St. Francis Xavier Church, Catholic church in Flatiron District, Manhattan, US
St. Francis Xavier Church is a house of worship located in Manhattan's Flatiron District. The building features a Neo-baroque exterior of bluish-gray granite from Massachusetts, with an arcaded entrance portico facing West 16th Street.
The church was established by Jesuits in 1851, though the original structure was destroyed in an incident. The current building was constructed between 1878 and 1882 to replace what had been lost.
The stained glass windows feature pre-Raphaelite designs created by the Morgan family that fill the interior with colored light. These artworks transform how visitors experience the sacred space when sunlight streams through them.
The building operates as an active place of worship open to visitors throughout the week. The West 16th Street entrance makes it easy to locate in the busy Manhattan grid.
The building underwent a comprehensive renovation from 2001 to 2010 that carefully preserved its original details. This extensive work reinforced the structure while maintaining its historical character.
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