In 1873, the congregation purchased the undeveloped site at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street for $350,000 for construction of a new sanctuary.
Church leaders believed that the recently established Central Park would be a natural barrier against business and factory expansion.
With its steeple rising 286 feet high, the church was the tallest building in Manhattan when it was dedicated in 1875.

Eleven architects were considered to design the new church, with the choice eventually between the renowned George B. Post, architect of the New York Stock Exchange building and the former Vanderbilt mansion on Fifth Avenue, and Carl Pfeiffer (1834–88), a little-known, 37-year-old German émigré.
Pfeiffer's only other prominent building in New York was the Metropolitan Savings Bank Building, designed in 1867.
Remarkably, Pfeiffer got the nod.
Pfeiffer's engineering skills are evident in the technological innovations he introduced in the sanctuary.
Wooden louvers installed beneath the pews allowed warm air to rise into the sanctuary from steam pipes in the basement.
On warm days, enormous blocks of ice were delivered to the basement, where fans blew cooling air upward.
The Sanctuary did not have modern air conditioning until 2003.

The church is built of New Jersey red sandstone.
The clock tower employs the original clockworks installed in 1875.
The clock is not electrified and must be wound once a week by hand.
There are no bells or chimes in the tower; when the church was built, St. Luke's Hospital was housed in what is now the Hotel Peninsula (across 55th Street), and there was a concern church bells might disturb the patients.

With a capacity of nearly 2,000, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church is the largest Presbyterian sanctuary in Manhattan.
Designed in the Victorian Gothic style, the Sanctuary interior follows strict, Reformed Protestant precepts—the most important being the emphasis on the spoken word.
The pulpit is the focal point of the Sanctuary, with the choir loft and organ above and communion table below.
There are no Biblical figures or saints depicted in the Sanctuary, reflecting an iconoclastic austerity prevalent among 19th-century Presbyterians, who believed no one should be venerated other than God.
One exception is the woodcarving on the front of the pulpit (above), which features the symbols of the four Gospel authors—Matthew (angel), Mark (lion), Luke (ox) and John (eagle).

Unlike most Gothic churches, the interior of the sanctuary has no right angles.
The floor slopes, the pews fan outward, and the balcony surrounds all that is below, bringing the entire congregation within clear sight and hearing range of the preaching and music ministry.
Most of the carved woodwork in the Sanctuary is original.
The New York firm of Kimbel and Cabus designed the woodwork using ash, a durable, light-colored wood that has taken on a darker patina over time.
The stained glass windows were designed and executed by John C. Spence of Montreal.
Above the Fifth Avenue entrance is a mosaic of Venetian glass by the American artist Eugene Savage (1883–1978).
The mosaic, depicting iconic images from the Hebrew scriptures, was added during a renovation in the early 1960s.

The current chapel and church house were added to the church grounds in 1925.
Both were designed by the New York architect James Gamble Rogers (1867–1947).
Rogers was the favored architect of New York philanthropist Edward Harkness, who provided the funds for the project.

Kirkland Chapel, named for former senior pastor Bryant M. Kirkland, offers a distinct contrast in design philosophy to the Sanctuary.
All is rigidly organized in a long and narrow rectangular space from back to front, where there is a semi-circular apse with a raised pulpit off to one side and a lectern on the other.
In a pre-Reformation church, the center of the apse would contain an altar, where the priest would celebrate the Eucharist.
Following Reformed precepts, however, seats for the ministers replace the altar.
The design accentuates the Word rather than the Eucharist as the central act of worship.
Anot
In 1873, the congregation purchased the undeveloped site at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street for $350,000 for construction of a new sanctuary. Church leaders believed that the recently established Central Park would be a natural barrier against business and factory expansion. With its steeple rising 286 feet high, the church was the tallest building in Manhattan when it was dedicated in 1875.
Eleven architects were considered to design the new church, with the choice eventually between the renowned George B. Post, architect of the New York Stock Exchange building and the former Vanderbilt mansion on Fifth Avenue, and Carl Pfeiffer (1834–88), a little-known, 37-year-old German émigré. Pfeiffer's only other prominent building in New York was the Metropolitan Savings Bank Building, designed in 1867. Remarkably, Pfeiffer got the nod. Pfeiffer's engineering skills are evident in the technological innovations he introduced in the sanctuary. Wooden louvers installed beneath the pews allowed warm air to rise into the sanctuary from steam pipes in the basement. On warm days, enormous blocks of ice were delivered to the basement, where fans blew cooling air upward. The Sanctuary did not have modern air conditioning until 2003.
The church is built of New Jersey red sandstone. The clock tower employs the original clockworks installed in 1875. The clock is not electrified and must be wound once a week by hand. There are no bells or chimes in the tower; when the church was built, St. Luke's Hospital was housed in what is now the Hotel Peninsula (across 55th Street), and there was a concern church bells might disturb the patients.
With a capacity of nearly 2,000, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church is the largest Presbyterian sanctuary in Manhattan. Designed in the Victorian Gothic style, the Sanctuary interior follows strict, Reformed Protestant precepts—the most important being the emphasis on the spoken word. The pulpit is the focal point of the Sanctuary, with the choir loft and organ above and communion table below. There are no Biblical figures or saints depicted in the Sanctuary, reflecting an iconoclastic austerity prevalent among 19th-century Presbyterians, who believed no one should be venerated other than God. One exception is the woodcarving on the front of the pulpit (above), which features the symbols of the four Gospel authors—Matthew (angel), Mark (lion), Luke (ox) and John (eagle).
Unlike most Gothic churches, the interior of the sanctuary has no right angles. The floor slopes, the pews fan outward, and the balcony surrounds all that is below, bringing the entire congregation within clear sight and hearing range of the preaching and music ministry. Most of the carved woodwork in the Sanctuary is original. The New York firm of Kimbel and Cabus designed the woodwork using ash, a durable, light-colored wood that has taken on a darker patina over time. The stained glass windows were designed and executed by John C. Spence of Montreal. Above the Fifth Avenue entrance is a mosaic of Venetian glass by the American artist Eugene Savage (1883–1978). The mosaic, depicting iconic images from the Hebrew scriptures, was added during a renovation in the early 1960s.
The current chapel and church house were added to the church grounds in 1925. Both were designed by the New York architect James Gamble Rogers (1867–1947). Rogers was the favored architect of New York philanthropist Edward Harkness, who provided the funds for the project.
Kirkland Chapel, named for former senior pastor Bryant M. Kirkland, offers a distinct contrast in design philosophy to the Sanctuary. All is rigidly organized in a long and narrow rectangular space from back to front, where there is a semi-circular apse with a raised pulpit off to one side and a lectern on the other. In a pre-Reformation church, the center of the apse would contain an altar, where the priest would celebrate the Eucharist. Following Reformed precepts, however, seats for the ministers replace the altar. The design accentuates the Word rather than the Eucharist as the central act of worship. Anot
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church