St. Augustine's Chapel
Also known as: All Saints' Free Church
Why it's listed
St. Augustine's Chapel is a small stone church at 290 Henry Street on Manhattan's lower east side. Built in 1827-28 and attributed to John Heath, it is made of Manhattan schist quarried from a nearby hill called Mount Pitt. A central tower breaks the front gable, and pointed-arch windows with interlaced muntins mark the facade. Its design mixes Georgian massing and details with early hints of the Gothic Revival. The congregation began in 1824 as All Saints' Free Church, the seventeenth Protestant Episcopal parish in New York City. Under Rev. Dr. Haight in 1837-1846 it held the first daily Lenten services in the United States. Inside are original wooden galleries on slender cast-iron columns, a wineglass pulpit from 1830, a Henry Erban organ still in use, and two unaltered galleries originally for enslaved people, a very unusual survival. The chancel was extended in 1848, and a brick parish house was added behind in 1963-64. The church remains in active use.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding example of a small masonry parish church, late Federal in date but using earlier Georgian elements while anticipating the Gothic Revival through its pointed-arch windows. It was the seventeenth Protestant Episcopal parish in New York City and was the site of the first daily Lenten services in the United States. It is also described as a well-preserved example of a once-common late Federal church type indigenous to New York City.
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 80002718, listed May 6, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 290 Henry St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | May 6, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002718 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | John Heath |
| Architectural style | Late Federal with Georgian elements and early Gothic Revival features |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as beautifully preserved and maintained and still in use; condition marked excellent and occupied, with a 1963-64 rear parish house addition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.71343, -73.98334 (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 80002718.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7587143
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.