St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church Complex
Why it's listed
This Roman Catholic complex on Catalpa Avenue in Ridgewood, Queens, includes a church, rectory, school and convent, all designed by architect Francis J. Berlenbach, Jr. and built of pale yellow or amber brick. The first building, erected in 1909, combined church and school functions and now serves as the school. As the congregation grew with the surrounding neighborhood, the larger church was completed in 1926 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. Its buff brick front has a three-bay narthex with Corinthian detailing and a three-stage tower with a carillon, clock and copper cupola. Inside, a Latin cross plan holds a barrel-vaulted nave, scagliola columns, marble altars and stained glass made by the Franz Mayer Studios in Munich. The contractors Adam and Henry Schlachter donated one window. The complex sits across from the Central Ridgewood Historic District and is considered consistent with that district's character and significant to the story of Ridgewood's development, a neighborhood long home to a large German-American community.
Significance in brief: The complex is presented as architecturally congruous with the surrounding Ridgewood district and as significant in telling the story of Ridgewood's history and development. The Italian Renaissance Revival church grew out of the congregation's expansion alongside the neighborhood's population, which became a large German-American community. The excerpt provided does not include the full statement of significance.
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 12000599, listed September 4, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 58-15 Catalpa Ave., Queens |
|---|---|
| County | Queens |
| Listed | September 4, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000599 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect Francis J. Berlenbach, Jr.; contractors Adam and Henry Schlachter (built the church) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals / Italian Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Church, rectory, school and convent remain in religious use; the 1909 building is currently used as the school, and the church tower was restored in 2005-2006. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 40.70415, -73.90207 (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 12000599.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q22329605
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.