Saint Thomas Church (Manhattan) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue
Saint Thomas Church in the City of New York
Location	53rd Street and Fifth Avenue Manhattan, New York City
Country	United States
Denomination	Episcopal
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
History
Founded	1823; 202 years ago (1823)
Dedication	Thomas the Apostle
Consecrated	April 25, 1916
Architecture
Architect(s)	Ralph Adams Cram
Architectural type	Gothic Revival
Completed	1914
Construction cost	$1,171,906.44 (equivalent to $34,238,356 in 2022)
Specifications
Length	214 feet (65 m)
Width	100 feet (30 m)
Nave width	43 feet (13 m)
Height	95 feet (29 m)
Materials	Kentucky limestone, Kentucky sandstone
Administration
Diocese	New York
Province	Province II

A painting from around 1837 shows the first Saint Thomas Church on Broadway.

Saint Thomas Church is an Episcopal church in New York City. It is located on Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan. People also call it Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue. The church was officially started on January 9, 1824.

The building you see today is the fourth church for this group. It was designed by architects Ralph Adams Cram and Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. They used a style called French High Gothic Revival. The church was finished in 1914. In 2021, it had about 2,852 members. Many people also watch services online. In late 2022, about 38,000 people watched online during Advent and Christmas.

The church is famous for its Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys. This choir sings traditional Anglican music during services. They also perform concerts throughout the year. The men in the choir are professional singers. The boys attend the Saint Thomas Choir School. This is the only church-linked boarding choir school in the United States. Only three such schools exist in the world today.

History of Saint Thomas Church

Early Churches in New York City

On October 12, 1823, people from three other churches in Lower Manhattan decided to start a new Episcopal church. Important people like William Backhouse Astor, Sr., a rich landowner, helped. The new church, Saint Thomas Church, was officially started on January 9, 1824.

The first church building opened in 1826. It was on Broadway and Houston Street. People said it was "the best example of Gothic" style in the city. This area was the northern edge of New York City at that time. The church was made bigger in 1844 because more people joined.

Sadly, the first Saint Thomas Church burned down on March 2, 1851. The church quickly built a new one in the same spot, finishing it in 1852. However, the neighborhood changed over time. It became less suitable for the church. So, the church decided to move.

Moving to Midtown Manhattan

The third church was built between 1865 and 1870. It was located at 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue. This design was by Richard Upjohn and his son. The first stone for this new church was placed on October 14, 1868. The church opened its doors on October 6, 1870.

This new area was home to many wealthy families. The church had a tall tower, about 260 feet high. It also had beautiful carvings by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and paintings by John LaFarge. This church was used for many important weddings and funerals of New York's high society.

On August 8, 1905, this third church also burned down. Only the tower remained. The church then built a temporary chapel on the site.

The Current Church Building

The fourth and current church was designed in 1906. It was built from 1911 to 1913. The architects were Ralph Adams Cram and Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. They won a competition to design the new church. The first stone was laid on November 21, 1911. The new building opened on October 4, 1913. It was officially blessed on April 25, 1916.

Interestingly, the church's leader, Rev. Ernest M. Stires, sent money from the church's building fund to help San Francisco after a big earthquake in 1906. People were so impressed by his kindness that they sent gifts to the church. This helped to refill the building fund.

Cram and Goodhue also designed other famous buildings. These include Saint Bartholomew's Church and parts of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. They also designed chapels at the United States Military Academy and Princeton University.

Helping After September 11

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Saint Thomas Church helped the British community in New York. This was because of their shared Anglican heritage. An important service was held at the church on September 20, 2001. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, spoke at this service. It was shown live across the United Kingdom.

Later, in 2002, the church's leader, Andrew C. Mead, received an honor from Queen Elizabeth II. He was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was for his work in helping the community.

Leaders of Saint Thomas Church

The church has had many rectors, who are like the main pastors. Here is a list of them:

Architecture and Design

The beautiful rose window made of limestone.

The current church is a New York City designated landmark. It was designed by Ralph Adams Cram and Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. Lee Lawrie created the sculptures and decorations. The church is 214 feet long and 100 feet wide. It stands 95 feet tall.

Outside of the Church

Saint Thomas Church has smooth limestone walls on the outside. It is built in the French High Gothic style. The front of the church on Fifth Avenue is divided into three parts. This shows how the inside of the church is also divided.

Main Entrance Details

The main entrance leads into the nave, which is the main part of the church. Big supports called buttresses stand on either side of the entrance. The entrance has special spaces with sculptures. In the middle is a sculpture of Thomas the Apostle. On each side, there are sculptures of six other apostles. These sculptures were added in 1963.

Above the main doors, there are gilded panels. These show pictures of the four different church buildings Saint Thomas has had. Higher up, there are more sculptures of apostles and other important figures. The entrance is topped by a large rose window. This window has carvings of symbols representing the four Gospel writers.

Other Parts of the Outside

To the left of the main entrance, there is a square tower. This tower faces Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street. It has a simpler design than the main entrance. At the top, there is a bell tower with 25 chimes.

To the right of the main entrance, there is a narrow wall section. This leads to the north aisle. The northern entrance has a sculpture of Ernest M. Stires. He was the church's leader when the building was finished. The sculpture shows him holding a model of the church.

The south side of the church has five sections, separated by buttresses. One section has an entrance to the chantry, a special chapel. Above this entrance are designs about marriage. The other sections have beautiful stained glass windows. There is also a gallery with more stained glass. The buttresses have sculptures of ancient leaders and thinkers.

Next to the main church is the parish house. This is a separate five-story building. Its entrance is on 53rd Street. The roof of the parish house is covered in lead.

Stained Glass Windows

The main altar and reredos inside Saint Thomas Church.

The first stained glass window in the current church was made by Nicola D'Ascenzo. It was designed in 1926 and put in place in 1927. The last window was installed in 1974 by Willet Stained Glass Studios.

Most of the other windows were made by James Powell & Sons of London. English artist James Humphries Hogan designed many of these windows starting in 1929. His son also designed some. The windows show Bible figures and important American bishops. Each window is 32 feet tall and 18 feet wide. The making and installing of these windows finished in 1970.

Starting in 2007, a big project began to clean and fix all the stained glass windows. It took ten years and $20 million. The restoration was finished in February 2017.

Inside the Church

The inside walls of the church are made of sandstone. Saint Thomas Church has a tall main archway, an open area above it, and high windows. The entrance area, called the narthex, was once decorated with symbols of nature. After World War II, these were changed to symbols of peace. This was to honor those who died in the war.

At the front of the main part of the church, there is a low wall with eight mosaics. Four mosaics show church symbols. The other four show important events in American history. There is also an octagonal pulpit made of oak. The pulpit has statues of famous preachers.

The church has a very detailed reredos behind the altar. It was designed by Goodhue and Lawrie. It is 80 feet high and covers the back wall of the chancel. It has over 60 stone figures. These figures tell stories about the discovery of Thomas the Apostle.

The church building is made of stone. It was not built with steel supports at first. The architects wanted it to be built like old Gothic churches. But in 1925, the north wall started to bulge. So, hidden steel supports were added. More steel was added under the altar in the 1930s when the subway was built nearby.

Church Acoustics

The architects knew that the sound in a Gothic church might make sermons hard to hear. So, they hired Wallace Clement Sabine, who started the study of architectural acoustics. He helped make the church sound better for speaking. Instead of hanging drapes, they used special sound-absorbing tiles. This made Saint Thomas Church one of the first buildings designed for good sound control.

Worship and Services

The way services are held at Saint Thomas Church has changed over time. Since 1972, it has followed the Anglo-Catholic tradition. This is a style of worship within the Episcopal Church. Sunday services include different types of masses and evening prayers. Special services are held for holidays like Christmas and Easter.

The church uses traditional language for many services. The King James Version of the Bible is used for Sunday choral services. A shorter mass is held on weekdays. Since 2021, the 9 am Sunday mass is for children and families. A children's choir called the Noble Singers sings at this service. On the second Sunday of each month, a mass is offered in Korean. The church is open every day of the year.

Music at Saint Thomas

Music is a very important part of worship at Saint Thomas Church.

Choir of Men and Boys

Boy choristers singing in the church.

The church has a famous all-male choir. The choir sings for five services each week. They also have an annual concert series. The choir has traveled to perform in the United States and Europe. They have sung at famous places like Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral, London. In 2004, they visited Italy and met the Pope at the Vatican.

The choir has performed with the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra. They also sang with famous artists like Jessye Norman and Plácido Domingo. The choir gave the first performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem. This performance was shown on TV around the world.

The boy choristers live at the Saint Thomas Choir School. This school was started in 1919. It is the only church-linked boarding choir school in the United States. The choir usually records one CD each year.

Church Organs

The interior of the church in 2013.

Saint Thomas Church has three organs that make its music even better.

The first main organ was built in 1913. It was later rebuilt and changed several times. This organ had 4 keyboards and 158 sets of pipes. It had 9,050 pipes in total.

The Loening-Hancock Gallery Organ was built in 1996. It honors Gerre Hancock, who served the church for 25 years. This organ is in the gallery under the church's Rose Window. It has 3 keyboards, 31 stops, and 44 sets of pipes. Its case is made of oak with gold-gilded pipe shades.

The Martha J. Dodge Positiv Organ was installed in 2001. This smaller organ has 5 sets of pipes. It is used for special musical parts.

The Miller-Scott Organ

In 2008, the church decided to replace its main organ. A new organ was built by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders. It was named the Irene D. and William R. Miller Chancel Organ in Memory of John Scott. It was officially dedicated in October 2018.

This new organ is one of the most important new pipe organs in North America. It helps with the church's music and services. It also helps train new organists. The new organ has 7,069 pipes. Some of these pipes are from the old organ.

The design of the new organ case matches the Gothic style of the church. It has carvings that show themes of music, ministry, and praise. It also has carvings of people important to Saint Thomas Church. These include former music directors, the former rector, and Irene and William Miller, who gave money for the organ.

Organists of the Church

Here are the people who have served as the main organists for Saint Thomas Church:

• George William Warren, 1870–1900
• William C. Macfarlane, 1900–1912
• T. Tertius Noble, 1913–1943
• T. Frederick Candlyn, 1943–1953
• William Self, 1954–1971
• Gerre Hancock, 1971–2004
• John Scott, 2004–2015
• Daniel Hyde, 2016–2019
• Jeremy Filsell, 2019–present

Images for kids

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  Saint Thomas Church around 1889 (the third church building).

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia de Santo Tomás (Nueva York) para niños