The Church of the Transfiguration

A Photo-Essay on The Little Church Around the Corner

The Church of the Transfiguration is on 29th Street between Madison and 5th Avenues in the NoMad section of Manhattan in New York City.

The Church of the Transfiguration was founded as a parish by Rev. Dr. George Hendric Houghton (1820–97) in 1848, with the oldest section of its edifice completed in 1850. It has been, and remains, a prominent institution of the Anglo-Catholic movement within The Episcopal Church, a persuasion that places a greater emphasis on the Catholic heritage of Anglican churches. From its inception, the Church has fostered a ministry welcoming toward all races, classes, and backgrounds with a focus on helping the poor and the marginalized.

The Church complex as seen from the south across 29th Street. The Main Sanctuary and Chapels form the middle portion. The Transfiguration House is at the far right, while the Parish Office and Guild Hall are at the far left.

The Lychgate in detail, designed by F.C. Withers (1828–1901) in 1896 and gifted by Mrs. Franklin H. Delano (Laura Astor, 1824–1902), favorite granddaughter of John Jacob Astor and great-aunt of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was restored during 2012–3 via the generosity of parishioners and friends of the Church, rededicated on May 5, 2013. Originating in rural England, Lychgates are medieval portals where preliminary prayers are traditionally offered for the deceased before entering a church.

The Church is built in early English Gothic Revival style and designed to resemble the quaint parishes of the English countryside, with the original architect unknown. Its expansions and additions throughout the years have not been masterplanned, yielding a unique asymmetry of scales and layouts between its constituent sections. This unusual aesthetic led some in the 1860s to refer to it as the “Holy Cucumber Vine,” but its more established nickname, proudly adopted by the Church itself, is The Little Church Around the Corner.

The Garden and principal facade of the Church. The Tower was added in 1852, while the Parish Office at the left was added by F.C. Withers in 1861.

Left: The Church as seen from the Fountain on the western side of the Garden. Right: The Tower and main entrance portal in detail.

The Church’s nickname originated in 1870 with actor Joseph Jefferson (1829–1905), known for his portrayal of Rip Van Winkle. Jefferson sought a funeral for his friend and fellow actor George Holland (1791–1870), but was rebuffed by William T. Sabine, Rector of the now-defunct Church of the Atonement. As many pastors of the time refused to perform services for actors, Sabine dismissively stated, “I believe there is a little church around the corner where it might be done,” to which Jefferson replied, “Then I say to you, sir, God bless the little church around the corner.”

Left: The inner portal of the Tower, leading to the dual-Narthex that separates the Holy Family Chapel to the left and the Main Sanctuary to the right. Right: An altar within the Narthex. The plaque beside it is in memory of Rev. Dr. George Clarke Houghton (1852–1923), second Rector of the Church during 1893–1923 and nephew of Rev. Dr. George Hendric Houghton (1820–97), founding Rector during 1848–93.

The Holy Family Chapel, which has hosted tens of thousands of marriages. When the Church was first built, it was used as the parish school room for boys. In 1852, the school was moved to the new second story, which is now the Guild Hall. The Chapel’s current iteration, featuring the Brides’ Altar, is from a renovation and rededication in 1926.

Left: The Brides’ Altar in detail, featuring a Tabernacle inset with engagement ring gems and a polychromed triptych Reredos. The latter features the Betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph at its center, which is rarely depicted in art. Below the Betrothal are three black oak carvings, which are over 400 years old from a dismantled Scottish monastery. Right: The Westmacott Madonna, by Sir Richard Westmacott (RA), in the southwestern corner of the Chapel. Westmacott also designed the portico sculptures at Buckingham Palace that commemorate the Battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo. The small portal at the left leads to the St. Mary Chapel.

The St. Mary Chapel, commissioned in 1906 by the second Dr. Houghton in memory of his wife and contemporarily reserved for his exclusive use. As the funds for its construction could not have come from his own modest pay, it was likely financed by his family, which included stockbrokers. From left to right, the stained glass windows feature Raphael’s Madonna del Granduca, the Church’s Chancel, and Botticelli’s Virgin and Child.

A reverse perspective on the Holy Family Chapel.

Dr. Houghton did officiate Holland’s funeral, beginning a longstanding relationship between the Church and the theater. In December 1923, a group of Broadway actors met with Rev. Dr. Randolph Ray (1887–1963), third Rector of the Church, and other trustees to found the Episcopal Actors’ Guild (EAG), which remains headquartered in the Church’s Guild Hall to this day. The EAG provides socio-artistic services to its members and, via scholarships and grants, supports the broader theater community, all on a non-denominational, non-sectarian basis.

The Nave of the Main Sanctuary. Its roof beams, in the form of scissor trusses, were originally covered and have been exposed since the 1920s. A Half Transept at the right, added in 1852 and lengthened in the 1860s, extends southward.

Left & Right: Two perspectives on the Arnold Schwartz (1905–79) Memorial Organ (Great, Swell, Brustwerk, Pedal), built by C.B. Fisk, Inc. in 1988. It is placed at the turn of the Nave and Transept, dedicated in memory of the husband of Mrs. Marie Schwartz. Center: An older organ (Great, Brust Positiv, Pedal) with trompette en chamade, not currently playable, above the portal to the Nave. It was built by Van Zoeren-Steinkampf Organ Co. in 1968.

Left: The Joseph Jefferson Window on the southern wall of the Nave, gifted by the Episcopal Actors’ Guild in 1925, depicting the episode that birthed the Church’s nickname. The depiction positively captures the spiritual essence of the episode, but there are artistic liberties taken. Beyond the personal welcome by Christ, the Lychgate did not exist at the time, Jefferson was not dressed as Rip Van Winkle, and George Holland was not personally carried. Right: The Pulpit at the northeastern corner of the Nave before the Chancel, designed by notable Gothic Revival architect Richard Upjohn. Adjacent is the St. Faith Window, resurrected from a 14th Century church destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars in what is now Belgium.

The Chancel built by F.C. Withers, later rebuilt and enlarged by him again during 1880–1, at the eastern end of the Main Sanctuary. On the sides of the Chancel Arch are Venetian mosaic roundels. The left roundel features the Archangel Gabriel announcing the birth of the Incarnate Son of God to the Blessed Virgin, featured in the right roundel. The Parapet is Carrara marble inset with mosaics, commissioned by the second Dr. Houghton in memory of his wife in 1903.

The High Altar, Tabernacle, and Reredos depicting the Transfiguration.

Prior to the American Civil War, the Church had already been a stop on the Underground Railroad, sheltering escaped slaves within its basement. Furthermore, it also hosted the first Sunday school for African-Americans in New York City. Its commitment to the marginalized would be further tested in the midst of the Civil War, during what became the largest civil and racially-charged eruption of urban violence in American history.

The St. Joseph of Arimathea Chapel, behind the Schwartz Organ. It was built in 1908 as a Requiem chapel, with the door at the left opening to the outside. The painted glass centrally featured is a rendering of Raphael’s The Transfiguration, moved from its original placement at the High Altar to the Chapel in 1881.

The ceiling of the Arimathea Chapel in detail. Between the ribs of plaster vaulting are painted canvas panels, rendered with Fra Angelico’s Glory in Paradise and The Last Judgment.

In July 1863, the New York City Draft Riots erupted, with white rioters, predominantly working-class Irishmen, attacking African-Americans, blaming them for the Draft and the War. Dr. Houghton filled every space in the Church with African-Americans fleeing the violence, boldly confronting rioters with the admonition, “You white devils, you! Do you know nothing of the spirit of Christ?” He further lifted the processional Cross from its place in the Church, holding it in front of the mob outside while declaring, “Stand back, you white devils; in the name of Christ, stand back!”

The Singing Boy statue among the Compline Psalms, adjacent to the Arimathea Chapel. The statue is the work of Franklin Simmons (1839–1913), an American sculptor who lived in Rome, dated to 1871. The glasswork is based on the parchment paintings of Caroline Graves Anthon, the wife of the first Dr. Houghton who commissioned it in memory of her.

Left: The Edwin Booth Window on the western wall of the Transept. As an actor, Booth (1833–93) was known as a great tragedian, but left the public eye for a time because of the shame brought by his younger brother John Wilkes Booth (1838–65), the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln (1809–65). Incidentally, Edwin Booth had saved the life of Robert T. Lincoln (1843–1926), the President’s son, on a Jersey City train platform sometime in late 1864 or early 1865. Booth only found out months later who the man was, bringing some comfort in the wake of his brother’s crime. Center: The Gerry Madonna in the projecting southern Apse of the Transept, gifted by Francis S.E. Drury (1859–1937) in memory of his wife Mabel Gerry (1872–1930) and her father “Commodore” Elbridge T. Gerry (1837–1927). Mabel was the great-granddaughter of Vice President Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814) of gerrymandering infamy. As Drury was not personally wealthy, Mabel wanted her husband to enjoy her money after her death, so the bequest for the Madonna went to the Church only after his death. Right: The George and Elizabeth Wilson Window, dedicated to the African-American married couple that worked with the first Dr. Houghton for 30 years after the Draft Riots of 1863. George was born a slave and Elizabeth was born a freewoman.

The Church’s motto from its inception has been Fides Opera, meaning Faith and Works. The exemplary model of ministry set by Dr. George Hendric Houghton is a true testament to the power of the Divine when it is held in both one’s heart and one’s actions. Although the Church’s nickname remains descriptive for its edifice, in terms of faith and works, it has proven to be larger than life, truly more than just The Little Church Around the Corner.

A reverse perspective on the Nave of the Main Sanctuary.

These photos were taken on three nonconsecutive days exclusively utilizing a wide angle lens. With the exception of the cover image, the exterior photos featured were intentionally taken on a single cloudy day, as the large trees and asymmetry of the Church cast problematic shadows for wider shots on sunny days. The tight framing of the St. Mary Chapel was due to this photographer’s shadow being awkwardly cast by the Madonna spotlight from any other angle. As the Main Sanctuary is only open on Sundays, a wide perspective on the Transept was not featured due to it having just been used for the fellowship hour. Acknowledgments and gratitude go to The Reverend John David van Dooren for his warm greetings during photography of the Jefferson Window, to Dave, Millicent, and Bonnie for the pleasant conversations, to NYC Architecture for the convenient historical aggregation, and to Joan Seymour for the informative tour and graciously reviewing the draft of this photo-essay.