Stepping inside Christ Episcopal Church on 71st Street, imagine yourself transported back to 1890. This salmon-brick structure, trimmed with dark red terra cotta, replaced a series of earlier Christ Church locations. The congregation’s journey began downtown in 1793 as the second Episcopal parish in New York City. Their first home was on Ann Street. Growth led them to Anthony Street in 1823. A fire then forced a temporary move to Broadway in 1847. They rebuilt on Anthony Street, only to chase the city’s northward expansion to 18th Street in 1854. Just four years later, they acquired a former Baptist church on Fifth Avenue at 35th Street. Finally, commerce pushed them further uptown to this corner of 71st and Broadway. Christ Episcopal Church was designed by Charles Coolidge Haight in a Romanesque style with Normandy details. Financial constraints led to a smaller tower than planned. The original tower, envisioned as a grand statement, ended up looking like “a Victorian gazebo in the sky.” This corner of 71st Street witnessed many changes. By the 1920s, demographics shifted, forcing the church to lease its Broadway frontage to alleviate debt. In 1925, more of the Broadway entrance had to be sold. The iconic steps and towers were removed, changing Christ Episcopal Church’s appearance forever. During construction of the adjacent Lester Building, a fire damaged the church. After repairs and a new 71st Street entrance, Bishop Manning reconsecrated Christ Episcopal Church in 1926. The church’s story concluded in 1975. It merged with St. Stephen’s Church on West 69th Street. The old Christ Church building was later demolished to make way for the Lincoln Park apartments. Only memories and stories remain of this once-vibrant congregation.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to