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St. George's Episcopal Church (Manhattan)
Encyclopedia
St. George's Episcopal Church is a historic church located at 209 East 16th Street at Rutherford Place, on Stuyvesant Square
in Manhattan
, New York City
. Called "one of the first and most significant examples of Early Romanesque Revival church architecture in America", the church exterior was designed by Charles Otto Blesch and the interior by Leopold Eidlitz
. It is one of the two sanctuaries of the Calvary-St. George's Parish
.
built in 1752 by Trinity Church on Chapel Street (now Beekman Street) in Lower Manhattan
, for the convenience of its congregants who lived on the east side of the city. That building had a columned portico, arched windows and a hexagonal steeple. In 1811 the congregation became independent, and in 1846-1856 they built a new church uptown, on very fashionable Stuyvesant Square.
The architects of the new church were Charles Otto Blesch and Leopold Eidlitz
. The exterior design, attributed to Blesch, was influenced by the Rundbogenstil
(round-arch style) Ludwigskirche
in Munich
and the plain hall churches of Germany
. Eidlitz designed the interior spaces. He also designed the rectory – also known as the Henry Hill Pierce House – which was built in the early 1850s. The spires on each tower of the church were completed almost a decade after the remainder of the building.
The church was gutted by fire in 1865, and was rebuilt within the next two years under the supervision of Eidlitz. The pastor of St. George's at the time of the reconstruction was Stephen H. Tyng
, who was a leader in the evangelical
wing of the Episcopal Church
, and considered to be one of the most notable preachers of the time. Under his instructions, the interior of the rebuilt church reflected his views: the altar, for instance, was a plain table.
In 1889, more than twenty years after the church had been rebuilt, the spires on the two towers were removed.
For decades while J.P. Morgan was senior warden and the church's most influential parishioner, the church was colloquially referred to as "Morgan's Church". By 1880, the Episcopalian church sat in the middle of a neighborhood filled with immigrants, who were largely Catholic and Jewish; its parishioners had moved elsewhere under pressure of new populations.
Through Morgan's initiative, the church brought in the Rev. WIlliam Stephen Rainsford as the new rector in 1883. Rainsford, who had experience with urban ministries, felt that "the whole aspect of the modern Protestant churches, in our large cities at least, is repellent to the poor man." His plan, of which Morgan approved, was to downplay doctrinal matters, abolish pew rentals, and offer secular social services programs aimed at helping the poor – an industrial school, sewing classes, soup kitchens, health programs, boys' and girls' clubs, and other educational and recreational initiatives &ndash. Morgan agreed to finance any deficits from these programs. Within seven years, the new direction of the church, combined with Rainsford's socially oriented preaching, had revitalized the congregation and made the church a leader in the institutional church movement.
Besides J. P. Morgan, another notable congregant of the church was Harry Thacker Burleigh, the spiritual singer and classical composer. He performed in the church choir for 50 years.
In 1976, the parish merged with two others – Calvary Church
, which was founded in 1832 and moved to the Gramercy Park
area in 1842, and the Church of the Holy Communion
, built on Sixth Avenue in 1844 – to form the Calvary-St George's Parish. Calvary Church is still operating, on Park Avenue South at 21st Street, but the Church of the Holy Communion was deconsecrated and sold to pay down the debts of the new combined parish. It was adapted as the Limelight disco. It now is operated as an upscale marketplace.
, and built in 1886 as a gift from J. P. Morgan, as well as the neo-Romanesque St. George's Chapel by Matthew Lansing Emery and Henry George Emery, built in 1911-1912 All the buildings are part of the Stuyvesant Square Historic District, and the church itself is a New York City landmark, designated in 1967, and was named a National Historic Landmark
in 1976. The church's facade was restored in 1980.
Stuyvesant Square
__notoc__Stuyvesant Square is a park in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located between 15th Street and 17th Street and Rutherford Place and Nathan D. Perlman Place, formerly Livingston Place. Second Avenue divides the park into two halves, east and west, and each half is surrounded by the...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Called "one of the first and most significant examples of Early Romanesque Revival church architecture in America", the church exterior was designed by Charles Otto Blesch and the interior by Leopold Eidlitz
Leopold Eidlitz
Leopold Eidlitz was a prominent New York architect best known for his work on the New York State Capitol , as well as "Iranistan" , P. T. Barnum's house in Bridgeport, Connecticut; St. Peter's Church, on Westchester Avenue at St...
. It is one of the two sanctuaries of the Calvary-St. George's Parish
Calvary-St. George's Parish
Calvary-St. George's Parish is an Episcopal parish in Manhattan, New York City. It was formed in 1976 from the merger of the parishes of three churches which were in close proximity:*St...
.
History
The original St. George's was a chapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
built in 1752 by Trinity Church on Chapel Street (now Beekman Street) in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
, for the convenience of its congregants who lived on the east side of the city. That building had a columned portico, arched windows and a hexagonal steeple. In 1811 the congregation became independent, and in 1846-1856 they built a new church uptown, on very fashionable Stuyvesant Square.
The architects of the new church were Charles Otto Blesch and Leopold Eidlitz
Leopold Eidlitz
Leopold Eidlitz was a prominent New York architect best known for his work on the New York State Capitol , as well as "Iranistan" , P. T. Barnum's house in Bridgeport, Connecticut; St. Peter's Church, on Westchester Avenue at St...
. The exterior design, attributed to Blesch, was influenced by the Rundbogenstil
Rundbogenstil
Rundbogenstil , one of the nineteenth-century historic revival styles of architecture, is a variety of Romanesque revival popular in the German-speaking lands and the German diaspora....
(round-arch style) Ludwigskirche
Ludwigskirche (Munich)
The Catholic Parish and University Church St. Louis, called Ludwigskirche, in Munich is a monumental church in neo-romanesque style with the second-largest altar fresco of the world...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and the plain hall churches of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Eidlitz designed the interior spaces. He also designed the rectory – also known as the Henry Hill Pierce House – which was built in the early 1850s. The spires on each tower of the church were completed almost a decade after the remainder of the building.
The church was gutted by fire in 1865, and was rebuilt within the next two years under the supervision of Eidlitz. The pastor of St. George's at the time of the reconstruction was Stephen H. Tyng
Stephen H. Tyng
Stephen Higginson Tyng , was an Episcopal Church evangelical preacher in New York City. He recognized that a new urban ministry was needed in parts of the city with growing numbers of immigrants...
, who was a leader in the evangelical
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
wing of the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
, and considered to be one of the most notable preachers of the time. Under his instructions, the interior of the rebuilt church reflected his views: the altar, for instance, was a plain table.
In 1889, more than twenty years after the church had been rebuilt, the spires on the two towers were removed.
For decades while J.P. Morgan was senior warden and the church's most influential parishioner, the church was colloquially referred to as "Morgan's Church". By 1880, the Episcopalian church sat in the middle of a neighborhood filled with immigrants, who were largely Catholic and Jewish; its parishioners had moved elsewhere under pressure of new populations.
Through Morgan's initiative, the church brought in the Rev. WIlliam Stephen Rainsford as the new rector in 1883. Rainsford, who had experience with urban ministries, felt that "the whole aspect of the modern Protestant churches, in our large cities at least, is repellent to the poor man." His plan, of which Morgan approved, was to downplay doctrinal matters, abolish pew rentals, and offer secular social services programs aimed at helping the poor – an industrial school, sewing classes, soup kitchens, health programs, boys' and girls' clubs, and other educational and recreational initiatives &ndash. Morgan agreed to finance any deficits from these programs. Within seven years, the new direction of the church, combined with Rainsford's socially oriented preaching, had revitalized the congregation and made the church a leader in the institutional church movement.
Besides J. P. Morgan, another notable congregant of the church was Harry Thacker Burleigh, the spiritual singer and classical composer. He performed in the church choir for 50 years.
In 1976, the parish merged with two others – Calvary Church
Calvary Church (Manhattan)
Calvary Church is an Episcopal church located at 273 Park Avenue South on the corner of East 21st Street in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, on the border of the Flatiron District. It was designed by James Renwick, Jr., the architect who designed St. Patrick's Cathedral...
, which was founded in 1832 and moved to the Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
area in 1842, and the Church of the Holy Communion
Church of the Holy Communion and Buildings
The Church of the Holy Communion and Buildings are historic Episcopal church buildings at 656-662 Avenue of the Americas at West 20th Street in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, New York City....
, built on Sixth Avenue in 1844 – to form the Calvary-St George's Parish. Calvary Church is still operating, on Park Avenue South at 21st Street, but the Church of the Holy Communion was deconsecrated and sold to pay down the debts of the new combined parish. It was adapted as the Limelight disco. It now is operated as an upscale marketplace.
Historic designations
The church is part of a complex of buildings which includes Eidlitz' rectory, and the St. George Memorial House at 207 East 16th Street, designed by his son, Cyrus L. W. EidlitzCyrus L. W. Eidlitz
Cyrus Lazelle Warner Eidlitz was a New York architect best known for designing One Times Square, the former New York Times Building on Times Square.-Early life and education:Cyrus Lazelle Warner Eidlitz was born in New York...
, and built in 1886 as a gift from J. P. Morgan, as well as the neo-Romanesque St. George's Chapel by Matthew Lansing Emery and Henry George Emery, built in 1911-1912 All the buildings are part of the Stuyvesant Square Historic District, and the church itself is a New York City landmark, designated in 1967, and was named a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1976. The church's facade was restored in 1980.
See also
- Saint George: Devotions, traditions and prayersSaint George: Devotions, traditions and prayersSaint George is one of Christianity's most popular saints, and is highly honored by both the Western and Eastern Churches. A wide range of devotions, traditions, and prayers to honor the saint have emerged throughout the centuries. He has for long been distinguished by the title of "The Great...
- Calvary Church (Manhattan)Calvary Church (Manhattan)Calvary Church is an Episcopal church located at 273 Park Avenue South on the corner of East 21st Street in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, on the border of the Flatiron District. It was designed by James Renwick, Jr., the architect who designed St. Patrick's Cathedral...
- Church of the Holy Communion and BuildingsChurch of the Holy Communion and BuildingsThe Church of the Holy Communion and Buildings are historic Episcopal church buildings at 656-662 Avenue of the Americas at West 20th Street in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, New York City....
, a deconsecrated church