Marble Collegiate Church facts for kids
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Marble Collegiate Reformed Church
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Marble Collegiate Church
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 Location in Lower Manhattan
Location in New York City
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Manhattan, New York City, New York |
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| Built | 1851 |
| Architect | Samuel A. Warner |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002699 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 9, 1980 |
The Marble Collegiate Church is a very old church in New York City. It was started way back in 1628. This makes it one of the oldest churches in North America that has been open continuously.
The church is located in the NoMad area of Manhattan. You can find it at 272 Fifth Avenue, right on the corner of West 29th Street. The building itself was constructed between 1851 and 1854.
A famous architect named Samuel A. Warner designed the church. He used a style called Romanesque Revival, which looks a bit like old Roman buildings. It also has some Gothic trim, which adds fancy details. The outside of the church is covered in a special stone called Tuckahoe marble. This is why the church, which was first called the Fifth Avenue Church, changed its name to Marble Collegiate Church in 1906.
The building is considered very important. It was named a New York City landmark in 1967. Later, in 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes places that are important to the history of the United States.
Contents
History of Marble Collegiate Church
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The church congregation began in 1628. It was first known as the Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. This church was connected to the Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands. For its first 150 years, Marble Church shared its ministers with other churches in the city. This practice of sharing ministers stopped in 1871.
The word "Collegiate" is still part of the church's name today. It reminds people of its history. There are four "Collegiate" churches in New York City. They work together to manage their properties and investments. The other churches are Middle Collegiate, West End Collegiate, and Fort Washington Collegiate.
Famous Leaders and Events
One of the most well-known ministers was Norman Vincent Peale. He was the senior minister from 1932 to 1984. Peale wrote a very famous book called The Power of Positive Thinking. Under his leadership, Marble Church became known across the country. People even called it "America's Hometown Church."
Many important events happened at the church. On November 19, 1961, the famous actress Lucille Ball married her second husband, Gary Morton, there. After Peale's long time as minister, Arthur Caliandro took over. He served for 25 years as the senior minister. During his time, the church started its media ministry, called MarbleVision. The church also welcomed its first woman minister and first women elders. A new stained-glass window was also added, the first in almost 100 years.
In 2009, Michael B. Brown became the senior minister. He was followed by Michael Bos in 2018.
Church's View on Inclusivity
The church is known for being very welcoming to all people. This includes people in same-gender relationships and those with non-cisgender identities. They perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. The church also has a special group for queer people called GIFTS. They take part in the annual NYC Pride parade. The church's sermons and website encourage a modern view of the Bible. This is different from some churches that believe the Bible must be read word-for-word.
Pastors of the Marble Collegiate Church
- Daniel A. Poling, 1922–1939
- Norman Vincent Peale, 1932–1984
- Arthur Caliandro, 1984–2009
- Michael B. Brown, 2009–2018
- Michael Bos, 2018–
Stained Glass Windows at Marble Church
The main part of Marble Church, called the nave, has ten large windows. Each window is about 25 feet tall and 5 feet wide. They have a special design with two rounded sections separated by a stone column. This design is typical of Romanesque architecture.
When the church first opened in 1854, these windows had clear glass. In 1891, they were replaced with a simple pattern of blue-green and amber diamond shapes. A former minister, Dr. Burrell, wanted to fill the church with windows showing Bible stories. It took over a century for this dream to fully come true.
Early Stained Glass Artists
The first story window was put in in 1900. It shows Joshua leading the Israelites and was made by Frederick Wilson. Wilson was born in Dublin and grew up in England. He moved to the United States in 1892. From 1893 to 1923, he worked for Tiffany Studios. He created over 500 windows and glass mosaics, making him their most active artist.
Another window by Wilson, showing Moses and the Burning Bush, was installed in 1901. Both of these windows show the American opalescent style. This style uses special glass that looks milky or cloudy, which Tiffany Studios helped to make popular.
Modern Stained Glass Artists
It was almost 100 years before more story windows were added. A group was formed to continue Dr. Burrell's idea. They wanted to commission new windows for the other eight spots.
Roy Coomber's Work
The first new window was made by Roy Coomber (1930–2016). This window shows the Crucifixion and Pentecost. Coomber studied art in England. His work can be found in many places, especially in South West England.
Sarah Hall's Creations
Ministers Arthur Caliandro and Edwin G. Mulder helped set up a committee for the new windows. They worked with the Rambusch Decorating Company, which has been around since 1898. This company helped the church choose artists.
This led to two windows by Canadian artist Sarah Hall. The first, called Nativity, was made in 2000. The next year, she created Peaceful Kingdom.
Debora Coombs' Windows
The next two windows were made by British artist Debora Coombs. She studied art at several famous schools. Coombs moved to America to design many stained glass windows for St. Mary's Cathedral (Portland, Oregon).
Her work for Marble Collegiate Church, called Stilling the Storm, started shortly after the September 11 attacks. This window shows how people react during a crisis. Coombs is very skilled at making the lead lines in the glass disappear into the picture. Her second window, showing the Sermon on the Mount, was made in 2004.
Nikki Vogt's Designs
When the church asked Rambusch for an artist for the next windows, they suggested Nikki Vogt. She used to be their main designer for glass painting. Vogt said she didn't plan to be a stained-glass artist; it "found" her. Vogt worked with Rambusch to create two windows: Good Samaritan (2006) and Prodigal Son (2007). Rambusch then built and installed these windows.
Kenneth Crocker's Final Touch
While Vogt's windows were being made, Rambusch hired English artist Kenneth Crocker. He worked on the very last window, which shows The Creation. As recently as 2022, Crocker was still working on new church windows.
See also
- Oldest churches in the United States
