On the Sunday before Christmas 1862, a defective flue caused a fire in the structure, and the church burned down.
Under the terms of her will, St. Luke's received $125,000 to build a fireproof stone church in memory of her daughter, Catherine.
The structure has a traditional cruciform plan with a square bell tower attached to the northeast corner of the church.
The tower features a clock on each face side and rounded corners topped with conical pinnacle.
[7] Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson was confirmed at St. Luke's and played the organ as a boy.