This 1853 Gothic Revival Episcopal church in Irvington has two documented ghost accounts: a woman in a rocking chair identified from a 19th-century photo, and organ workers who fled the sanctuary in 2000 after seeing an apparition.
237 North Broadway, Irvington, NY 10533
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
The church grounds and exterior are accessible to the public. Interior access during services or arranged visits.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Urban sidewalk access; Gothic Revival structure with level entry.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1853 · Designed by James Renwick Jr. (architect of Grace Church and St. Patrick's Cathedral) · First Episcopal parish in Irvington; dedicated June 2, 1853 · Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 2000 · Located near Washington Irving's Sunnyside estate in Sleepy Hollow Country
In the mid-19th century, Rev. John McVickar purchased 30 acres near Washington Irving's estate, Sunnyside, and designed a chapel modeled on St Martin's Church in Canterbury. The building was dedicated on June 2, 1853 — St. Barnabas Day — as a school chapel. When the school was abandoned in 1858, the structure became an Episcopal parish, the first in the village of Irvington.
By 1863 the congregation had outgrown the original building. The prominent architectural firm Renwick and Sands, led by James Renwick Jr., undertook a major expansion: adding the tower, transept, and chancel to the original structure. Renwick's other commissions included Grace Church in Manhattan and St. Patrick's Cathedral, as well as the Smithsonian Institution's original building in Washington.
William McVickar, son of the church's founder, served as the first rector after the parish was formally established in 1858. The church is now led by its 14th rector.
The Church of St. Barnabas was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 2000, with reference number 00000241.
Sources
The Church of St. Barnabas carries two distinct ghost accounts, both tied to identifiable historical figures rather than anonymous presences.
The first involves a parishioner who reported regularly seeing a woman seated in a rocking chair, apparently knitting, within the church. The parishioner later identified the figure from a 19th-century photograph as a family member of a past pastor. The identification is circumstantial — matching a visual impression to an old photograph — but it grounded the account in specific historical persons rather than generalized haunting.
The second account dates to 2000. Workers contracted to install a new pipe organ reportedly fled the sanctuary in a rush after seeing an apparition in the church. Local accounts identify the apparition as William McVickar, the church's first rector, who served beginning in 1858. No further documentation of that specific incident has surfaced beyond the local paranormal record.
A third figure, former rector Rev. Alexander Cummings — who led the parish from 1900 to 1948, nearly half a century — is also reported to appear to parishioners, though accounts of this are less specific.
The church remains an active Episcopal parish and makes no official claims about paranormal activity.
Notable Entities
The Church of St. Barnabas sits on North Broadway near Washington Irving's former estate, Sunnyside. Designed by James Renwick Jr. — the architect of St. Patrick's Cathedral and Grace Church — the 1853 Gothic Revival building is visible from the street. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Interior access is available during services.
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