Did you hear about the church that rose from two? That church is Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church. This is not just a building. It’s a testament to faith unity and resilience.
Our story begins in the late 19th century. Two smaller congregations existed then. They were The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement and the Lutheran Church of Our Saviour. Both were missions of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Atonement Lutheran was established in 1896. It built a church at 116 Edgecombe Avenue in 1897. Now, Mt. Calvary United Methodist Church owns that building. The Church of Our Saviour was established in 1898. It was first at 525 West 179th Street. Later it moved to 580 West 187th Street. Today that is Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church.
In January 1927 these two congregations merged. They formed Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church. The new congregation bought property on Bennett Avenue. In 1928 they laid the cornerstone for a Parish House. The New York Times covered this event on Sunday May 20 1928. The headline celebrated the Parish progress. It recognized the laying of the Cornerstone.
Original plans included a Lutheran hospital. It would extend to 187th Street. But the hospital never materialized. The building project coincided with a new subway line. It was the A train into the area.
Many churches in Washington Heights were built that year. Sadly many were never completed. The stock market crash of 1929 changed everything. Plans for a Gothic sanctuary were scrapped. Mayers Murray & Phillip designed that sanctuary.
The Parish House was completed in December 1928. It became the only building the congregation would ever know. In the 1970s the Parish House was transformed. It became the Cornerstone Center. It provided space for many activities. There was a video studio a dance space and a kindergarten. Also a church for the deaf found a home here. The Reform Jewish congregation Beth Am also shared the facilities. They were known as The People’s Temple.
Let’s talk about the organ. The organ in Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church has an interesting past. M.P. Møller built it originally in 1960. It was installed in the Interchurch Center’s Chapel on Riverside Drive. In 1982 Austin Organs reconfigured the organ. They added new pipes. They also provided a new three-manual rocker-tab console.
In 2007 the Interchurch Center donated the organ. This happened before a new Klais organ was installed. The donation included funding for its removal. Glück Pipe Organs moved the organ. They set up the Great division. They connected resources from a previous Møller organ to the Austin console. Since 2007 upgrades have continued. Mann & Trupiano installed the remainder of the Interchurch Center organ.
Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church stands as a symbol. It embodies community adaptation and musical evolution. It reminds us that faith can create beautiful spaces. These spaces serve diverse needs. Take a moment to appreciate the history. Consider the layers of stories within these walls.