A Brief History of Saint Margaret of Antioch Church

The foundation stone was laid by the Bishop of New York, Henry Codman

Potter on May 27th, 1891. Prior to this building, and beginning in

1858, services were held in the chapel across the street, now the

Staatsburg Library. That building was built by Mrs. Margaret Lewis

Livingston, the mother of Mrs. Lydia Hoyt, and was used by several

religious groups in the village. The parish is named for Saint Margaret

of Antioch, a second century martyr.

The present church, completed in 1892, was designed by the noted

architect, Richard Mitchell Upjohn, and is regarded as one of his best

efforts. The corner stone contains a Bible, as well as copies: of The

Book of Common Prayer, The Church Hymnal, the New York Tribune, the

Poughkeepsie Eagle and a history of the parish. The stone was quarried

near Staatsburg. The original members and benefactors of the church

were leading families in the village and the owners of the large river

estates.

St. Margaret's has a very special Chapman tracker organ. Installed in

1895 by its builder, the organ was completely renovated in 1985. St.

Margaret's is especially noted for its stained glass. The origin of

some of the windows remains uncertain. See the history of the windows

for more information.

Since the advent of the automobile, the closing the railroad station,

the loss of the estate families, and the rerouting of Route 9 around

the village, life in Staatsburg has changed considerably. However, St.

Margaret's remains an important part of the village of Staatsburg.

 The St. Margaret's Chapel built in 1858 is now

the Staatsburg Library