“Celebrating Parish Progress on The Heights.” That’s what The New York Times declared on May 20 1928. Right here stands Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church. This church has a unique history. It began with the merger of two congregations. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement and the Lutheran Church of Our Saviour joined together in January 1927.
Both churches started as missions of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. Atonement Lutheran was established in 1896. It built a church at 116 Edgecombe Avenue in 1897. That building now houses Mt. Calvary United Methodist Church. The Church of Our Saviour was established in 1898. It was first located at 525 West 179th Street. Later, it moved to 580 West 187th Street. That building is now Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church.
The newly merged congregation of Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church bought property on Bennett Avenue. In 1928, they laid the cornerstone for a Parish House. The original plans included a Lutheran hospital. It was to be built on land extending to 187th Street. However, the hospital was never constructed.
The building project coincided with a new subway route. The A train was extended into the area. Many churches in Washington Heights were built that year. But many were never finished. The stock market crash of 1929 changed everything. Plans for a gothic sanctuary were scrapped. Mayers Murray & Phillip designed that sanctuary. The Parish House became the congregation’s only building. It was completed in December 1928.
In the 1970s, the Parish House was transformed. It became the Cornerstone Center. This provided space for various activities. There was a video studio and dance space. There was also a kindergarten and a church for the deaf. Beth Am, The People’s Temple, also shared the facilities. It was a Reform Jewish congregation.
The organ inside Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church has an interesting past. M.P. Mölle built it in 1960. It was originally installed in the Chapel of the Interchurch Center on Riverside Drive. In 1982, Austin Organs reconfigured the organ. They added new pipes and a new console. In 2007, the Interchurch Center donated the organ. This was before installing a new Klais organ. Glück Pipe Organs moved the organ. They connected the resources of the previous Mölle organ to the Austin console. Mann & Trupiano upgraded the organ.
Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church stands as a testament. It shows the resilience and adaptability of a community. It embraced change while honoring its history.