Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard's Church

330 West 14th Street | West Village | built 1910

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The lot about 1940
About 1940. Via 1940s.nyc
The lot about 1985
About 1985. Via 80s.nyc

The city photographed every building for its tax records around 1940 and again in the 1980s. NYC Municipal Archives.

Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.

  1. 1873

    May 11

    Patrick Keely's St. Bernard's Church gets its cornerstone before a crowd of about 10,000

    Irish-born architect Patrick C. Keely designed the Gothic Revival church, adding Ruskinian touches and French-style conical spires atop the towers. For the cornerstone ceremony on May 11, 1873, a huge flag was strung across 14th Street to a house opposite, and the family of Mayor Havemeyer watched from the mansion at No. 323. A zinc box placed in the stone held coins, newspapers and a copper plate naming President Grant and the archbishop. Construction was slowed by the Panic of 1873, and the church was dedicated on May 30, 1875.

    Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

  2. 1875

    Father Gabriel Healy swaps wax nativity figures for a live Christmas play

    At the first Christmas in the new church, in December 1874, life-size wax figures of the nativity went on display in the parish hall. The following year Rev. Healy decided to use living actors for some of them and wrote a Christmas Cantata. The two-hour production had an adult cast, scene changes and original music, and included the Massacre of the Innocents. It was staged yearly, and in 1885 Healy published the script so other parishes could perform it.

    Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

  3. 1885

    September 6

    Irish nationalists debate dynamite in the church's social hall

    The parish social hall housed Branch No. 10 of the Parnell Land League, where members argued over events in Ireland. In April 1883 James H. Casserly told the branch he opposed dynamite as harmful to the cause, though he and John Egan allowed that force might be needed in time. By September 6, 1885, the Times reported Casserly was excusing dynamiters, Invincibles and Fenians for their aims and urging supporters to give them sympathy and money.

    Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

  4. 1890

    December 21

    Fire guts the church interior four days before Christmas

    Father McLaughlin smelled smoke at about 5:30 a.m. on December 21, 1890, saw flames through the stained glass windows and woke Father Healy, who ran to Ninth Avenue to find a policeman to turn in an alarm. The roof collapsed as neighbors crowded onto the Ninth Avenue elevated railroad to watch, and the fire raged for more than two hours. The Times reported that the altar, organ, galleries and nearly the whole interior were ruined, though the sacred vessels survived in a fireproof safe. Healy began planning to rebuild at once, and the restored church was dedicated in November 1891.

    Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

  5. 2003

    April 13

    A Palm Sunday procession carries Our Lady of Guadalupe's portrait here to merge two parishes

    Hundreds of worshipers carrying palm fronds walked one block west from Our Lady of Guadalupe church on Palm Sunday 2003. They placed a life-size portrait of the Virgin near the altar to mark the marriage of the two parishes. The archdiocese explained that St. Bernard's had the space, Our Lady had the congregation, and both carried debt. The altars were combined and new paintings added in the remodeling.

    Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

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