Clarkson Chapel is located on New York State Route 9G (NY 9G) in Clermont, New York, United States, just across from the

Coons House The Coons House is located along NY 9G in Clermont, New York, United States, across the road from the Clarkson Chapel. It was built in the mid-19th century in the Greek Revival architectural style. It is the only Greek Revival house in Cle ...

. It is a mid-19th century wooden building in the Carpenter Gothic style. Levinus Clarkson, a local landowner who had married into the Livingston family, constructed it in 1860 for a group of dissident Episcopalians that included himself. At the time it was on the grounds of his estate, Knollwood. In 1983, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nine years later, when the Hudson River Historic District was created and designated a National Historic Landmark, it also became a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

to that district. It has since passed from the Livingston descendants to Columbia County.

Building

The chapel is located on a

lot Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to: Common meanings Areas * Land lot, an area of land * Parking lot, for automobiles *Backlot, in movie production Sets of items *Lot number, in batch production *Lot, a set of goods for sale togethe ...

on the west side of Route 9G, roughly 0.7 mile (1 km) south of the

Stone Jug The Stone Jug is a historic house at the corner of NY 9G and Jug Road in Clermont, New York, United States. It dates to the mid-18th century and is largely intact, although it has been expanded somewhat since then. It was built by Konradt Lash ...

at the Jug Road intersection. It is screened from the road by a row of trees. A driveway approaches it from the southeast. The

, across the road slightly north, is also listed on the Register. It is a one-story frame structure with a steeply pitched gable roof and board-and- batten

siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch l ...

. Projecting hoods with scrolled brackets shield the windows and main entrance, a paneled double door with

transom Transom may refer to: * Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar * Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet * Operation Tran ...

light. Pinnacles and pendants are at both gable ends, with a louvered vent beneath them. The bellcote is separate from the rest of the building, to the southeast. Inside, the chapel has a center aisle between painted wooden pews. The furnishings include hanging lanterns and a cast iron wood-burning stove. A pump organ is also inside.

History

In 1854, Levinus Clarkson, husband of Edward Philip Livingston's daughter Mary, left his position as vestryman at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in

Tivoli Tivoli may refer to: * Tivoli, Lazio, a town in Lazio, Italy, known for historic sites; the inspiration for other places named Tivoli Buildings * Tivoli (Baltimore, Maryland), a mansion built about 1855 * Tivoli Building (Cheyenne, Wyoming), a ...

, south of Clermont. He was joined by other congregants who had been alienated by a dispute. Six years later he built the chapel for the dissidents, on part of his Knollwood

estate Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representat ...

. It was a personal application of the popular Carpenter Gothic style in a Picturesque setting. The chapel is still Episcopalian in its form and materials, and particularly the detached bellcote. Its decorative hoods distinguish from Richard Upjohn's similarly Gothic St. Luke's on US 9 elsewhere in Clermont. The Livingston family retained it until the late 20th century, using it for special events. Later in the century it became the property of Columbia County, when developers defaulted on their taxes for a nearby horse farm. In 2001, the environmental group

Scenic Hudson Scenic Hudson is a non-profit environmental organization in New York that protects land, creates, and enhances parks, and advocates for environmentally responsible policies and development practices. History Scenic Hudson was founded as the Scen ...

obtained an easement for a trail that would connect the site to the horse farm at Clermont State Historic Site to the east.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in New York Chapels in the United States Carpenter Gothic church buildings in New York (state) Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Churches completed in 1860 19th-century churches in the United States Buildings and structures in Columbia County, New York Historic district contributing properties in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Columbia County, New York

Building

History

See also

References