NYC Facades

Dirty but beautiful

I love finding details that people overlook. I think this church is a good example for many reasons, the least of which is the dirt it has accumulated. Take for example the small staircase and entrance at the rear; it reminds me of secret entrances to a castle. Or the size and direction of the stained glass in the chapel; I can only imagine how splendid it is in morning light.

See also this article on the church’s history.

Also houses the Met's medieval collection

Note that I tagged this as “holy” although it is only an immitation; I felt that completeness in cross-referencing dicatated it.

The style, according to NYC Architecture is “french Cloisters”, which seems like a bit of a cop-out. What style are those in? Romanesque? Gothic?

Front view

Detail

See the church website. I also recommend clicking the images to see a detailed view; you won’t be disappointed!

Full frontal view

Dormer Windows

Western Union insignia

Lower floor detail

Although it has great features, the curb appeal of this building is only so-so; it is big, red, and imposing from street level. But when you stand back, it’s actually not such a menace. I didn’t notice so many details on it when I originally went past it, however looking at the pictures now I can see quite a few.

Look also at this condo redevelopment page for the “history” and some other “images”.

Grand archway

Corner pillar

The entrance archway here caught my eye. Although partially obscured by the fire escape, one can see the interesting proportions in the arch, the tall ledges, pilasters, and the frieze capping it. Note adjacent to the entrance the shoddily removed decorative windows.

At the top corner of the building, I found the superfluous pilaster rather interesting; what caused its addition? Why does it have the shabby offshoot? And why is there a picket fence, of all types, on the roof?

Original and decorative tenements

I like this collection for two reasons. First, the way in which the rightmost is almost an outcast among its “family,” namely with its stripped cornice and alternative painting. Second, I have a weak spot for the heavy arches four-fifths of the way up the building. But more than that, the way in which the offsetting window spandrels create three-story tall archways, almost as though in a loft building. This type of building displays a remarkable coherence despite, or as a result of, its weight.

As isolated as the Dakota

This building is notable for its style — the same as West Park Presbyterian — and its similarity in origins to the Dakota.

From 86th and Amsterdam Ave

Western face

Southern face

According to Essential New York,

The Village of Bloomingdale was centered at Eighty-sixth Street and Broadway, and by the 1880s it was in the throes of urbanization. Streets were displacing paths, row houses were displacing farms, and congregations that had been gathering since the 1850s were becoming scattered. The Reverend Anson P. Atterbury wanted to keep his flock together, and, with an eye to the future, he hoped to attract new parishioners. In 1884 the chapel in the east end of this grouping was dedicated (architect unknown), and six years later this rough-hewn giant of a church was built.

It really is a beautiful giant in many ways.

Miscellaneous: see this article from 1911 which mentions a related “West Presbyterian” church torn down on 42nd Street, and the establishment of a new branch on 175th Street. It is also being considered for landmark status, and may otherwise be demolished!