Spirit of the City

Recent closures of religious organizations and the continued reduction of congregation sizes, leaves the fate of their often historic structures dangerously up in the air. Most notably, the on-going, infamous hardship case by West-Park Presbyterian Church. Religious buildings are as much a part of the fabric of New York City as our tenements or brownstones are, because they represent significant periods of the city’s history, architecture and culture. Repeated closures of places of worship contributes to a loss in the cultural landscape of the city. Several surveys of religious buildings in New York have been published, however a comprehensive overview of Upper West Side places of worship has yet to be undertaken. This project seeks to identify, catalog, and better understand the collection of religious properties on the Upper West Side to not only provide an affectionate description of these cultural landmarks, but also to raise awareness of our sacred space assets, and hopefully safeguard them from over-development.  

As Divine New York eloquently states, “each sacred space is a microcosm of the struggle of immigrants, the power of wealth, the need for community, and the human desire to seek spiritual guidance.”¹ Come take a look with us! 

With the help of a grant from the Margot Gayle Fund courtesy of the Victorian Society of New York, we began to develop and write social histories that celebrate Victorian-era religious structures and architects.  This project is also supported through the generosity of New York City Council Member Gale Brewer. 

We are actively adding to this page as research develops! Don’t see the House of Worship you are looking for?  Please write to landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org if you would like to sponsor the research for additional sites.

¹ Horowitz, M. L., & Hartman, E. A. (2022). Divine New York: Inside the Historic Churches and Synagogues of Manhattan. Abbeville Press Publishers.