German Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Mark
Also known as: Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew; Community Synagogue Max D. Raiskin Center
Why it's listed
Built in 1847 on East 6th Street in what is now Manhattan's East Village, this red brick church has served as a house of worship for more than 155 years. St. Matthew's Lutheran Church built it as a branch, but the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Mark soon rented it and bought it in 1857, using it for 92 years. The unknown architect gave it a double-height temple front with four brick piers and a pediment, an unusual choice in an era when Greek Revival and Gothic Revival dominated church design in New York. Inside are a balcony on three sides, a large wooden arch, leaded-glass windows from the 1890s and the original organ. The congregation lost over 1,000 members in the 1904 General Slocum steamboat fire. Since 1940 the building has housed the Community Synagogue. It is valued for its rare design and its links to German and Jewish immigrant history.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a rare, little-altered pre-Civil War Renaissance Revival ecclesiastical design (Criterion C). It is also tied to the immigrant history of both German and Jewish communities in New York (Criterion A), including the congregation's losses in the 1904 General Slocum disaster.
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 04000296, listed April 15, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 323 E. 6th St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | April 15, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000296 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1847-1940 |
| Architectural style | MID-19th CENTURY/Renaissance Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a synagogue, the Community Synagogue Max D. Raiskin Center, which has occupied the building since 1940. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.72709, -73.98700 (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 04000296.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5551093
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.