Interior of St. Bernard's Church, West 14th Street, New York City

This print, created after the building's dedication in May 1875, documents the original interior of St. Bernard's Church, located on West 14th Street in New York City. It presents a view looking down the vaulted nave towards the altar from an elevated point of view; pews are depicted at the bottom of the image.

Built in the Gothic Revival style between 1872 and 1875 for a congregation of mostly Irish immigrants and their descendants, St. Bernard's Church ranked among the most important Catholic parishes in New York City. In 1868, Archbishop John McCloskey had assigned Reverend Gabriel A. Healy to form a parish for the growing Irish population living in the Greenwich Village and Chelsea neighborhoods. Rev. Healy went on to raise the funds needed to erect this church on West 14th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues). Designed by the Irish-born American architect Patrick C. Keely (1816–1896), who designed nearly 600 church buildings in North America, St. Bernard's blended English and French Gothic influences. In its day, many regarded it as an exceptional example of ecclesiastical architecture. It became the site for many fashionable wedding ceremonies and funerals of noted New Yorkers. The print's inscription notes the names of both the architect and the pastor key to the realization of this impressive church building.

In late December 1890, a massive fire consumed St. Bernard's Church -- destroying its interior, roof, and tower spires. Within a year, however, the church was rebuilt, largely due to efforts of Rev. Healy, who resumed religious services for his congregation of 10,000 worshippers. In the early twentieth century, as the neighborhood changed, the size of the congregation diminished while the neighborhing parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (for Spanish-speaking Catholics) grew. In 2003, St. Bernard's parish closed after it merged with Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en San Bernardo). Although the interior decor is much altered today, the church building remains at 328 West 14th Street in Manhattan.