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New York
Architecture Images-Chelsea Church of the Holy Apostles (Episc) Landmark |
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architect |
Minard Lafevre, transept 1858 Richard M. Upjohn and Son. |
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location |
300 Ninth Ave. at 28th St. |
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date |
1854 |
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style |
eclectic |
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construction |
brick and copper |
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type |
Church |
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notes |
Although the cornerstone for the church was laid in 1846 and the church completed in 1848, it wasn’t until 1908 that the copper was added to the base and belfry. Following the fire at the church, the copper, by then pitted with age, was removed and samples stored against the time the Church could raise the money to replace it. Marine grade plywood, caulked and painted watertight was installed in 1994 as a temporary replacement of the failed copper sheeting. However, the plywood reached the end of its useful life, which resulted in water damage to the interior finishes and the tower itself. The variety of styles, the building techniques, and the stained glass windows are what give the Church of the Holy Apostles a special spot in a city full of buildings. It provides the ambiance of a quaint country chapel, contrasting the commotion of the surrounding city. Inside, the unfluted columns and sweeping vaulting give the feeling of a cathedral in Tuscany that has been shrunk to a size that fosters friendship in the congregation.
"The Church of the
Holy Apostles is a survivor. Its neighborhood is one of industry,
trucking, and housing projects. It wants to be part of the splendid
Greek Revival rows of houses just a few blocks downtown in the heart of
Chelsea. But like a good missionary, it does its work here instead,
where it is most needed." |
"This
church is what historicism really should be about, it is an attempt to
forge a genuine new statement out of pieces of different old ones, and,
astonishingly, it works.