Church of the Intercession (Manhattan) facts for kids
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Chapel of the Intercession Complex
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Looking southeast in 2013
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| Location | 550 West 155th Street Manhattan, New York City |
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| Built | 1912–1915 |
| Architect | Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue |
| Architectural style | church: Late English Gothic Revival, and others vicarage: Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002677 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 24, 1980 |
The Church of the Intercession is a special church building in New York City. It belongs to the Episcopal faith. You can find it at 550 West 155th Street, right where Broadway crosses it. This spot is between the Harlem and Washington Heights neighborhoods in Manhattan. It's also on the grounds of Trinity Church Cemetery.
The church community started in 1846. The beautiful building you see today was built between 1912 and 1915. It was designed by a famous architect named Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. He used the Gothic Revival style, which looks like old European churches. From 1906 to 1976, this church was actually a chapel of Trinity Church.
Both the Church of the Intercession and its nearby vicarage (a house for the priest) are important. They were named New York City Landmarks in 1966. The whole complex was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means they are recognized for their historical importance.
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History of the Church of the Intercession
The Church of the Intercession began as a small group in 1846. This group met in an area called Carmansville, which is now part of the Washington Heights neighborhood. Two important people, John James Audubon (a famous bird artist) and John R. Morewood, helped start it. The group officially became a church in 1847. At first, services were held in Morewood's home. People came from other churches like Trinity Church and the Church of the Ascension.
Early Church Buildings
In 1847, the church finished building its first home. It was a wooden church in the Victorian Gothic style. This building was located at West 154th Street and what is now Amsterdam Avenue. You can still see the shape of the old building on the side of a nearby building today. In 1871, the church leaders decided to move and sell this first building.
The congregation then moved to a new stone church. This building was designed by Rembrandt Lockwood. It was located at 158th Street and Broadway. However, there were some disagreements within the church community. This made it hard to get enough money to support the church. For a time, the church had money problems.
Becoming a Trinity Chapel
Eventually, the church community was able to get their building back. But by 1906, the church was too small for all the people attending. It also still had money problems. To help with these issues, they made a deal with Trinity Church. Trinity Church wanted to build a chapel on its cemetery grounds. So, the Church of the Intercession became a chapel of Trinity Church. It was then called the Chapel of the Intercession.
The first stone for the new building was placed in 1912. The church was officially ready for services in 1915. The architect, Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, was a master of the Gothic Revival style. Many people think this church is one of his best works. Goodhue added different styles to the building. For example, the tall, narrow entrances look like the English Perpendicular style. The detailed windows show the Decorated Period style. The church's tower even looks a bit like the Tudor style. A builder named Edward A. Wehr built the church. He thought it was his finest project.
In 1976, the church community became an independent parish again. This means it was no longer a chapel of Trinity Church.
Interesting Facts About the Church
The Church of the Intercession has some unique features and traditions.
- David Hurd is a composer who used to be the church's organist. He wrote a special piece of music called the Intercession Mass. Many Episcopal churches still use this music today.
- The church is famous for its yearly Clement Clarke Moore Festival. This is the oldest Christmas tradition that still happens in New York City. It takes place on the Sunday before Christmas at 4 PM. In 2010, they celebrated the 100th anniversary of this tradition! The main part of the service is reading Moore's famous poem, "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" (also known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas").
- Many important people are buried in the nearby Trinity Church Cemetery. This includes Clement Clarke Moore himself. John James Audubon, who helped start the church, also has a large monument there. Other famous people buried here are John Jacob Astor and Alfred Tennyson Dickens. Alfred was the son of the famous writer Charles Dickens. The architect of the church, Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, is also buried in the cemetery. His friend Lee Lawrie sculpted his tomb in 1929.
See also
