Razing of St. Alphonsus Church (1980)

The church was torn down because it was sinking and there was no relevant congregation. No one could raise the money required to restore the foundation of the church an so the entire property was sold to Hartz Mountain (in 1988), who eventually built the hotel.  During that time we tried to stop the hotel, but we were not successful.  Sadly, religious institutions, many of which are a part of New York history, are not automatically landmarked. (source: Susan Fortgang)