Saint Thomas Church (Manhattan)
St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue | |
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Saint Thomas Church in the City of New York | |
Province II | |
Diocese | New York |
Clergy | |
Bishop(s) | Matthew Heyd |
Rector | Carl F. Turner |
Priest(s) |
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Honorary priest(s) |
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Laity | |
Organist/Director of music | Jeremy Filsell |
Organist(s) |
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Verger |
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New York City Landmark No. 0260 | |
Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson | |
Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 80002722[1] |
NYSRHP No. | 06101.000442 |
NYCL No. | 0260 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | April 9, 1980 |
Designated NYSRHP | June 23, 1980 |
Designated NYCL | October 19, 1966 |
Saint Thomas Church is an
In 2020, following a gift from the family trust of the late John and Mary Alyce Merrow, a camera system with a dozen 360-degree-rotating cameras was installed. Online attendance has remained significant; during Advent and Christmas, 2022, on-line participation was 38,000 with an average attendance of 25 minutes.[4]
The church is home to the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, a choral ensemble comprising men and boys which performs music of the Anglican tradition at worship services and offers a full concert series during the course of the year. The men of the Saint Thomas Choir are professional singers and the boys are students enrolled at the Saint Thomas Choir School, the only church-affiliated residential choir school in the United States where the choristers make up the whole student body. Only three such schools remain in the world currently; the two Anglican Choir Schools are Saint Thomas Choir School and Westminster Abbey Choir School in the United Kingdom.
History
Broadway and Houston Street
On October 12, 1823, members of three Episcopal parishes in
Saint Thomas Church was incorporated on January 9, 1824,
The first Saint Thomas's Church was destroyed by fire on March 2, 1851. The congregation built a new church at the same location, completed in 1852.[10] The character of the neighborhood at the corner of Broadway and Houston, the southeastern corner of Greenwich Village, broadly speaking, had "degenerated into anchorage for cheap dance halls and 'concert salloons'" by the 1860s. This led to the congregation seeking to relocate.[11][5]
Move to midtown
A third church was built from 1865 to 1870 at the corner of
The third building was also the site of many high society weddings and funerals, including that of Consuelo Vanderbilt to Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough, the first cousin of Winston Churchill.[16] This structure was destroyed by fire on August 8, 1905.[6][17] Only the tower remained from the third church.[10] The congregation built a 1,200-seat chapel on the rest of the site.[18]
Current church
The fourth and current church, designed in 1906, was built from 1911 to 1913 to a design by
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake had so shocked the church's rector, Rev. Ernest M. Stires, that he rushed the accumulated balance in his parish's building fund to aid the stricken city. The public responded in kind to his generosity with unsolicited gifts that more than replenished the fund.
Cram and Goodhue are also noted for having designed
September 11 ministry
In the wake of the
Rectors
Rector | Years as Rector | |
---|---|---|
1. | Cornelius Roosevelt Duffie | 1824–1827 |
2. | George Upfold | 1827–1831 |
3. | Francis Lister Hawks |
1831–1843 |
4. | Henry John Whitehouse | 1844–1851 |
5. | Edmund Neville | 1852–1856 |
6. | William Ferdinand Morgan | 1857–1888 |
7. | John Wesley Brown | 1888–1900 |
8. | Ernest Milmore Stires | 1901–1925 |
9. | Roelif Hasbrouck Brooks | 1926–1954 |
10. | Frederick Myers Morris | 1954–1972 |
11. | John Gerald Barton Andrew |
1972–1996 |
12. | Andrew Craig Mead | 1996–2014 |
13. | Carl Francis Turner | 2014–present |
Architecture
Facade
Saint Thomas Church has plain ashlar limestone exterior surfaces in the French High
Main entrance
The main entrance, which leads to the nave, is flanked by large buttresses.
Above the portal are more sculptures, interspersed with small windows.
Other sections
To the left (south) of the main entrance, there is a square tower at the southeast corner of the church, facing Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street.
To the right (north) of the main entrance is a narrow section of wall, leading to the north aisle.[22] The northern entrance contains a depiction of Ernest M. Stires holding a model of the current church. Stires was the rector when the church was completed.[25]
The southern elevation contains five bays, which are separated by buttresses.[22] Next to the square tower, in the easternmost bay, is an entrance to the chantry.[22][25] Above the entrance there are motifs relating to the sanctity of marriage.[25] The other bays contain stained glass windows in the chantry. To the west is the gallery, which contains five bays of tripartite windows made of stained glass. The three center bays of the gallery contain an arcade of three arched doorways.[22] The buttresses contain sculptures of ancient leaders and philosophers.[25] Above the four windows in the chantry and the five windows in the south gallery are nine recessed clerestory windows, illuminating the top of the nave.[22]
To the west of the main church is the parish house, which is a separate structure.[22][18] The parish house is five stories tall and contains an oriel window in its eastern bay, separating it from the rest of the church. The entrance to the parish house is on 53rd Street; it was originally at the rear of the gallery arcade. The roof of the parish house is covered in lead.[22]
Stained glass
The first stained glass window placed in the fourth Saint Thomas Church structure was designed by Nicola D'Ascenzo, an Italian-born American stained glass artist. The window was designed in 1926 and completed and installed in 1927. The last window, designed and installed in 1974, came from the Willet Stained Glass Studios, headed by E. Crosby Willet and founded by William Willet. Both those studios were located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the time of the fabrication of their windows for Saint Thomas Church.
In 2007, conservation began in earnest on all the stained glass windows in the present structure. It took ten years and $20 million to renew the splendor of 33 windows, with their 9 million pieces of glass. The restoration was completed in February 2017.
Interior
The interior surfaces are made of sandstone.
At the front of the nave is a parapet with eight mosaics. The four mosaics on the left depict symbols of the church, while those on the right depict major events in the history of the United States.
The elaborate reredos, gifted by the family of Harris C. Fahnestock, was designed by Goodhue and Lawrie and executed by the Ardolino Brothers.[17] The reredos contains niches with depictions of saints, prophets, reformers, and Christian dignitaries.[17][26] It is 80 feet (24 m) high, covering the west wall of the chancel, and consists of more than 60 stone figures relating to the discovery of Thomas the Apostle.[28]
The church's superstructure is built of stone and originally did not contain any steel reinforcement.[21][22] This contrasted with many other buildings from the early 20th century, which tended to be steel-framed. The architects believed that, if the church was designed in the Gothic style, then its superstructure had to be built the same way.[21] In 1925, eleven years after completion, the north wall of the church was found to be bulging dangerously and hidden steelwork added. The construction of the New York City Subway's 53rd Street Line in the 1930s prompted additional steel under the altar and massive reredos as a precaution.[22]
Acoustics
The architects realized that the sound associated with a Gothic look would not work for a more sermon-focused Protestant service. Wallace Sabine, founder of the field of architectural acoustics, was hired to reduce reverberation in order to make the sermon more intelligible. Sabine avoided changing the church's aesthetic by hanging panels and drapes to absorb sound. Instead he worked with Rafael Guastavino Jr. to create Rumford tile, a ceramic tile with porous surfaces that absorb sound. The church was among the first to be acoustically engineered for environmental control.[29]
Worship
The style of worship at Saint Thomas Church has varied greatly over the history of the parish. Beginning with the rectorship of John Andrew in 1972, however, it has informally followed the
Music
Choir of Men and Boys
Music is an important component of worship and liturgy at Saint Thomas Church. It follows in the Anglican tradition of the all-male choral ensemble. The choir's primary function is to provide music for five services each week, as well as an annual concert series sponsored by the church. In addition, the choir has toured throughout the United States and Europe, with performances at
In 2005, the choir toured in the southern United States, with a benefit concert in New Orleans. Upon returning to New York, they performed in Saint Matthew Passion at Carnegie Hall. Other appearances have included performances at Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, and alongside artists such as Jessye Norman and Plácido Domingo. In addition, the choir gave the world-premiere performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem, which was subsequently televised internationally by the BBC. The choir was also featured in a recording of Carly Simon's "Let the River Run".
The boy choristers reside at
The choir typically records and releases one CD a year.
Organs
Musical offerings at Saint Thomas Church are enhanced through three
The Loening-Hancock Gallery Organ was built as "Opus 27" of Taylor & Boody Organbuilders of Staunton, Virginia, in 1996 to honor Gerre Hancock for 25 years of service to Saint Thomas Church. Located in the gallery beneath the church's Rose Window, this organ features a mechanical key and stop action, originally possessing 2 manuals, 25 stops, and 32 ranks. In 2015 it was slightly enlarged, according to original preparations, to its current 3 manuals, 31 stops and 44 ranks. Its case sports
The Martha J. Dodge Positiv Organ was built and installed in December 2001 by Taylor & Boody Organbuilders. This organ consists of 5 ranks, and is used as a continuo organ.
Miller-Scott Organ
On October 3, 2008, Saint Thomas Church announced its Vestry's decision to replace the aging Arents Memorial Chancel Organ with a new instrument. The announcement noted that as part of a substantial renovation effort to the church, a new instrument from Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Lake City, Iowa, would be installed to replace the current instrument. Plans called for the retention of the especially ornate 1913 organ case-front and console cabinetry and, to better respect the church's well-developed neo-Gothic design aesthetic, the elimination of visible organ pipes added above the choir stall canopies in the 1956 rebuild.
The Irene D. and William R. Miller Chancel Organ in Memory of John Scott, dedicated on October 5 and 7, 2018, is one of North America's most significant new pipe organs. In addition to supporting the parish's internationally renowned liturgical and musical life, the Miller-Scott Organ serves as a showcase for recitalists from all over the world and helps Saint Thomas train the next generation of organists.
The new organ contains 7,069 pipes, a number of which are from the former instrument. Fifteen sets of pipes, including some of the largest existing wooden ones, have been rebuilt and reinstated; these include the very softest sounds, several flutes and strings, and some specialty trumpet stops. Much of the design and decoration form for the new organ case are derived from precedents throughout the rest of the building, and Gothic revival style in general. In the 1913 north organ case, imagery is taken from
Organists
- 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[33]
- Jeremy Filsell, 2019–present[34]
References
Citations
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2008.
Now, in the most expensive restoration of stained glass ever undertaken in the United States, conservation is under way on the famous Whitefriars windows of St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It took ten years and $20 million to renew the splendor of 33 windows, with their 9 million pieces of glass.
- ^ "Explore Parochial Trends". Episcopal Church. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ Report of the Communications Department to the Vestry, January 25, 2023
- ^ a b c "Nightfall, St. Thomas Church, Broadway, New York". Painting the Town. Museum of the City of New York. Archived from the original on December 18, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e Reynolds 1994, p. 120.
- ^ About the Church at the Saint Thomas Church website, (no further authorship information available), accessed November 8, 2006.
- ^ Koke 1982, p. 114.
- ^ Perris, William. Plate 57, Maps of the City of New York, Vol. 5 (New York: Perris & Browne, 1854)
- ^ a b c d e f g "Gallery Organ, St. Thomas Church (Episcopal)- New York City". The New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists – www.nycago.org. May 21, 1996. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Miller 1990, p. 95-96.
- ^ a b Wright 2001, p. 260.
- ^ Saint Thomas's Parish (New York, N.Y.) (1920). Year Book of Saint Thomas's Parish, New York. Epiphany. p. 8. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- ^ a b c Middleton 2003, pp. 222–225.
- ^ Wright 2001, pp. 260–261.
- ^ "'Consuelo and Alva': An Early Story of Celebrity" at Fully Authorized by Karen Grigsby Bates, at National Public Radio's website, accessed November 8, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City: Protestant Episcopal Church, Diocese of New York. Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City, Protestant Episcopal Church, Diocese of New York: New York, Bronx, Richmond. Historical Records Survey. 1940. p. 73. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "St. Thomas Church" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. October 19, 1966. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ The Midtown Book: Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue at The City Review Published by Carter B. Horsley, no further authorship information available, accessed November 8, 2006.
- ^ "Four Americans receive Honorary British awards" (Press Release October 28, 2002)--Google Cache of British Embassy website—accessed November 8, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f g Reynolds 1994, p. 122.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o National Park Service 1980, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d Reynolds 1994, p. 123.
- ^ a b Reynolds 1994, pp. 122–123.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Reynolds 1994, p. 124.
- ^ a b c d National Park Service 1980, p. 3.
- ^ Reynolds 1994, pp. 124–125.
- ^ a b c d e Reynolds 1994, p. 125.
- ^ "Reverb: The Evolution of Architectural Acoustics". 99% Invisible. November 14, 2016. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- ^ Aeolian-Skinner Archives: Opus 205-A Archived December 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, from the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company website, from the shop notes and specifications of Allen Kinzey (no further authorship information available), accessed December 17, 2006.
- ^ a b Gallery Organ, Saint Thomas Church at NYCAGO.org Archived March 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, from the website of the New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (no further authorship information available), accessed December 17, 2006.
- ^ "Saint Thomas Church – Music – The New Organ". www.saintthomaschurch.org. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010.
- ^ "New Director of Music Appointed | Music | Saint Thomas Church". www.saintthomaschurch.org. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ^ "Press Release: Embargoed Friday, October 19, 2018" (PDF). www.jeremyfilsell.com. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
Sources
- Koke, Richard J. (1982). American Landscape and Genre Paintings in the New York Historical Society. New York and Boston: New York Historical Society.
- Middleton, David (2003). "Middleton reviews "Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue" by J. Robert Wright". Anglican Theological Review. Vol. 85, no. 1. pp. 222–225. ProQuest 215266386.
- Miller, Terry (1990). Greenwich Village and How It Got that Way. Crown Publishers. ISBN 978-0-517-57322-8.
- Reynolds, Donald (1994). The Architecture of New York City: Histories and Views of Important Structures, Sites, and Symbols. J. Wiley. OCLC 45730295.
- "St. Thomas Church" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. April 9, 1980.
- Wright, John Robert (2001). Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue. William B. Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-3912-1.
Further reading
- "St. Thomas's Church, corner of Broadway and Houston-street" New-York Mirror, and Ladies' Literary Gazette Vol. 6 No. 50 (June 20, 1829), 393. HathiTrust.