St. Francis de
Sales RC Church - Table of Contents
St. Francis de Sales RC Church - Interior Photos
407 Northland Ave. at Humboldt Pky., Buffalo, NY
The church was closed by the Roman
Catholic Diocese in 1993
TEXT Beneath Illustrations
Main altar column |
Oculi of the dome at the intersection of the nave and transept |
Oculi of the dome at the intersection of the nave and transept |
Barrel-vaulted ceiling over nave |
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Clerestory stained glass windows were removed and sold between 1993 and 2003 |
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Raphael Guastavino Company tiles are also found in City Hall and in the NY Central Terminal |
North transept |
Rose window in the south transept |
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Rose window in the south transept |
Rose window in the south transept |
Barrel-vaulted ceiling |
Arcaded Romanesque Revival columns |
Volutes at bottom of capital |
Diaper patterns in screens |
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Arcaded Romanesque Revival columns |
Empty shell of confessional |
Circle-in-square diaper pattern in radiator screen |
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Constructed at a cost of $400.000, the 900 seat building resembles churches common to the Northern Italian area of Ravenna.
- Constructed of limestone, the building is crowned with a tile roof.
- A campanile rises at the intersection of the nave and the transept.
- Stone grills cover the windows, most of which were originally thin sheets of marble.
- The interior contains a wealth of mosaics covering a large portion of the wall surfaces.
- The ceiling, by the Raphael Guastavino Company, features a polychrome motif highlighted by the oculi of the dome at the intersection of the nave and transept
The interior boasts a colorful barrel-vaulted nave, and the aisle and transept windows beautifully illustrate the history of the church through its saints, and the rose window in the north transept contains an impressive portrait of Christ.
1993 Closing
The owner of the church, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, closed this church, as well as others in Buffalo, in 1993. Standard procedure for closings is to remove objects that are specific to Roman Catholicism. The church was sold and between 1993 and 2003, the church was stripped.In 2003, Rev. Perry Davis is purchasing the church. See flyer for further information. Photos on this page were taken in October 2003 with permission from Rev. Davis.