The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-06
Changes on the East Side of the Town

Two populous parishes OF the Roman
Catholic Church on the east side OF the town,
during the early days OF the civil war, were
those Of the Church Of ST. James, on James
street, In the Fourth ward, which was ded-
icated in 1896, and Of the Church OF st.
Mary, on Grand street, in the Thirteenth
ward, which was dedicated ten years earlier.
The increase OF Roman Catholics in that
district of the town. chiefly by immigra-
tion, renderedthesetwo churches insufficient
for their accommodation, and accordingly
st. Teresa's Church, In Rutgers street,
near Henry, in the Seventh ward, vas ded-
icated in 1863. That ward had been one OF
the most strongly native-American districts
Of the city, and the edifce occupied
for the new parish had been in use for
many years as a Presbyterian church,
from which it was purchased. This Sew
enth ward, bounded by Catharine street
on the south, by Grand street or the north,
and having the East River for its eastern
boundary, increased steadily in population
until 1880, and st. Teresa's became one of
the most notable of the Roman Catholic
congregations in that region. The old
private residences had been replaced with
tenement houses, and among its distinctive
features were "the Hook, now beautiied
with a park, at the head OF Grand street,
and Cork Row" on Monroe street, a favor
tie place Of residence for immigrants from
that Irish town.
Since 1883 the character OF the population
OF the Seventh ward has undergone a radi-
cal change. Addition from Irish immigra-
ton has ceased practically; the old resi-
dents have been moving away, and Russian
immigration has transformed the neighbor-
hood and established in it new customs.
How complete is the change is indicated
very strikingly by the official record OF
births during the three months ending
July 1, 1898: Total births, 674 children
of American parents, SO Of German, 8 ; of
Irish, "a of Italian, 90; Of Russian, 43O.
Generally in the boroughs of Manhattan
and the Bronx in 1898 the births ex-
ceeded the deaths by slx-tenths Of /
per cent, but in the Seventh ward the
births were twice the deaths. TIL pop
ulation Of this ward, estimated by the
Board Of Health at 81 $500 eight years ago,
is now more than rs, 1000, n its Russian
born population has become larger than the
population OF so considerable a tow as
Cronstadt, for example, in Russia itself.
Probably as a consequence Of these radi-
cal changes, the Church OF st. Teresa was
turned over by Archbishop CoRRIGAN on
Christmas Day from it's parish manage
ment to be the permanent headquarters OF
a missionary order OF the Roman Catholic
Church. Such a change is very rare in the
ecclesiastical affairs OF the Roman Catholics
Of New York, and though it indicates no de-
cadence of that Church in this region, it
illustrates the completeness Of the trans
formation to which we have referred, nota-
BILE also elsewhere on the east side OF the
town, for while a majority of the newcomers
are Russian Jews, there is a considerable
and increasing Italian population, the spir-
itual demands Of which it is customary
among Roman Catholics to serve through
missionary priests.