Church of Sweden in New York (; also known as the Swedish Seamen's Church) is a

Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden () is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.5 million members at year end 2023, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sweden, the largest List ...

church at 5 East 48th Street in

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. It is a parish of the

Church of Sweden Abroad The Church of Sweden Abroad (, SKUT) is an institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden. The Church of Sweden Abroad has more than 40 parishes throughout the world, concentrated in Western Europe. Another 80 cities are served by visitin ...

. Dating to 1921, it was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2014. The church is currently open Wednesday to Sunday. A library and reading room (featuring a memorial plaque to

Raoul Wallenberg Raoul Gustaf Wallenberg (4 August 1912 – disappeared 17 January 1945)He is presumed to have died in 1947, although the circumstances of his death are not clear and this date has been disputed. Some reports claim he was alive years later. In ...

) is located on the first floor, while the chapel,

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

and children's room is on the second floor. The chapel's organ dates to 1986, the work of

Torshälla Torshälla () is a locality situated in Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 7,612 inhabitants in 2010. It is mainly known for steel manufacturing, centered on the Nyby Bruk steel mill, and also for its historic old town ce ...

's Walter Thür. The uppermost floors are private residences and a rooftop terrace. Its founding came after around 1.4 million

Swedes Swedes (), or Swedish people, are an ethnic group native to Sweden, who share a common ancestry, Culture of Sweden, culture, History of Sweden, history, and Swedish language, language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countries, ...

arrived on American shores between 1820 and 1900. They found solace in these churches, where they could keep up with news from their homeland, collect and send mail and enjoy refreshments.
– Untapped New York In 1921, a year after a donation of around $250,000 from Henrietta E. Francis Talcott, the church was rebuilt in a Gothic style. The donor was the wife of farmer-turned-millionaire James Talcott, who died in 1916 at the age of 86. The new building was the work of architect Wilfred E. Anthony (1878–1948).The House at 5 East 48th Street
– Church of Sweden in New York official website Henrietta died in December 1921, aged 79; it is not known whether she got to see the finished building. On March 31, 1978, the Church of Sweden Abroad bought the property from the New York Bible Society for $570,000. The

air rights In real estate, air rights are the property interest in the "space" above the Earth's surface. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building includes the right to use and build in the space above the land without interference by oth ...

were sold in 1981 for $1 million and paid off the debt. The song " Christmas in New York" was written by Billy Butt on the church's piano in 1979. File:Church of Sweden New York.jpg, Chapel, 2009

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Church of Sweden, New York 1921 establishments in New York City 20th-century Church of Sweden church buildings Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan Churches completed in 1921 Churches in Manhattan Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Gothic Revival church buildings in New York City Midtown Manhattan Church of Sweden churches

See also

References

External links