Church within a school

As I tour The Bronx, I sometimes encounter parish schools that have a church enclosed within the school, as at St. Ann (Bainbridge Ave.), Sts. Philip and James (Boston Road), Our Savior (Washington Avenue), St. Gabriel, Christ the King, and Blessed Sacrament.  I hope to learn more about the architects that designed these buildings, which tend to have construction dates between 1900 and 1940, although there are examples newer and older.

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I will label these Church Inside School.

St. Gabriel, Arlington Ave. and West 235 St., Riverdale

Above is the view from Arlington Avenue. The church entrance is seen ahead. Access to this door is from three directions: a short driveway from West 235 Street, a often-closed gate on Netherland Avenue, and the stairway from Arlington Avenue. The stairway is to the right of the photographer's position.

Until the school was closed, this sign was at the southwest corner of Netherland Avenue and West 235th Street. For an article in America magazine in September, 2023, please see this link.

The above view looks north. Inside this center door is a foyer, a few steps down, and then the east-west main section of the church. The altar is in the corner where the two wings meet. It appears that folding doors allow an expansion of church seating in the north-south wing (at the right side of this photo). The school is located upstairs.
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See pages 487 and 513 for St. Gabriel parish at Arlington Avenue and West 235 Street, Riverdale. The parish was created in 1939, and the combined church and school were completed in 1941. The address is 3250 Arlington Ave., Bronx NY 10463, telephone 718-548-4470. The parish website here includes both church and school. 
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An excellent bird's-eye view of the school appears on Flickr here.



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