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First Church of Christ, Scientist (New York City)

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The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Manhattan is a 1903 building located at Central Park West and 96th Street in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City. The building is a designated New York City landmark.[3]

First Church of Christ, Scientist
Former building of the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Manhattan, New York City
First Church of Christ, Scientist (New York City) is located in New York City
First Church of Christ, Scientist (New York City)
First Church of Christ, Scientist (New York City) is located in New York
First Church of Christ, Scientist (New York City)
First Church of Christ, Scientist (New York City) is located in the United States
First Church of Christ, Scientist (New York City)
Location1 West 96th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Coordinates40°47′31.2″N 73°57′53.64″W / 40.792000°N 73.9649000°W / 40.792000; -73.9649000
Built1903
ArchitectCarrère and Hastings
Architectural styleEnglish Baroque, French Beaux-Arts
Part ofCentral Park West Historic District (ID82001189[1])
NYCL No.LP-0833
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 9, 1982[1]
Designated NYCLJuly 23, 1974[2]

Architecture

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The building, designed by Carrère & Hastings, was completed in 1903, is described by New York Times architectural historian Christopher Gray as "one of the city's most sumptuous churches."[4] The style reminiscent of the churches of Nicholas Hawksmoor, a combination of English Baroque and French Beaux-Arts detailing. The building featured stained-glass windows by John LaFarge. The window over the front door was named "Touch Me Not" and was based on John 20:17, depicting Jesus' encounter with Mary Magdalene outside the tomb.[5]

It featured mosaics, gold-plated chandeliers, marble floors, curved pews made of Circassian walnut, and elevators called "moving rooms" because they were large enough to hold 20 people.[4][5]

The church was designated a New York City landmark in 1974, and is a contributing property to the federally designated Central Park West Historic District.[6][7][8][9]

Building use

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In 2004 the building was sold to the Crenshaw Christian Center and the Christian Science congregation merged with the congregation of the Second Church of Christ, Scientist.[4][10][5]

In June 2014, after almost ten years in the building, the Crenshaw Christian Center sold the building to 361 Central Park L.L.C. for $26 million. The new owner planned to convert the 47,000-square-foot structure to condominiums.[5] However, the condominium plan was rejected by the zoning appears board.

In January 2018, the Children's Museum of Manhattan announced that it had acquired the former First Church of Christ, Scientist, building.[11][12] The church building cost $45 million, and the city provided $5.5 million for a renovation of the church.[12] FXCollaborative was hired to renovate the church.[13] The original plan for the church was controversial, as residents opposed the addition of a penthouse on the roof and the removal of windows,[14] but FXCollaborative's proposal was ultimately approved in June 2020.[15][16] The museum publicly presented renderings of the renovated church building in 2020.[17][18] As of 2024, the museum was planning to relocate in 2028.[19]

Congregation

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The congregation was organized in 1886 by Augusta Emma Stetson. The congregation gave Stetson the lot adjacent to the Church on West 96th St, where she lived in a neo-Georgian house. Stetson's house was demolished in 1930, replaced by a "mild(ly) Art Deco" apartment building designed by Thomas W. Lamb.[4]

The congregation met in rented space before construction of the church.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  3. ^ "New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e Gray, Christopher (February 15, 2004). "The First and Second Churches of Christ, Scientist; A Tale of 2 Warring Churches, and of One Woman". New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Barron, James (September 26, 2014). "A Difficult Passage from Church to Condominium". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  6. ^ New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Dolkart, Andrew S.; Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.). Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1., pp.145-146
  7. ^ White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot (2000). AIA Guide to New York City (4th ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0-8129-3107-5., p.366
  8. ^ Dunlap, David W. (2004). From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-12543-7., pp.74-74
  9. ^ "About Us" Archived 2016-10-24 at the Wayback Machine on the Crenshaw Christian Center East website
  10. ^ Gray, Christopher. "Streetscapes: First Church of Christ, Scientist; 2 Congregations Unite, and No. 2 Becomes No. 1". New York Times (December 25, 2005)
  11. ^ Warerkar, Tanay (January 2, 2018). "UWS church once slated for condos will now hold Children's Museum of Manhattan". Curbed NY. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Graeber, Laurel (January 4, 2018). "Historic Church to Be New Home for Children's Museum of Manhattan". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  13. ^ "FXCollaborative to Transform Beaux Arts Church Into the New Children's Museum of Manhattan". Interior Design. November 7, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  14. ^ Ricciulli, Valeria (March 4, 2020). "Upper West Side church-to-museum conversion spurs heated debate". Curbed NY. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  15. ^ Gunts, Edward (June 12, 2020). "FXCollaborative wins approval to convert Carrère and Hastings church into children's museum". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  16. ^ "FXCollaborative to repurpose historic NYC church into children's museum". Construction Specifier. June 22, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  17. ^ Hilburg, Jonathan (December 15, 2020). "Children's Museum of Manhattan reveals new renderings, programming announcements for its future home". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  18. ^ Saraniero, Nicole (December 22, 2020). "New Designs Revealed for Children's Museum of Manhattan". Untapped New York. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  19. ^ Pogrebin, Robin (October 1, 2024). "New Children's Museum of Manhattan to Open in 2028". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
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