As Jodi and I were walking up Broadway Street in New York City in October, we spotted this beautiful church and both wanted to go take a look. At first I thought it was St. Patrick Cathedral. We found out it is Grace Church and the architect, James Renwick Jr., was the architect for both.
James Renwick Jr. was born (November 11, 1818) and died (June 23, 1895) in New York City. Grace church is Renwick's first major commission and he won a competition for it in 1843 at the age of 25. Three years later, 1846, he won another competition to design the Smithsonian Castle in DC (which I highlighted in May for my Art Talk post).
He was a very successful and famous architect that designed many buildings, most in New York and DC, including Mark Twain's house, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Smithsonian Castle and the Renwick Gallery.
Grace church is an Episcopal church. The congregation's first church service was held on December 21, 1808. They later had this beautiful building built.
The most common use for Gothic Revival architecture was in the building of churches. Major examples of Gothic cathedrals in the U.S. include the cathedrals of St. John the Divine and St. Patrick in New York City and the Washington National Cathedral on Mount St. Alban in northwest Washington, D.C. One of the biggest churches in Gothic Revival style in Canada is Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate in Ontario.
Grace Church was completed in 1846 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966. It is made of Sing Sing marble. Sing Sing was a prison in New York. The men in the prison quarried the marble for the prison.
Once the prison was completed, the prisoners continued to mine Sing Sing marble, which was shipped to New York City and used in the construction of notable buildings such as New York University, Grace Church, the New York State Capitol Building and the United States Treasury Building.
History of Gothic Architecture
It is an architectural style that was popular in Europe from the late 12th century starting with the Abbey of Saint-Denis, Paris, in 1140 to the 16th century ending with Henry VIIs Chapel at Westminster in the early sixteenth century. It had many influences such as Romanesque and Islamic architecture and it came about at a time when engineering was becoming more advanced allowing for larger and more ornate buildings.
History of Gothic Revival Architecture
Gothic Architecture was brought back in England in the mid 1700s and with the rise of Romanticism and an deep interest in the middle ages and went into the 1800s. Grace Church was built in 1846, right the midst of this time of Gothic Revival. Many universities in America and England used the Gothic Revival architecture for the buildings on their campuses.
Elements of Gothic Revival Architecture
I will highlight a few elements of Gothic Revival Architecture we see in Grace Church.
Vertical emphasis
First we will start with the vertical emphasis. As you will see in the picture below the spire is very tall and directs your attention toward heaven.
Gothic architecture aims to create an experience of the sublime or the sense of transcendent greatness by dwarfing the mortal human who enters a structure
Pointed arches or windows
Pointed arches are a classic part of Gothic architecture and Renwick made sure to incorporate them all over this beautiful church, again directing our attention toward heaven.
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Stained Glass Windows
These windows are also pointed arches and tell of people and stories of the bible.
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Ribbed Vaulting
In order to incorporate higher ceilings and taller windows into their designs, Gothic architects utilized a new method of structural support called ribbed vaulting. Ribbed vaulting involves the use of intersecting barrel vaults—arches placed parallel to one another in order to support a rounded roof.
Ornate decorations
Grace Church has beautiful ornate decorations both on the inside and outside to inspire the person to come in and think of and worship God.
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This is the third building that I have highlighted in my architectural series that is Gothic in nature. I find that I am drawn to the beauty of Gothic architecture and I realized while writing this post, that I appreciate the use of materials to help me think of God.
We live in a busy, hectic and secular world. That is especially true of New York City. It was amazing to walk from the crowds and noise of the city unto the grounds and into the church and feel the peace and quiet that helps one think of God and be able to listen to Him.
Sources:
James Renwick Jr.
Gothic Revival architecture
Grace Church
Sing Sing Prison Muesum
Grace Church in New York
Gothic Architectural History
Gothic Revival
Gothic Architecture Characteristics
Note: All pictures were taken with my Google Pixel 3A.
Art Talk Series Highlights
Art Talk: 2020 Posts
Art Talk: 2019 Posts
Art Talk: 2018 Posts