Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (New York City, New York)

 church, presbyterianism, Victorian Gothic (architecture), 1875_construction

286-foot Victorian-Gothic church completed in 1875. Designed by Carl Pfeiffer, it was the tallest building in Manhattan when it was dedicated. The church is constructed of New Jersey red sandstone. The clock tower employs the original clockworks installed in 1875, which are not electrified and must be wound once a week by hand. There are no bells or chimes in the tower; when the church was built, St. Luke’s Hospital was housed in what is now the Hotel Peninsula (across 55th Street), and there was a concern that church bells might disturb the patients. The current chapel and 10-story church house were added to the church grounds in 1925, at the west end. Both were designed by noted architect James Gamble Rogers.

Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (FAPC) is among the largest congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in New York City and nationally. The church was founded in 1808 as the Cedar Street Presbyterian Church and has been located on Fifth Avenue at 55th Street in midtown Manhattan since 1875. FAPC has long been noted for its high standards in preaching and music, led by pastors such as John Hall and John S. Bonnell and musicians such as Lowell Mason. It has been at the forefront of many fields, from the development of Sunday school movement in the 19th century to its current leadership in homeless advocacy. In 2001 the church successfully sued the City of New York for the right to shelter homeless individuals on its front steps.

Not satisfied with one, or even two towers, this church has three, and all very different. Two towers flank the east front. The southeast tower is the largest, of four stages with stubbly pinnacles and a recessed octagonal spire. The northeast tower is smaller, with a saddleback top which carries a polygonal copper turret and spire. Behind is a much plainer tower in a later style, belong to the Parish House (added later). The two main entrances, on Fifth Avenue and below the corner tower on 55th Street mimic the Gothic arches of the 49 traceried windows and belfry openings.

Unlike most Gothic churches, the interior of the sanctuary contains no right angles. The floor slopes, the pews fan outward, and the balcony surrounds all that is below, bringing the entire congregation within clear sight and hearing range of the preaching and music ministry. Most of the carved woodwork in the Sanctuary is original. The New York firm of Kimbel & Cabus designed the woodwork using ash, a durable, light-colored wood that has taken on a darker patina over time. The stained glass windows were designed and executed by John C. Spence of Montreal. Above the Fifth Avenue entrance is a mosaic of Venetian glass by the American artist Eugene Savage (1883–1978). The mosaic, depicting iconic images from the Hebrew Scriptures, was added during a renovation in the early 1960s.

Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church underwent a major renovation and expansion project beginning in 2003. The project resulted in a new Christian Education Center, carved from the unused space below the Sanctuary, and a complete renovation of the church house, including air-conditioning and fire proofing systems.

www.fapc.org/