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Wed May 14, 2008 |
Our History
The Park Avenue Methodist church was founded in 1837 “in a building opposite Hazard’s Tavern, in a room above a rum-selling store,” at what today is Third Ave and 85th Street. The pastor of John Street Methodist Chapel rode his horse up to “Yorkville” to conduct services in private homes. Yorkville, then, was a small rural village of open farms, fields, and country lanes.
Soon after incorporation, the congregation purchased a corner plot, next to the railroad. The building was contributed to by our then-neighbor John Jacob Astor, and included solid oak timbers from the famed 1768 John Street Church – the first Methodist Church built in America, in the present Wall Street area. That building was destroyed by fire.
The second building, dedicated in 1885, was regarded throughout the city as ‘the Great Church.’ It fell into disrepair and, since new construction was less expensive that restoration, it was demolished.
In1926, the current building was built with the apartment building on the corner. The architect, Henry C. Pelton, also designed the great Riverside Church. The church envisioned securing its financial future in the rental of the apartments next door. However, the depression changed that picture, and the church divested of the apartments in the 1950’s.
The outstanding stewardship of The Park Avenue Trust, and the continuing generous support and bequests of our congregation and visitors enable us to support God’s work in our neighborhood, across the US, and in many places around the world.