Former home and now Shrine for Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Lower Manhatten, New York, NY, USA - stock photo

Canonized in 1975, St. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1774-1821) was the first American-born saint. Saint Elizabeth is credited with founding the American parochial school system and America's first religious order. Today, the Church stands on the site of the home on 8 State Street that Elizabeth once shared with her husband William and their children. Completed in 1793, it is one of the oldest buildings in Manhattan and is the only survivor of New York's first era of great mansions. With Georgian detailing, the tapered Ionic columns are said to be from ships masts.