Remember Eleanor Roosevelt when you look at Church of the Incarnation. She was confirmed right here. The Church of the Incarnation is a historic Episcopal church in Manhattan. It stands at 205-209 Madison Avenue. It is on the northeast corner of 35th Street. This is in the Murray Hill neighborhood.
The church began as a chapel of Grace Church in 1850. It was at 28th Street and Madison. By 1852, it became its own parish. The parish built its own sanctuary from 1864 to 1865.
Many prominent families attended the Church of the Incarnation. The Delanos, Langdons, Sedgwicks, and Rikers were among them. Sara Roosevelt’s funeral was held here. She was Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s mother. A ramp was built for FDR to attend.
Emlen T. Littell designed the sanctuary. It was built from 1864 to 1865. The church was known for its architecture. People also admired its refined interior decoration and artwork. Bishop Horatio Potter laid the cornerstone on March 8, 1864. The first services took place on December 11. The church was consecrated on April 20, 1865. Robert Mook designed the rectory. It was constructed from 1868 to 1869.
A fire destroyed the building except for its tower and walls in 1882. David Jardine rebuilt and enlarged it. Heins & LaFarge added a spire in 1896. Edward P. Casey rebuilt the rectory from 1905 to 1906. The rectory received a new facade in neo-Jacobean style. It is now the H. Percy Silver Parish House.
The Church of the Incarnation became a New York City landmark in 1979. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Jan Hird Pokorny supervised a renovation of the building in 1991.
Inside the Church of the Incarnation, artwork from Victorian artists is exhibited. You can admire works by Louis Comfort Tiffany and John Lafarge. Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Edward Burne-Jones also contributed. William Morris, Daniel Chester French, and Henry Hobson Richardson are also featured.
Stained glass windows adorn the church. Henry Holiday Company created “Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension.” Heaton, Butler & Bayne designed “Moses and the Law.” Clayton & Bell crafted “St. Paul on Mars Hill.” John LaFarge made “Christ Calling Peter and Paul.” William Morris of Morris & Company designed “Infant Children.” Louis Comfort Tiffany created “The Pilgrim”.
On the north wall, admire “Faith & Charity” by Edward Burne-Jones. Tiffany Studios created “Victory over Death.” Charles Eamer Kempe designed the “Great West Window.”
The architecture is “Early Decorated Church Gothic.” It features gilding, color, and stencilling. Painted panels add to the opulent feel. The design is based on the English 19th-century Commissioners’ style. This style includes a narthex, an open nave with side aisles, and a short chancel. Gothic Revival elements like steeply pitched roofs and towers were added.
In 1886, the Church of the Incarnation rented a farmhouse at Mohegan Lake. It was part of a “fresh air” program for children. Children from New York’s lower East Side spent a week in the country air. The rector, Rev. Arthur Brooks, organized this.
The Church of the Incarnation’s influence is widely felt. Arthur Brooks helped found Barnard College. He believed in women’s higher education. His brother Phillips Brooks wrote the hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Admiral David Glasgow Farragut is memorialized here.
The Church of the Incarnation stands as a landmark. It is a testament to art and faith. Its history echoes through its walls and windows. It is a place of beauty and peace. It is still a warm place to visit.