Jay Gould Memorial Reformed Church, Roxbury in the Catskills, N.Y.
The congregation of Jay Gould Memorial Reformed Church in Roxbury, New York originally formed in 1802. The congregation was first known as The Church of Beaverdam, after the former name of the village. Two of the early churches were destroyed by high winds, and a third church building burned down in 1891. This beautiful stone church was constructed by 1894 in memory of Jay Gould (1836-892), an infamous railroads and finance ‘robber baron’ who had grown up in Roxbury. It was designed by famous architect Henry J. Hardenburgh (1847-1918). The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Roxbury Historic District.
As for its architectural design, the building is described as an “early English Gothic style church with ashlar rough cut stone facing and slate roof; square bell tower with paired gothic-arched windows, trefoil tracery, and stained glass on each tower face and louvered vents above at crossing of transept with nave; apse with gothic arched windows at north end of church with stair tower in northeast corner; nave retains square-headed windows with clear leaded glass; street entrance through east transept; retains oak doors with wrought-iron hinges in stylized plant motifs.” (LaFrank, Kathleen. Roxbury Historic District, National Register of Historic Places. Waterford, New York: National Park Service, 2003.)
The postcard was published by the Artvue Post Card Company at 225 5th Avenue in New York City. The postmark shows that it was mailed in 1948.
