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The Grace Church History
The original Grace Church was incorporated in 1809, in a much smaller
and plainer building some 2 miles away from the current address. In 1843, having out grown
its current housings, plans were prepared for the construction of a new church further
north to keep up with the expanding city. The land for the current church was purchased
from Henry Brevoort Jr. The rector at the time, Thomas House Taylor, selected James Renick
Jr. to be the architect behind the construction. It was probably Taylor, who had spent
time in Europe looking at the churches there that influenced the decision to build the
church in the Gothic style. This taking place before the Gothic Revival and before any
such structure had been built in New York.
 The building was completed in 1846; however, it was a
much plainer than it is today. The steeple was built out of plain wood to save expense,
and would remain so for nearly twenty years until it was replaces with the marble one that
stands today. None of the artworks and few of the memorials were there, as well as the
elaborate stained glass windows. It was through the action of independent peoples that the
church grew into its own.
Philanthropist Catharine Lorillard Wolfe is responsible for many of the additions to
the church. In 1879, she had the Chantry, a small chapel next to the church, constructed
to house the choir and Sunday school. She later gave funds for the construction of the
parish house that connected the church to the rectory. Her most profound donation was the
beautiful East Window. Until this point, the window was simply lightly tinted glass. This
donation propelled many of the parishioners to follow her example and almost all of the
stained glass windows were donated in this fashion.
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Several more buildings were added in the years to come. Most
of which border Fourth Avenue. Several house the Grace Church School, which enrolls 370
students. The garden, which runs along East Tenth Street, was also a donation. |
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Medieval
NewYork | Grace Main | History | Gothic Influence | Restoration | Pictures
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© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 15 February 2025 [CV]
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