New York City Rescue Mission, now a controlled affiliate of The

Bowery Mission The Bowery Mission is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides hot meals, overnight shelter, and faith-based residential programs for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. Its purpose statement reads: "The Bowery Mission exists to promote the flour ...

, was founded in 1872 by

Jerry McAuley Jeremiah "Jerry" McAuley (1839 – September 18, 1884), along with his wife, Maria McAuley, Maria McAuley (née Fahy) , founded the McAuley Water Street Mission (now the New York City Rescue Mission) in Lower Manhattan. Known as the "apostle for ...

and his wife,

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

with the purpose of providing a soup kitchen and homeless shelter.

History

Homelessness was on the rise in New York City during the 1870s largely due to a wave of European immigration. In 1872, investment banker

Alfrederick Smith Hatch Alfrederick Smith Hatch (July 24, 1829 – May 13, 1904) was an American investment banker who founded Fisk & Hatch along with Harvey Fisk. Hatch was the President of the New York Stock Exchange from 1883 to 1884. Life Hatch was born in Vermon ...

donated a former dancing hall located on 316 Water Street to

and his wife, Maria Fahy McAuley. The couple opened a rescue mission called The Helping Hand for Men. The name soon changed to McAuley's Water Street Mission. After three years, McAuley and his friends built a three-story brick building to replace the original frame structure. In 1912, that building was torn down and a new four-story building was erected. It was designed by architect

Bradford Gilbert Bradford Lee Gilbert (March 24, 1853 – September 1, 1911) was a nationally active American architect based in New York City. He is known for designing the Tower Building in 1889, the first steel-framed building anywhere and the first skyscr ...

, former mission trustee and second husband to Maria after McAuley's death. The building cost $100,000 and included a chapel, dormitories, and modern conveniences. In 1927, the John Markle dormitory was dedicated. During the 1960s, McAuley Water Street Mission moved to its current location at 90 Lafayette Street. In 2000, the rescue mission was renamed to its current name, New York City Rescue Mission. The building began expansion for a third floor in 2011. Since its founding, the homeless shelter provided housing for men only. In 2014, the shelter opened to women after 142 years of being male-exclusive. By 2015, 220 beds were available.

Today

In November of 2017, New York City Rescue Mission became a controlled affiliate of The

. The organization’s 90 Lafayette St. campus is now called The Bowery Mission’s Tribeca Campus and serves as the combined organization’s primary site for overnight shelter and care.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:New York City Rescue Mission 1872 establishments in New York (state) Christian charities Charities based in New York City Christian relief organizations Non-profit organizations based in New York City