hunter |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | January 27, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000057 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1839 - 1904 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant; the form notes deterioration and liturgical and some structural alterations, including a modern concrete foundation replacing the failed stone one in the 1970s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.20409, -74.19983 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 99000057.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7590454
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.