The history of the church...

The cathedral is home to The Fourth Universalist Society, a Unitarian Universalist congregation. The Society has been a liberal religious presence in New York for over 160 years. It welcomes people of all cultural, religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds to visit and join. Services are held every Sunday at 11 a.m.

Founded in 1838, The Fourth Universalist Society is the sole survivor of seven Universalist churches in New York City. Its church has always attracted leading personalities - Horace Greeley, Mrs. Andrew Carnegie and P.T. Barnum, among others.

The cathedral was built in 1897 and was designed by the noted architect William A. Potter. The tower and features of the Sanctuary are replicas of the medieval tower and buildings at Magdalen College in Oxford, England. Frank Lloyd Wright greatly admired the building and his daughter was married here.

The cathedral features an altar by Louis Comfort Tiffany, relief sculpture by Augustus St. Gaudens and stained glass windows by Clayton and Bell of London. The cathedral is included in the New York City Landmark Historic District that encompasses the immediate neighborhood. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized as one of the anchors of the National Historic District along Central Park West.

Its recognition as an anchor prompted the architect who designed the "New York City" hotel in Las Vegas to feature the cathedral in its landscape of the city!

Photos courtesy of Tony Curran

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