St. Joseph of the Holy Family's Church

The Church of St. Joseph of the Holy Family is a Roman Catholic parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 401 West 125th Street at Morningside Avenue in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is the oldest existing church in Harlem and above 44th Street in Manhattan. On June 28, 2016 it was designated a New York City Landmark.ParishThe parish was established in 1859 or 1860 for German Catholics. Although the building has remained in one location, street name changes in Harlem have affected the address. The address listed in 1892 was at 125th Street and the corner of 9th Avenue.ArchitectureBuilt before the American Civil War, the Romanesque Revival red brick church was built and dedicated in 1860. It was enlarged in 1871 and altered in 1889 by the Herter Brothers. As part of the alteration, the window over the entrance became a niche for a statue of St. Joseph holding the infant.SchoolThe church had a school and convent affiliated with it, which were located in the former Manhattanville Presbyterian Church, a Greek Revival structure directly behind the church. The parish school was among 27 in the Archdiocese of New York closed by Archbishop Dolan on January 11, 2011.