By Mary Beth Diss
“Oh, it’s so pretty,” a woman said out loud as she walked past All Saints’ in Manhattan. “Pretty” was a word rarely used to describe this church on East 60th Street. That is, until now. A 14-month renovation project has given All Saints’ a completely new façade, replacing stucco and geometric windows with brownstone and classic stained glass. And people are noticing. “We wanted the church to show a more vibrant face,” said the Rev. Steven Yagerman, rector. “It used to be forgettable.”
The new rose window at All Saints', Manhattan
Under the direction of Sam White, an architect currently with Platt, Byard, Dovell & White, the renovation has recreated the church from a 1950s modernistic structure to one in the traditional gothic style. The renovators removed the brown stucco on the exterior, added during the last renovation several decades ago, and replaced it with a lighter brownstone composite, which has created the most dramatic transformation of the project. The brownstone is patterned with ridges, reminiscent of the carpenter gothic style.
The other major addition to All Saints’ is a new rose window above the front entrance. The previous window, also from the last renovation, had modern, geometric shapes. To complement the return to a traditional style, Sylvia Nicolas created a classical stained-glass window depicting a resurrected Christ. Nicolas is a fourth-generation artist who uses traditional techniques to fabricate glasswork. The new window is 10 feet in diameter, two feet longer than the previous one.
The other additions to the outside include a two-color granite inlay above two new front doors, new lighting, planters and a 2002 cornerstone to match the 1894 original. Inside, air conditioning and a wheelchair lift have been added, as well as new tile in the chapel. The entryway has also been updated, with more room around the steps and a brighter, airier vestibule.
Five original windows were uncovered after the stucco was removed, and members of All Saints’ have been trying to decide what to do with them. The three long, rounded-arch windows and two circle windows were in disrepair, but Francesca Richardson, a parishioner and fine artist, has been working painstakingly to restore them to their original grandeur. The two round windows will hang inside the church above the left- and right-hand side doors.
Funding for the $1.5 million project came mostly from a couple of large gifts, Yagerman explained, as well as support from many other parishioners.
Construction forced the congregation to worship in the assembly room downstairs from late August until the finish right before All Saints’ Day on November 1. But on the holy day, the newly renovated church was once again a place of worship, as the Rt. Rev. Mark Sisk led a rededication service. Other events marking the rededication were an open house with the project’s artisans, a gala dinner for the community and an organ recital.
All Saints' before renovation, left, and after