Union Church of Pocantico Hills
Why it's listed
Union Church of Pocantico Hills is a small fieldstone Neo-Gothic church built in 1921-22 as a Protestant community church in a hamlet of Westchester County, New York. Architect Ludwig W. Eisinger designed it, and the land came from John D. Rockefeller, Sr. A parish hall followed in 1930-31 and a Sunday school wing in 1957, both matching the original style, and a Tudor Revival manse dates from 1930. The church is valued first for its windows. The rose window, completed in 1954 and installed in 1956, was the last completed work of Henri Matisse. Nine windows by Marc Chagall were installed between 1964 and 1966, including a large Good Samaritan window. The windows replaced the original opalescent glass and were given by the Rockefeller family. The building is also regarded as a nearly textbook example of early twentieth-century Neo-Gothic village church design, with a rectangular plan, gabled nave and entrance porch with bell tower. Its surroundings of houses, woodland and open land have changed little.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is exceptionally significant in art for its stained glass windows by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall, which it describes as unique in the world. It is also significant in architecture as an essentially intact example of early-20th-century Neo-Gothic village church design. Later additions were built to blend with the original design.
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 02000447, listed May 6, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 555-559 Bedford Rd., Pocantico Hills |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | May 6, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000447 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1921-1966 |
| Architect / builder | Eisinger, Ludwig W. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th century revival: Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a church, with a museum function also listed; the setting is described as little changed since construction. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Within district | Rockefeller Pocantico Hills Estate Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.09558, -73.83237 (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 02000447.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7885533
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.