Community Church of New York

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Community Church of New York

Site overview

The meeting hall at the Community Church of New York officially opened on September 26, 1948, though work on it began seventeen years earlier. Construction was halted for a time during World War II, and for many years the Unitarian Universalist congregation met at Town Hall on Forty Second Street. The new building's design reflects the 'modernistic' style of architecture of the 1920s and 1930s; architects Magoon & Salo were influenced by the non-denominational orientation of the congregation. In New York 1960: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Second World War and the Bicentennial, the building’s architects comment, "It is a liberal church with a membership including all creeds, races and colors. This freed us considerably from traditional stipulations." The church is also noted in a 1948 article in Interiors magazine article on 'Simplified Religious Buildings' for being "designed with an awareness of its background of tall buildings and skyscrapers."
Commission

1940

Completion

1948

Commission / Completion details

Commission 1940, Completion 1948

Original Brief

The Community Church of New York has a long standing history in Manhattan, New York. The congregation first assembled in 1819. Over the years, the congregation built multiple churches to accommodate their needs. In 1930, the group made the decision to tear down an existing church building, located on 10 Park Avenue and erect an apartment hotel on the lot to generate income for a new church –to be constructed on the adjacent lot. However, the economic depression hit during construction of the apartment hotel and epic efforts were made to keep the church lot. New plans were commissioned for a church up in 1938 to accommodate a decreased budget. The current structure on 40 East 35th Street began construction in 1940 and was completed in 1948. It still serves as a religious structure for the Community Church of New York.

Significant Alteration(s) with Date(s)

A new wheelchair access office entrance was added to the front of the church on East 35th Street, 1970. New wooden pews in main sanctuary, approximately 2008.Main wooden doors replaced with glass doors, date n/a.

Current Use

House of worship and offices for congregation of Community Church of New York.

Current Condition

The church is in fairly good condition. The exterior bricks need some general maintenance.

General Description

The Community Church of New York is a one story plus mezzanine and basement structure primarily composed of red brick with a flat roof. The building is asymmetrical and contains very little ornamentation. The exterior exhibits four large vertical windows. The original entrance is set back from the street by a set of stairs that lead to a small semi-private garden. The structure does not have any obvious religious ornamentation except a small plaque identifying the church’s name and a description of the bronze sculpture above.

Construction Period

1940-1948 (with halted constructed during World War II)

Original Physical Context

Two rowhouses were demolished in order to construct the Community Church of New York. It is situated between a row of townhouses and an apartment building. These structures predate the construction of the church and have not been significantly altered. Across the street, rowhouses were demolished and apartment buildings have been erected since construction.

Technical

A major part of the structure is the modern lighting techniques used throughout the structure. Modern technology allowed churches to control the lighting for specific occasions. Lights could be dimmed to create a more religious experience and be brightened when using the sanctuary for social gatherings.

Social

The liberal religious movement surged through the United States marked the beginning of American Unitarianism. The Community Church of New York embodies a universal concept of religion believing worship was not confined to a material structure, but that wherever two or three were gathered together in the name of God and in the spirit of service to man, there was a church or a meeting of worship. The Community Church of New York’s motto is “Knowing not Sect, Class, Nation or Race, Welcomes Each to the Service of All” and their congregation included Christians, Protestant, Catholic, Reformed Jews, Orthodox Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Confucianists, Zoroastrians, Skihs and Bahais.Many important social events took place in the church. Several prominent leaders, including Nelson Mandela, gathered here in support of education, political, social and health reform.

Historical

An important pioneer in modern church design was Eliel Saarinen. Saarinen’s final church was the Christ Church Lutheran, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The structure was built in 1949, after the church abandoned plans for a Gothic type structure because of cost restrictions. Although Saarinen’s churches were built in the suburban context, many of the Community Church’s modern elements can be drawn from his designs. The church is a large rectangular volume with a tower connected to the south by a passageway. The entrance is integrated into the east end of the north sidewall with three steps leading up to the walkway. Before the main hall, there is a small vestibule that one must pass through. As one enters the main hall, a low ceiling, created by the balcony, creates a dramatic transition. The vent openings on the exterior are also remarkably similar to the ones Salo uses on the Community Church.

References

“40-Story Hotel for the West Side Features Filings”. New York Times. 27 March 1929.“Business Records”. New York Times. 25 January 1933.“Church of Messiah Adopts New Name”. New York Times. 26 May 1919.“Holmes Preaches In New Building”. New York Times. 27 September 1948.Community Church of New York, Dedication Booklet, New York City, 1948.Maginnis, Charles D. “Architecture and Religious Tradition”. Architectural Record, September 1944.