Hellenic Orthodox Community of Astoria, St. Demetrios Inc.

1927 - ?

The first organized meeting of the Greek immigrants who went on to establish St. Demetrios took place on December 18, 1923 at the Archdiocese which was then located on 30th Drive in Astoria. After this, the few Greek families that were involved received permission from the Archbishop Rodostolou to attend services in the Archdiocesan chapel of St. Athanasios on 30th Drive. After deciding to open their own church, they purchased the plot of land where St. Demetrios lives today for $3,500 in 1927. They spent $25,000 for an architect to create a structure that could later serve as a basement for the someday completed structure of their dream. Due to lack of funding, partially attributed to the depression, the parishioners met in the basement of the unfinished building from 1928 until 1942 when the structure was finally finished, though interior decorations did not finish until 1947. After WWII, due to the influx of Greek immigrants to the area, the church decided to expand. A community center was opened in May 1957, and in September St. Demetrios Day School opened for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Due to popularity and overcrowding, St. Demetrios has continued to expand over the years, with its current high school building opening in 1982, and its original capacity for 267 students growing to accommodate its current student population of over seven hundred.