The Episcopal Church of the Mediator is an Episcopal parish church in the

Kingsbridge Kingsbridge is a market town and tourist hub in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of 6,116 at the 2011 census. Two electoral wards bear the name of ''Kingsbridge'' (East & North). Their combined population at the ab ...

section of

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, New York. The parish was formed on August 15, 1855, as The Church of the Mediator,

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. Two years later, the first church for the parish was constructed at the cost of $5,000. The church was consecrated by Bishop

Horatio Potter Horatio Potter (February 9, 1802 – January 2, 1887), was an educator and the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Dearth of biographical information Potter "shrank from public notice, left no literary monument and has, regrettabl ...

on November 6, 1864. In 1902, the parish opted to create a new church.

Henry Vaughan Henry Vaughan (17 April 1621 – 23 April 1695) was a Welsh metaphysical poet, author and translator writing in English, and a medical physician. His religious poetry appeared in ''Silex Scintillans'' in 1650, with a second part in 1655.''Oxfo ...

, the architect who designed the

Washington National Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Washington, D.C., the ca ...

, designed the church in a

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style. The cornerstone bears the date 1911. This church was consecrated in 1927 by Bishop William Thomas Manning, who called it "the little cathedral of the Bronx" in reference to its size, design, and architectural details. The church incorporates Tiffany favrile glass windows, including an unusual variant on the "Jesus Blessing the Little Children" Tiffany Studios design by artist Frederick Wilson, two large terra-cotta panels by

George Tinworth George Tinworth (5 November 1843 – 11 September 1913) was an English ceramic artist who worked for the Doulton factory at Lambeth from 1867 until his death.'George Tinworth', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ir ...

, and a massive narthex window featuring figures of

Jane Addams Laura Jane Addams (September 6, 1860 May 21, 1935) was an American settlement activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, and author. She was an important leader in the history of social work and women's suffrage ...

and

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

. The church also features a Skinner organ. The Episcopal Church of the Mediator is home to the Corlear Sycamore, also known as the Sister Tree, which is considered to be among the oldest and largest trees in The Bronx. The property currently hosts the Kingsbridge community refrigerator and environmental ministry, and houses several community outreach programs.

References

Campbell, Rev. John (Rector): HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF THE MEDIATOR (1858 - 1909). New York, 1910. 92 pages. Frontispiece: Line drawing of "NEW CHURCH OF THE MEDIATOR KINGSBRIDGE AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY (in course of construction)" Episcopal church buildings in the Bronx Kingsbridge, Bronx {{Bronx-church-stub