NYC Facades

Broadway and Fulton Street.

According to lore (and Wikipedia), George Washington prayed there on his Inaugration Day.

Tallest building in the city for some time

This one is pretty famous; just google.

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!

I love finding this kind of anachronistic building sitting in plain view (or the Bronx, har har). There is a short Wikipedia article on the church with the normal balance of trivia and fact.

Front on 79th and Broadway

Belltower

Rectory wing

This church is quite wonderful to see from both close and afar. Although many churches are quite distinct (as they are neither torn down or modified) in the city, this building feels very relevant and integral to the street corner; it is not overshadowed on all sides, nor does it crowd the sidewalk.

Take a look at the official website and also the wikipedia page, which gives a decent history. As they say on that page, the facade is imbued with symoblism, not incomplete.

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!