Church of the Holy Cross
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Why it's listed
Three connected buildings on the east side of Eighth Street in Troy make up the Church of the Holy Cross complex: the church, a manse to its north, and the T-shaped Mary Warren Free Institute set back on the hillside. Mary Bouton Warren founded the church in the early 1840s as a free parish church of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, to give religious instruction and singing training to girls at her charity day school. Alexander Jackson Davis planned the original chapel, first used at Christmas 1844. Richard Upjohn designed the enlargement with a chancel, consecrated in 1848. The parsonage followed in 1857, a tower and ante-chapel by Henry Dudley in 1859, and the institute in 1863. Pointed arches, tan and gray random-coursed stone and slate roofs unify the group. Interest in choral worship, shared by Nathan Warren and the Rev. John I. Tucker, produced the first full choral service in an American Episcopal church.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls the complex an important example of mid-19th century American Gothic Revival church architecture. The church is the work of two nationally significant architects, Alexander Jackson Davis and Richard Upjohn. It is also tied to the Warren family's charitable work and to experiments in church music that led to the first full choral service in an American Episcopal church.
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 73001253, listed June 4, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 136 8th St., Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | June 4, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001253 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Alexander Jackson Davis (nave, 1844); Richard M. Upjohn (chancel, 1848); Henry Dudley (ante-chapel and tower, 1859); parsonage and institute attributed to Nathan Warren |
| Architectural style | American Gothic Revival ecclesiastical architecture |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in good condition, and little altered; used for religious purposes. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.73253, -73.68323 (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 73001253.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5117897
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.