
St. John the Divine Cathedral. Image Credit: LPC.
Unfinished cathedral, the largest in the world, designated a landmark for second time. On February 21, 2017, Landmarks commissioners voted to designate the St. John the Divine Cathedral and Close an individual City landmark. The cathedral, the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, is the largest church in the United States, and the largest cathedral in the world. It stands at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood.
The Landmarks Commission first held a hearing on the potential designation of the cathedral in 1966, and ultimately voted to designate the cathedral a City landmark in 2003. The designation was overturned by the City Council because it was limited to the cathedral’s footprint, and would allow for the development of the rest of the campus.
The Commission again added the cathedral to its calendar on July 19, 2016. This potential designation included six historic auxiliary buildings comprising the cathedral close. (read more…)

Image Credit: LPC.
Landmark site would include six associated buildings, as well as massive Episcopal cathedral. Landmarks held a hearing on the potential designation of St. John the Divine and the Cathedral Close at its meeting on December 6, 2016. Landmarks previously designated the Cathedral an individual City landmark in 2003, but the designation was overturned by the City Council. Council Members wished to see a designation that included surrounding properties, rather than just the footprint of the Cathedral. Diocesan officials opposed any wider designation, claiming they needed to develop some of the property to capitalize the Cathedral’s completion. (read more…)

Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine Image Credit: Helena Kubicka de Bragança
2003 designation of Church was overturned by the City Council. On July 19 2016, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to add the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and the Cathedral Close to its designation calendar, formally commencing the landmarking process. The complex, consisting of the church and six associated buildings, is located at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The cathedral is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. (read more…)