Gridley Chapel

This miniature Presbyterian worship space occupies a prominent place in the hamlet of Wassaic in Dutchess County, NY. Built in 1875 to accommodate the Sunday churchgoing of workers at Gridley Ironworks, it is a textbook example of rural Gothic Revival style, rendered in wood. The chapel was lightly used for worship, so a committee of townspeople was formed to fundraise for restoration.

Leo J. Blackman Architects worked to prepare the bid documents and oversee construction. Work was divided into three phases (exterior carpentry & painting, slate roof repair & cleaning, colored & patterned glazing replacement). The first two have been successfully completed, and the third is drawn but not yet in construction. The plain trussed interior, with pews for 70, is again fully weathertight.