The Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie, NY
Original architect
Charles Collens
(completed 1921)
Building owner
The Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie
In collaboration with
Preservation Architecture
Building description
Built in 1921, The Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie was designed in a
neo-Gothic style by Charles Collens. At the southeast corner of the church
is the bell tower. It rises approximately 70 feet from grade to the top of
the parapet wall, with three main interior levels. About half way up the
tower is the organ level, which houses an organ that was installed in
2004. The next level is the bell level. The uppermost level is the chime
level, which still contains the full chime set within a space exposed to
the environment through the open tracery of paired gothic windows on each
facade. The exterior of the tower is clad in limestone with cast stone
trim. The limestone, which is set in random coursing, is a fine-grained,
hetereogeneous stone with prominent veining and inclusions. An
orange-colored cast stone is used for trim and ornament of the tower.
The cast stone is particularly prominent at the upper areas where it is
used to form rectangular openings at the bell level and the open tracery of
the chime level.
Scope of Work
- Investigated and documented the existing conditions of the exterior
masonry on the bell tower, roof and sheet metal flashings through hands-on
inspection and hammer-sounding.