St. Peter's Church

St. Peter's Church

The oldest Catholic parish in New York City, the site where St. Peter’s Church now stands was purchased from Trinity Church in 1785. The original St. Peter’s Church was erected in the same year, with the first mass commencing in 1786. A devastating fire in 1835 razed the building to the ground. In 1840, with the help of wealthy freed slave and St. Peter’s parishioner Pierre Toussaint, St. Peter’s parish built a second church structure that still stands to this day. The current church is an impressive example of Neo-classical architecture in an area surrounded by bleak contemporary office buildings towering high above the street. The noteworthy neoclassical structure was designed by architects John Haggerty and Thomas Thomas. The church was mildly damaged during the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. The landing gear from one of the planes that hit one of the World Trade Center towers landed on the roof of the church, causing some structural damage. The body of Fire Chaplain Fr. Mychal Judge was brought from the north tower to the church to rest in peace after he gave his life to help others. St. Peter’s has always been a haven for the community and a place for the needy.