History and architecture
Although an urban church, this small Gothic Revival group of buildings has more nearly the feeling of a rural parish. The extreme simplicity of the architecture and the picturesque profile of roofs and towers give to the buildings an indescribable charm rarely to be found in the hard rectangularity of the City. Its chief significance lies in the fact that this is a group of buildings executed in a uniform style of architecture and that, at a glance, it tells its own story.
The church with tower, rose windows and gabled entrances built of uncoursed stonework proclaims itself at once for what it is, while the Sisters' House is set ever so slightly apart and has its own smaller tower, gable and gabled entrance door.
Historically, it is significant as the first "free church", that is, the first church in the City in which the pews were free to all comers, as today. At this church they were sold to pew-holders. It can also boast the introduction of the first "boy choir" in the City. The Sisters' House is notable for having housed the first Anglican Sisterhood in this country.
Another notable achievement associated Kith these buildings was the founding of St. Luke's Hospital, under the Rectorship of the Rev. William Augustus Muhlenberg. It began in the Sisters' House under the auspices of the "Sisters of Charity" and was later removed to the large building which once stood on Fifth Avenue at 54th Street. Today the Hospital is located at 113th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.