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Church of St. Augustine - Larchmont, NY Church of St. Augustine - Larchmont, NY

Church Photos

The information contained on this page is based on the Seventy-Fifth Diamond Jubilee book, The Art and Architecture of St. Augustine’s Church, written and edited by William C. McGuire II. The book was prepared in May 2003 in conjunction with the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the dedication of St. Augustine’s Church. The principal photography is by William Irwin (www.IrwinPhoto.com). Many additional or unpublished photos are included in the following selections. Copies of the book at $10.00 per copy may be obtained by contacting the rectory (914) 834-1220.

On Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 1928 , His Eminence Patrick Cardinal Hayes dedicated the new St. Augustine’s Church in Larchmont. The new church replaced the church used by the parish on Beach Avenue. Read more information on the history of the Parish. The principal details of the church building are:

To view the church, please click on any of the photos below.

Thomas Dunn's drawing of the church to be built on the corner of Larchmont & Cherry Avenue. The seventy five seat morning chapel on the side of the church was never built. View of St. Augustine's Church from the corner of Larchmont & Cherry Avenue. Shield on the porte-cochere containing the church symbols for St. Augustine, the cross, a flaming heart and an open book. View of the altar from the mid point of the center aisle.
Exposed ceiling timberwork, a frequent feature of the Gothic revival period. Side view of the altar. The main altar table. It was constructed in 1991 and placed in front of the original main altar. The legs are made from the marble of the original altar railings which were removed for the renovation. Sacred Heart Altar
Stations of the Cross recessed in the church pillars and wall. Woodwork detail on the choir loft. Polished ceramic tiles that form the wine-colored aisles of the church. One of the mosaic tile inlays (glass tessera) on the original main altar. Frederick Scheffler, the artist responsible for the windows and mosaics was well known for his mosaics in churches and public buildings. He was also commissioned to do murals for the US Customs House and frescoes for the Ferry Building on Ellis Island.

The windows of the church were produced by the Emil Frei Company of St. Louis in their studios in Munich , Germany. Emil Frei was born in Bavaria. In the early part of the twentieth century Frei was one of the more notable designers of stained glass windows. In 1904 he won the Grand Prize at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition for his work.

Frei commissioned the German American artist Rudolf Scheffler to create and design the windows. “Sheffler once had a considerable reputation in America and his native Germany, as an architectural muralist and craftsman.” He lived at times in Brooklyn Heights as well as among the impressionist artist communities in Old Lyme, Connecticut and Monhegan Island, Maine. In 1989 the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme Connecticut held a special exhibition of Scheffler’s works.

The windows over the altar and in the upper part of the nave are of a different design than those in the rest of the church. They primarily present elongated figures and “are of an exceptional richness of character and complexity.” The windows in the transept and lower nave are “a more common, purely representational and modern style.”

To view some of the windows of the church, please click on any of the photos below.

Good Shepherd Window behind the tall spire of the original main altar. Note the depiction of Jerusalem and Bethlehem to the right and left. Bethlehem from the Good Shepherd Window Jerusalem from the Good Shepherd Window St. Mary Magdalene window in the upper nave of the church. This window is typical of those contained in the upper nave and the sanctuary. The center panel shows Mary Magdalene in green garments holding a jar. Green is the symbol of hope. Mary Magdalene is frequently depicted with a jar in which she carried the oils to anoint Christ's feet. A cross the symbol of hope and salvation is depicted in the apex.
In the left panel of the Mary Magdalene window is an hour glass with wings and the Latin words "Pax Vobiscum". This is the symbol of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. St. Peter Window in the upper nave of the church. Note the detail with St. Peter holding a key in his right hand... "Thou art Peter... I will give to thee the keys to the kingdom of heaven." In his left hand is a fish "Peter, fisher of men." The Paschal Lamb, the symbol of Christ, "the lamb of God" who redeemed the world by shedding his blood as well as the risen Christ who triumphs over death. This symbol appears in each of the windows in the sanctuary. Mary Queen of Heaven. On her left is an ark and a dove. The Ark is sometimes regarded as a mythical figure of the Blessed Virgin. (see Catholic Encyclopedia). On the right is the Tower of David. In the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady is referred to as the Ark of the Covenant and the Tower of David.
The Ark and Dove from the Mary Queen of Heaven window. Michael the Archangel. This window was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hannan. He was the builder of the church. He died after the window was made but before the church was completed. Christ and the Little Children. This window located in the transept is rich in color but a different style than those in the sanctuary and upper nave. It is more representational and without the symbolism of the other windows. Sermon on the Mount. An example of one of the bible story windows in the lower nave.