Monastery at Large

Reflection of Judson Memorial Church (1893) – New York

Written by

Monastic

in

, ,
Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White. Judson Memorial Church, Sanctuary and Campanile (1893, 1896). Greenwich Village, New York.12 3 4 5

Serious photographers (whatever the fuck that’s supposed to mean) despise reflection shots, but I’m kind of a sucker for them.

This puddle in Washington Square provided me with the best image I’ll likely ever get of Judson Memorial Church, built in stages between 1891 and 1896.

It’s a quirky and free-wheeling design by Stanford White that combined elements from numerous Italian cathedrals of the Renaissance era, all cobbled together with rich textures and finely detailed ornamentation.

White’s eclectic compositions didn’t always work, but this one is exquisite and charming, and the church has become one of New York’s most distinctive landmarks.

Detail and Section of Main Entrance6

References

  1. “The Judson Memorial.” New-York Daily Tribune, February 8, 1891, p. 19. ↩︎
  2. “Judson Memorial Church.” The New-York Times, January 23, 1893, p. 3. ↩︎
  3. “Judson Memorial Dedication.” The Sun (New York), January 30, 1893, p. 5. ↩︎
  4. “Sitters In Washington Square.” The Sun (New York), May 30, 1895, p. 6. ↩︎
  5. Judson Memorial Church: A Convergence of Arts and Service | National Trust for Historic Preservation ↩︎
  6. A Monograph of the Work of McKim Mead & White, 1879-1915. New York: The Architectural Book Publishing Company, 1915. ↩︎

More posts