The Parish House and The Rev. Gordon L. Kidd Reading Room/St. James’ Chapel are available for rent to outside groups for 1-time use, on a short-term basis, or for long-term use. The cost of renting the Parish House (which includes the main hall and/or upstairs classrooms, and kitchen) is $200 per use (not including the use of the gas oven), while the cost of the Reading Room and/or Chapel is $50 per use. There is also a requirement to have proof of a minimum $1,000,000 liability insurance coverage. For individuals or small groups and private parties hosting a 1-time event, we recommend obtaining event insurance, which can be purchased online. Another option is adding a rider to a homeowner’s policy. For a 1-time use, we also require a $50 security deposit.
Active parishioners are allowed to use our space for their personal use (e.g. birthday party) at no cost.
All requests for the use of our space must go through the parish office (845-229-2820) by filling out the following form to be submitted to the vestry for approval: Event Permission Form
All events need to be put on the parish calendar and a rental agreement will need to be signed, and a key to the building signed-out.
Please note that WEDDINGS are priced differently.
The Parish House
The Parish House was built in 1958 on land deeded to the church in 1938 by Gift of Will of Frederick W. Vanderbilt, directly to the south of St. James’ Church at 4526 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park.
The available space includes a large hall with stage which will accommodate 220 people (open space) and about 170 people seated; there are 17 folding 8 ft. tables. There is an upright piano.
A large upstairs classroom, with 3 tables and 15-18 chairs, may also be available. There are fans but no a/c. The kitchen includes a sink, refrigerator, drip coffeemaker, and electric range (not the large gas oven).
The Rev. Gordon L. Kidd Reading Room/St. James’ Chapel
These are actually two adjoined buildings located at 10 East Market Street, Hyde Park, across the street from the Hyde Park Post Office.
The Rev. Gordon L. Kidd Reading Room, rededicated in 2011 for a beloved former minister at St. James’, was built in 1834 as Bard Infant School, the bequest of Susan Mary Bard, and has the distinction of being the earliest surviving school in the Town of Hyde Park. It has served at various times as a Sunday School, a guild room, and a free reading room and circulating library for the community at large. As a reading room it was supported for many years by Walter Langdon, Jr., and continued by Louise (Mrs. Frederick W.) Vanderbilt, while Sara (Mrs. James) Roosevelt, mother of future President Franklin Roosevelt, was the patron of the library.
In 1856 a chapel of Carpenter Gothic design was built adjoining the school in the tradition of noted architect Richard Upjohn. The infant Franklin Roosevelt was baptized here in 1882. It was originally used by St. James’ for winter services because it had heat whereas the church did not. For many years it was used by St. James’ for its 8:00 Sunday morning service.
The adjoined buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places as Bard Infant School and St. James Chapel, and are considered architecturally significant for the 1825-1849 and 1850-1874 periods, respectively. They were completely renovated by Mr. and Mrs. John Golden in 2011.
Rental of either space includes the use of the other space and also the kitchen. The Reading Room is ideal for business meetings and workshops, while the Chapel space lends itself to presentations and music programs. There is an upright piano in the Reading Room; the organ in the Chapel does not currently work. The Reading Room can accommodate about 30 people (open space) and has five card tables and four 6 ft. folding tables, with 30 chairs. The Chapel can accommodate about 100 people on stationary traditional wooden pews. The Reading Room has a/c but the Chapel does not. The kitchen use includes a sink, refrigerator, drip coffeemaker, and a microwave; there is no range.
