» West Park Presbyterian Church Hardship

West Park Presbyterian Church Hardship

As of Friday, January 5, 2024, the Hardship Application filed by representatives for West Park Presbyterian Church has been WITHDRAWN. The landmark is not under immediate threat of demolition, and the Center at West Park can proceed with its plans to make necessary repairs to remove the decades-old scaffolding, allowing the facade to breathe once more.

“The church retains an exceptionally high level of integrity of setting, design, materials, craftsmanship feeling and association on both the exterior and interior”

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Resource Evaluation

Read LW! testimony and statements from our Preservation Colleagues: Historic Districts Council, New York Landmarks Conservancy, and Village Preservation.

On Tuesday October 31st LPC heard from their independent experts about the structural and financial scenario. Read that report here. Read Applicant’s responses to June 13, 2023 testimony here.

WATCH hearing of JUNE 13, 2023. West Park item begins at 4hrs 8 mins. into meeting. Review Presentation materials here and Supplemental materials here and here.

Tuesday, December 13th, 2022, West Park Presbyterian Church Hardship claim continued, WITH PUBLIC TESTIMONY.

Tuesday, June 7th, 2022 6:30 pm: CB7 Full Board Meeting Vote on West Park Hardship Application. READ RESOLUTION HERE.

WATCH: A Hard Look at “Hardship”: West Park Presbyterian Church and a Rarely Used Landmarks Exception

Landmarks Commission West Park Presbyterian Church Individual Landmark Designation Report

Daytonian in Manhattan's Social History of West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 West 86th Street

Read LW! Testimony regarding West-Park’s Hardship Application before Community Board 7’s Preservation Committee.

Read Media Coverage about this building in THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE DAILY NEWS (1) & (2), THE NEW YORK POST (1), (2) & (3), CITY LAND, GOTHAMIST (1) & (2), I LOVE THE UPPER WEST SIDE (1), (2) & (3), SLATE, THE REAL DEAL, THE WEST SIDE SPIRIT, and UNTAPPED CITIES.

Watch Media Coverage about this building from CBS New York, and FOX 5 New York.

West Park Presbyterian Social Superlatives

West-Park Presbyterian Church has long been a beacon of liberal activisim for the neighborhood and New York City at large. West-Park was the:

– First church in New York City to support Gay Marriage

– The original home of the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH)

– First home to Joseph Papp’s Shakespeare Festival

– The original home of God’s Love We Deliver and the West Side Food Pantry

Fall in love with West-Park with these photos taken just prior to designation:

0.1 Cornerstone 1853
0.2 Cornerstone 1889
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5 Interior view looking north east toward altar
6 Interior view looking back at the narthex and balcony
7 Interior view of Chancel and Tiffany stained glass
8 Detail view of the Tiffany Window
9 Detail view of Rose window at the south side of the balcony
10 Detail view of leaded glass windows under balcony at south side of the sanctuaryjpg
11 Leaded glass windows over chaoir balcony at west side of the sanctuary
12 Detail of liturgical furnishings
13 Original wall colors at balcony
14 Fragments of original stencil and wall colors
15 Narthex entrance doors
16 Rear wall of Eidlitz component
17 View of chapel in Eidletz component of the building
18 view of chapel from altar area
19 View of chapel organ console
20 Memorial plaque 1841
0 Archival Phtograph courtesy of the NY Historical Society 1880
21 Memorial plaque 1 1864
22 Memorial plaque WWII

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A Hard Look at “Hardship”: West Park Presbyterian Church and a Rarely Used Landmarks Exception

A recording from our Wednesday, May 25, 2022 event.

Co-Hosts

We will address:

– The concept of hardship, recent cases citywide, and specifically on the UWS, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s history with hardship applications.

– The premise of West Park Presbyterian’s application, the accomplishments of its congregation, the significance of its building, condition of the building.

– Adaptive reuse of religious properties and, specifically West Park itself.

Speakers

Gale Brewer, Council Member, District 6

Mosette Broderick, Director, Urban Design and Architecture Studies, NYU

Page Cowley, Principal, Page Ayres Cowley Architecture

Franny Eberhart, Chair, FRIENDS of the UES Historic Districts

Bob Jaeger, President, Partners for Sacred Places

Sean Khorsandi, Executive Director, LANDMARK WEST!

Frampton Tolbert, Executive Director, Historic Districts Council

Brad Vogel, Executive Director, New York Preservation Archive Project