The Salvation Army: Serving the Most Controversy
I wrote this for a tour app company I have done some work for, where I write script narrations for different themed tours through New York City. I wrote an LGTBQIA+ themed tour for them over the summer that begins on 14th Street and ends on Christopher. For a variety of reasons, including the length of the script I’d submitted being too long, the following was cut from the script. Enjoy.
As you walk across this stretch of 14th Street between 6th and 7th avenues, it’s nearly impossible to miss the Ralph Walker-designed Art Deco masterpiece that’s been designated a New York City landmark as of October 2017.
In 1929, The Salvation Army commissioned the respected architect from the firm of Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker to design a new headquarter building for their needs, which include an office tower and auditorium space, both connected to dormitories originally intended for women. With the limited budget of the organization, Walker used structure and form to create the signature art deco style, rather than ornamental glamor.
Started by a Methodist couple in London during the 1860s, the Salvation Army was and continues to be a religious-based organization with seemingly good intentions and controversial executions. They originally called themselves The Christian Mission as they believed that spreading the gospel…
