St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church is a parish of the

Greek Orthodox Church The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

located at 124 Wadsworth Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. It is known for its elaborate

Byzantine revival Neo-Byzantine architecture (also referred to as Byzantine Revival) was a revival movement, most frequently seen in religious, institutional and public buildings. It incorporates elements of the Byzantine style associated with Eastern and Ortho ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

and for the building's elaborately decorated interior, featuring traditional Byzantine-style wall painting.

History

The present building was dedicated in 1952 by Archbishop Michael of America; the church's previous building was demolished and the congregation worshiped in the nearby Ft. George Presbyterian Church during construction. In the mid-20th century, the neighborhood was home to large numbers of Greek immigrants. By the end of the century, the population of the neighborhood had changed, the congregation was dwindling, and the church was failing financially. The parish also operated the adjacent St. Spyridon School, which was similarly failing for lack of funds by the end of the century. Following the destruction of

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, officially the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, is a church and shrine in the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is administered by the Greek Orthodox Archdi ...

in the collapse of the south tower of the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...

in the 2001

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

, parishioners of St. Nicholas worshiped at St. Spyridon.

Architecture

The church's

Byzantine Revival Neo-Byzantine architecture (also referred to as Byzantine Revival) was a revival movement, most frequently seen in religious, institutional and public buildings. It incorporates elements of the Byzantine style associated with Eastern and Ortho ...

building was dedicated in 1952. The modern facade features Byzantine- Romanesque tiered arches. The interior is noted for the elaborate, traditional iconography that covers the walls and ceilings, much of it was created when the church was built by Georgios Gliatas, a student of iconographer Fotis Kontoglou. Some of the church's elaborate Byzantine-style woodwork was carved in the 1970s by Konstantinos Pylarinos.

References

Churches in Manhattan Greek Orthodox churches in New York City Byzantine Revival architecture in New York City Washington Heights, Manhattan Churches completed in 1952 {{manhattan-church-stub