Financial District

Photo of St. Paul's Chapel

The latest issue of our Top 5 New York City Churches was devoted to the Riverside Church. Today you’ll discover the #2 of our top: the St Paul’s Chapel. One of the most indelible images of downtown Manhattan in the days following the attacks of September 11th was that of the dust covered St. Paul’s Chapel standing defiantly in what was once the shadow of the World Trade Center.  The quant chapel, located literally steps from the footprint of the towers survived the attack remarkably unscathed. Images of the New York chapel quickly gained recognition around the world as a symbol of fortitude and strength during the city’s greatest tragedy. The church’s role in 9/11 tells only a small fraction of the chapel’s history, one dating all the way back to 1766.

St. Paul’s Chapel is Manhattan’s oldest public building in continuous use and the island’s only remaining colonial-era church. On April 30th, 1789 George Washington worshipped at the chapel on the day of his presidential inauguration. Today a painting depicting the Great Seal of the United States sits above the pew supposedly used by Washington. The building was named a national historic landmark in 1960, and for good reason. A unit led by officer Alexander Hamilton drilled in the chapel’s yards during the American Revolutionary War, and the structure survived the Great New York City Fire of 1776 that burned much of the are around Wall Street. Read the entire story here…»

Trinity Church in New York's Financial District Photo

Located at the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway in the Financial District, Trinity Church has been at the heart of a changing New York for centuries. The old pillar of the rapidly changing neighborhood represents a Downtown New York that no longer exists, one in which this district was not only the financial hub of the city, but also the communal and spiritual center of New York.

The Gothic Trinity Church standing today is actually the third structure to hold the name at this address. The first Trinity Church was burned to the ground, like much of Downtown Manhattan, in the Great New York City Fire of 1776. The second Trinity Church was consecrated in 1790 but was torn down 49 years later due to a weakening of the structure from heavy snows. The third Trinity Church, the one still standing proudly today, was consecrated in 1846. The current structure is often considered one of the finest examples of Neo Gothic architecture in the United States. The structure includes a towering spire that was the highest point in New York for about 45 years until it was inevitably surpassed. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the church is the Cemetery located on the grounds of the church. Alexander Hamilton was buried on church grounds along with other well-known early Americans, some of whose deaths predate the current Trinity Church. Like St. Paul’s Chapel, which is considered a part of the Trinity congregation, Trinity Church played an important role in the events and aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The church provided refuge for people fleeing the debris as the towers collapsed and was important in providing religious and support services to the recovery effort workers. Read the entire story here…»