Interior, ca. 1856

Recognizing the northward expansion of the population, which by the 1850s had swelled to more than one million, the Consistory decided to build a new church at the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 29th Street at a time when Fifth Avenue was a dirt road, and the city limit was six blocks south at 23rd Street. Architect Samuel A. Warner designed an Early Romanesque Revival church with Gothic trim, which was built between 1851-54 of Tuckahoe marble blocks quarried in Hastings-on-Hudson, floated down the Hudson River, and then carted across town on large horse-drawn wagons. The 215-foot Wren-like steeple is topped by a gilded weathercock, a symbolic reminder of Peter's denial of Christ. The bell tower originally contained a Seth Thomas clock that had to be hand-wound once a week; it was later converted to electricity. The church interior featured free-hanging galleries on three sides, possibly the first example of this architectural device in the country. Known at first as the Fifth Avenue Collegiate Church and later as the Twenty-ninth Street Church, its name was officially changed in 1906 for the material of which it is made.

During its first 18 years, the church relied on the rotating service of four ministers, a practice imported from Holland known as the "collegiate system". This system was discontinued in 1871 when the church called its first permanent minister. As the city expanded northward, the church benefited from being in the midst of a prosperous and fashionable residential neighborhood. By the 1930s, however, the city had moved further uptown, and the church was in a serious decline; this was abruptly reversed in 1932 with the beginning of Norman Vincent Peale's 52-year tenure as minister. Dr. Peale's books and televised services brought national fame to Marble Church.

Since its founding in 1628, the Collegiate Church built a total of 22 different churches and chapels on Manhattan Island. Today, there remain four Collegiate Churches: Marble, Middle, West End, and Fort Washington.

Sources:      Aeolian-Skinner Archives web site: http://aeolian-skinner.110mb.com/      American Musical Directory. New York: Thomas Hutchinson, 1861.      Bowen, Jonathan. Specifications of Skinner Organ, Op. 525 (1925).      Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks (Third Edition). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004.      Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.      Farnam, Lynnwood. "Organ Notebook," p. 1364. Specification of 1891 J.H. & C.S. Odell organ, Op. 296. John de Lancie Library, The Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia; Sally Branca, Archivist. Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.      Glück, Sebastian. Specifications of Austin Organ, Op. 2689 (1984).      Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn, comps. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List. New Rev. Ed. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.      Marble Collegiate Church web site: http://www.marblechurch.org      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      Ochse, Orpha. Austin Organs. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 2001.      J.H. & C.S. Odell & Company brochure, "Metropolitan Churches," 1896. Courtesy Jeff Scofield.      Ward, Emory. Faith of Our Fathers Living Still: The Story of Marble Collegiate Church. New York: Marble Collegiate Church, 1978. Illustrations:      American Organ Archive, Organ Historical Society. Black & white organ case.      http://holy-ny.blogspot.com. Exterior.      Lawson, Steven E. Color photos of organ and interior.      Marble Collegiate Church. Black & white interior.      "Metropolitan Churches" (1896), J.H. & C.S. Odell & Co., New York City. Chancel cases of J.H. & C.S. Odell organ, Op. 296 (1891).

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