Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church

A Photo-Essay on the Cathedral of Presbyterianism

Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church is on Fifth Avenue and 55th Street in the heart of Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church is the fourth iteration of the Congregation that began as The Presbyterian Church in Cedar Street, founded on November 6, 1808. Its second iteration was as The Presbyterian Church in Duane Street (1936–52) followed by its third iteration as Presbyterian Church in the Fifth Avenue at the Corner of Nineteenth Street (1852–75). It then moved to its present location further Uptown, consecrated as Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church on May 9, 1875.

The Church as seen from the east across Fifth Avenue.

The Church has been known as the Cathedral of Presbyterianism because of its direct and indirect involvement with major socio-historical developments in American society. It was instrumental in founding Princeton Theological Seminary, the American Bible Society, and Presbyterian Hospital. Its early Congregants were further involved in the development of Sunday school and New York City’s first free schools, which later became the New York City Public School System.

Left: The Church as seen from the southeast. Right: The principal facade in detail.

The present edifice is Victorian Gothic in architectural style and became the tallest structure in Manhattan upon its completion. It was designed by Carl Pfeiffer, an immigrant of German extraction, who had also designed the Metropolitan Savings Bank Building in 1867, but was relatively unknown otherwise. Pfeiffer had won a competitive bid for the Church that included ten other architects, including high-profile figures like George B. Post.

Two perspectives on the Clock Tower with Steeple. It maximally measures 286 feet high, topped with a Celtic Cross that was added in 1964.

The Main Portal, featuring a Venetian glass mosaic by Eugene Savage added in the early 1960s, which depicts episodes from the Old Testament.

The Church is made of New Jersey red sandstone, featuring an asymmetrical principal facade with a grand Clock Tower, the latter completed in 1876. The Tower does not contain bells because when the Church was built, what is now The Peninsula across 55th Street was St. Luke’s Hospital, so bells would have disturbed the patients. The E. Howard & Co. Clockwork in the Tower remains driven by weight and pendulum, reset once a week by Church staff, making the Church one of only two in New York City with clocks that are manually operated.

Left: The contiguous Church House on 55th Street, built in 1925 and named for Elizabeth and Ravenel B. Curry III, in honor of their contribution to the Church’s 2016 capital campaign. Right: The Church House Portal in detail.

The Main Sanctuary of the Church is an architectural marvel in several respects, most notably that it exists as a structure within the structure. Its walls and windows are not in contact with the outside, since it is contained as a distinct oval within an otherwise rectangular edifice. This particular design makes for effective soundproofing, with an added bonus of climate control to keep the Sanctuary cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter.

The Main Sanctuary, which can accommodate 1,800 people, making it the largest Presbyterian sanctuary in New York City. Most of the woodwork in the Sanctuary is original and made of ash, designed and hand-carved by Kimbel & Cabus. From the lowest point of the center aisle to the apex of the ceiling, the Sanctuary maximally measures 63 feet high. Electricity was installed in 1893.

The Sanctuary Ceiling in detail, which is stencil-painted.

Left & Right: The southern and northern walls of the Sanctuary. The stained glass windows, manufactured by John C. Spence & Sons of Montreal, are original and exemplify the 19th Century Aesthetic Movement.

The design of the Sanctuary was also influenced by the theological aspects of 19th Century Reformed traditions, which were characterized by iconoclastic austerity and an emphasis on the Word of God above all. That disposition is why the Sanctuary has no right angles, almost no iconography, and has the Chancel, Pulpit, and Choir Loft situated at the same, central focal point. Furthermore, the floor dips to a low terminus in the central aisle only to rise before reaching the Chancel, which, along with the curved Pews, provides equal opportunity for all to properly see the Minister and hear the Word.

Two perspectives on the Sanctuary Chancel and Pulpit. The Organ displayed, including the visible pipes, is only an ornamental Skinner case, as the true Organ pipes are housed within. The current Organ (Great, Swell, Choir, Positiv, Solo, Tuba, Pedal, Antiphonal, Antiphonal Pedal), manufactured by Austin Organs, Inc. in 1961, still contains parts from the previous Organs manufactured by George Jardine & Son in 1875 and Ernest M. Skinner Co. in 1913. It has 7000 pipes, some 60 feet long and others the size of a finger. The Organ Console is relatively new, installed just a few years ago.

The original, hand-carved chairs of the Sanctuary Chancel. Given the Scottish origin of the Presbyterian Church, thistle appears as a prominent motif throughout the Sanctuary.

A reverse perspective on the Sanctuary. Before modern air conditioning was installed in 2003, climate control was delivered via adjustable wooden Louvers at the base of every Pew, the ducts of which were connected to the basement. The basement would house giant blocks of ice so fans could blow cool air upward during hotter months, while warm air from steam pipes would alternatively rise naturally during colder months.

The Church House, which includes the Chapel, was added to the property in 1925, designed in Collegiate Gothic style by James Gamble Rogers, known for the Harkness Tower and Memorial Quadrangle at Yale University. The Chapel is a sharp contrast to the Sanctuary, as the former follows the conventions of a quaint English parish, with straight lines and a raised Pulpit at the side of its Chancel. Its stained glass windows are iconographic, reflecting a shift away from iconoclastic austerity by the early 20th Century.

The Kirkland Chapel, which is made of pressed concrete. It is named in honor of Rev. Dr. Bryant M. Kirkland, Senior Pastor during 1962–87.

Left: The Chapel ceiling in detail. Right: The Chapel Organ (Great, Swell, Pedal), manufactured by Austin Organs, Inc. in 1970, asymmetrically placed on the eastern wall.

Two perspectives on the Chapel Chancel, with and without the Lectern centrally placed. In keeping with Reformed theology that emphasizes the Word over the Eucharist, the Apse features seats for Ministers rather than an Altar. All of the stained glass in the Chapel was designed by G. Owen Bonawit, known for his work in Art Deco. The glass of the Apse depicts the Twelve Apostles and non-Apostle Gospel writers.

Left: The stained glass window above the Chapel Narthex, depicting Jesus surrounded by seven Archangels. Right: A reverse perspective on the Chapel.

The Church periodically offers an extraordinary Architectural Tour that supplements its otherwise weekly Historical Tour of the Sanctuary and Chapel. Visitors are afforded access to the Attic and Tower, making for a truly unique opportunity to explore the Church’s incredible design and its signature Clockwork. The Church does require release forms to be signed because the Architectural Tour is not for the faint of heart, requiring the climbing of steep stairs in somewhat musty conditions.

The ribbing of the Sanctuary’s upper ceiling at the southwestern corner of the Attic, which shapes and supports the ceiling’s concave form. The gangway running fully above the ceiling is accessed via the ladder at the left.

Two perspectives on the structure within the structure, with the ribbing of the lower ceiling at the left and the ribbing of the upper ceiling at the right. The significant gap between the Sanctuary and the outer walls of the edifice reveals the special architectural character of the Church.

The apex of the Sanctuary ceiling within the Attic, featuring full maintenance access to lamps, chandelier pulleys, air conditioning units, and adjustable ceiling panels. The latter are opened during Pentecost to manually drop Rose petals on the Sanctuary. At the top right is one of the former gas-powered light fixtures of the Sanctuary, preserved for visitors.

The eastern end of the Attic, at what is externally the principal facade of the Church. The fixture at the right provides access to the Rose Window and the cube in the center contains electronics for the Organ. The cube is situated above the terminus of the lower ceiling, while the upper ceiling is at the left.

Although appropriately thought of as the Cathedral of Presbyterianism in light of its architecture, there is a meaningful lesson in the reality that the seminal achievements of the Church and its Congregants occurred before the consecration of its grand edifice. It is a lesson illustrating that faith does not become monumental and accomplished on its own terms. Rather, like the Clockwork within the Church’s Tower, it must be proactively revisited and earnestly tended to, so that the transcendent power of the Divine may be brought forth by the righteous to benefit the temporal needs of the many.

Left: The Tower chamber containing the Clockwork shed. The two fenestrae at the left and center are the northern and eastern faces of the Clock respectively, while the fenestra behind the shed is the southern face. Right: The Clockwork within the shed in detail. The crank is used to manually raise the rock-filled weight outside the shed, while the shaft extending below the floor to the lower chamber is the pendulum.

These photos were taken on three nonconsecutive days utilizing both a standard zoom lens and a wide angle lens. The photos are separated by several months due to utility work that blocked proper photography of the facade, which incidentally provided for the opportunity of joining the Architectural Tour that only begins in the Fall. All photos in the Attic and Clock Tower were taken swiftly to keep pace with the group tour and to avoid capturing other guests.

Acknowledgments and gratitude go to Building Assistant Tyrone, Front Desk Attendants Nicholas and Leo, as well as Member-Docent Gail Crane and Director of Facilities Derek Maddalena. Tyrone graciously ensured a lit Chapel, which is typically kept dimmed during regular hours. Nicholas and Leo kindly allowed the wide photography of the Sanctuary, which is no longer fully open to regular visitors on off-days due to security concerns following the April 2019 incident at nearby St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Gail led the informative tour of the Chapel and Sanctuary, while Derek led the remarkable tour of the Attic and Tower.