The Parish House for St. Paul’s Lancaster Street building was at 79 Jay Street, at the rear of the church building. It consisted of two buildings, both donated in memory of long-time members. This photograph, from the 1920 Year Book, is the earliest that shows both sections.

St. Paul’s Jay Street Parish House, 1920

The older section on the east side was built in 1883 through a donation by John Henry Van Antwerp in memory of his wife Martha Nancy Wiswall Van Antwerp, who had died in 1880.

John Henry Van Antwerp

John H. Van Antwerp was first elected to the vestry in 1858 and became senior warden in 1862. At the time of his retirement in 1902 he had served continuously as senior warden for an amazing 41 years.

The western section of the Parish House was built in 1920, with funds donated by Pauline Hewson Wilson in memory of her parents, George Powers Wilson and Helen Louisa Hewson Wilson.

George Powers Wilson

Helen Louisa Hewson Wilson

Parish House Plaque

George P. Wilson had served as vestryman for two periods (1876-1878 and 1884-1895) and two periods as warden (1895-1900 and 1908-1918), for a combined 28 years as vestryman and warden.

There are very few photographs of the exterior of these buildings. The next that I’ve been able to find shows the Van Antwerp section in May 1964, with the date 1883 visible just left of center.

St. Paul’s Church Jay Street Facade May 1964

A few months later, in October 1964, a St. Paul’s parishioner took this photograph of the Parish House just before it was demolished. Several blocks to the south of the church had already been leveled, producing the only picture to show the entire building from a distance.

St. Paul’s Jay Street Facade October 1964

The final image of the Parish House (from the Times-Union archive), taken a few days later, shows the buildings during demolition, with the 1883 date again clearly displayed.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is demolished to make way the South Mall Oct. 19, 1964, in Albany, N.Y. Historic buildings and streets 1960s, Empire State Plaza. (Times Union archive)