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West Presbyterian Church
West Presbyterian Church was a congregation and two houses of worship in Manhattan, New York City. The congregation was founded in 1829 and merged in 1911 with Park Presbyterian Church to form West-Park Presbyterian Church. The first house of worship, also known as the Carmine Street Presbyterian Church, in Greenwich Village, was used from 1832 to 1865, and the second, on West 42nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, from 1865 until 1911, when it was sold and demolished. Proceeds from the sale were used, in accordance with the merger agreement, to build and endow a church for an underserved neighborhood, Washington Heights: Fort Washington Presbyterian Church. In addition, the West Church congregation had earlier established two mission churches which eventually merged to become Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church. West-Park, Fort Washington, and Good Shepherd-Faith are all active today.
West Church's most prominent pastors were Thomas S. Hastings, 1856–1881, who later became President of Union Theological Seminary, and John R. Paxton, 1882–1893, whose popular sermons attracted, for a time, many wealthy and powerful businessmen as members.
On November 1, 1829, a Presbyterian church was organized, called the North Church, which met for worship on Sixth Avenue, near Amity (today called West 3rd) Street. In 1831, a division took place, and eighteen members moved to a nearby location. They were known as the West Church. In June of that year, the remainder were organized anew as the North Church, and on July 5, Rev. Ebenezer Mason was installed as its pastor; he resigned in February 1833. After this the North Church was scattered, and dissolved in 1835.
The West Church incorporated in July 1831, holding services in a room at 273 Bleecker Street. They built a house of worship on Carmine Street, designed by Town & Davis in Greek Revival style, of brick plastered to resemble white stone. It measured 84 by 62 feet, had 136 pews on the lower floor, and was topped by a wooden turret, with heavy moldings, about 30 feet high. The church was dedicated May 27, 1832, when Rev. David R. Downer was installed as pastor, with only 32 members. By the time Downer died (of tuberculosis, age 33) in 1841, the membership was several hundred.
Revs. Edwin Holt, 1842–46, and then Thomas H. Skinner Jr., 1846–1856, succeeded Downer.
In 1848, when it was estimated that New York City had 10,000 indigent children, the Carmine Street Church initiated regular "Boys' Meetings"—religious services—for them. The program's success inspired nine other New York City groups to establish similar programs. In 1853, leaders of these programs founded the Children's Aid Society, with Charles Loring Brace, of the West Church, as secretary. It continues today.
In 1856, Rev. Thomas S. Hastings became pastor. The congregation grew steadily until in 1860 it had need of larger quarters, and Hastings moved his congregation to West 42nd Street, where there was much room and land was relatively cheap.
The trustees first engaged the chapel of Rutgers Female Institute on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. A new chapel, designed by Foster & Babb (George Fletcher Babb and Nathaniel G. Foster), was built and dedicated in 1862. The new church, designed by Jacob Wrey Mould in Victorian Gothic style, was dedicated in 1865 on the Rutgers site.
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West Presbyterian Church
West Presbyterian Church was a congregation and two houses of worship in Manhattan, New York City. The congregation was founded in 1829 and merged in 1911 with Park Presbyterian Church to form West-Park Presbyterian Church. The first house of worship, also known as the Carmine Street Presbyterian Church, in Greenwich Village, was used from 1832 to 1865, and the second, on West 42nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, from 1865 until 1911, when it was sold and demolished. Proceeds from the sale were used, in accordance with the merger agreement, to build and endow a church for an underserved neighborhood, Washington Heights: Fort Washington Presbyterian Church. In addition, the West Church congregation had earlier established two mission churches which eventually merged to become Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church. West-Park, Fort Washington, and Good Shepherd-Faith are all active today.
West Church's most prominent pastors were Thomas S. Hastings, 1856–1881, who later became President of Union Theological Seminary, and John R. Paxton, 1882–1893, whose popular sermons attracted, for a time, many wealthy and powerful businessmen as members.
On November 1, 1829, a Presbyterian church was organized, called the North Church, which met for worship on Sixth Avenue, near Amity (today called West 3rd) Street. In 1831, a division took place, and eighteen members moved to a nearby location. They were known as the West Church. In June of that year, the remainder were organized anew as the North Church, and on July 5, Rev. Ebenezer Mason was installed as its pastor; he resigned in February 1833. After this the North Church was scattered, and dissolved in 1835.
The West Church incorporated in July 1831, holding services in a room at 273 Bleecker Street. They built a house of worship on Carmine Street, designed by Town & Davis in Greek Revival style, of brick plastered to resemble white stone. It measured 84 by 62 feet, had 136 pews on the lower floor, and was topped by a wooden turret, with heavy moldings, about 30 feet high. The church was dedicated May 27, 1832, when Rev. David R. Downer was installed as pastor, with only 32 members. By the time Downer died (of tuberculosis, age 33) in 1841, the membership was several hundred.
Revs. Edwin Holt, 1842–46, and then Thomas H. Skinner Jr., 1846–1856, succeeded Downer.
In 1848, when it was estimated that New York City had 10,000 indigent children, the Carmine Street Church initiated regular "Boys' Meetings"—religious services—for them. The program's success inspired nine other New York City groups to establish similar programs. In 1853, leaders of these programs founded the Children's Aid Society, with Charles Loring Brace, of the West Church, as secretary. It continues today.
In 1856, Rev. Thomas S. Hastings became pastor. The congregation grew steadily until in 1860 it had need of larger quarters, and Hastings moved his congregation to West 42nd Street, where there was much room and land was relatively cheap.
The trustees first engaged the chapel of Rutgers Female Institute on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. A new chapel, designed by Foster & Babb (George Fletcher Babb and Nathaniel G. Foster), was built and dedicated in 1862. The new church, designed by Jacob Wrey Mould in Victorian Gothic style, was dedicated in 1865 on the Rutgers site.