Located on 5th Avenue in the heart of midtown Manhattan is the parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New York-Saint Thomas Church. It was founded in 1823 by members from three other downtown parishes who wanted to establish a church in their own neighborhood on the edge of “settled” Manhattan. Saint Thomas was incorporated in the City of New York on January 9, 1824. The present building is the fourth building in this New York parish. It was designed by the architectural firm of Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson in the French High Gothic Style. Completed in 1913 it was completely built of stone according to medieval construction principals, using load-bearing rib vaulting without the space -spanning benefits of steel. The size, spacing, and number of columns and arches are precisely what are necessary to support the structure - and give it the unique acoustical properties associated with churches built of the same materials and in the same way during the Middle Ages. Guided tours are given each Sunday following the 11am service. |
