Riverside Church, Gothic church in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, United States
Riverside Church is a Gothic Revival place of worship in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, rising 119 meters (392 feet) above street level on a steel frame with pointed arches and detailed facade elements. The building divides into five architectural bays and offers seating for more than two thousand people during services.
John D. Rockefeller Jr. financed the construction of this place of worship in 1927 and hired architects Henry C. Pelton and Allen & Collens for the design. Their work drew inspiration from medieval French cathedrals and brought Gothic forms into 20th-century New York.
The congregation brings together people from over forty different ethnic groups and blends Baptist and Congregationalist traditions within a single community. Visitors experience a place where different languages and worship styles come together and enrich one another.
The building stands at 490 Riverside Drive near Columbia University and connects easily via several subway lines. Towers and interior spaces often open for visits, but checking ahead for services or events helps avoid closures.
The tower houses a carillon with 74 bells, including a bourdon bell weighing twenty tons, making it one of the largest musical instruments worldwide. Concerts ring regularly above Morningside Heights and carry melodies far beyond the campus.
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