GLOBAL ACTIONS WILL HELP PREVENT THE DESECRATION OF
THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE IN NEW YORK CITY
In an unprecedented step, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine has been nominated to
three major national and international registers of endangered sites. Located in the
Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, the Cathedral is the largest church in
the nation and third largest religious structure In the world. It is threatened by the
church’s plan to build two 15- story residential towers, with up to 400 apartments, as
close as 15 feet to its north side, as shown by the illustration. Rising up to the eaves of
the Cathedral, the towers will block the view of its north side, with its superb stained
glass windows and beautifully detailed Gothic statuary, and darken the church’s nave.
three major national and international registers of endangered sites. Located in the
Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, the Cathedral is the largest church in
the nation and third largest religious structure In the world. It is threatened by the
church’s plan to build two 15- story residential towers, with up to 400 apartments, as
close as 15 feet to its north side, as shown by the illustration. Rising up to the eaves of
the Cathedral, the towers will block the view of its north side, with its superb stained
glass windows and beautifully detailed Gothic statuary, and darken the church’s nave.
Responding to this dire threat, the Friends of St. John the Divine, a local advocacy
organization, has nominated the Cathedral to three official registers of endangered
cultural sites: a list of 100 National Treasures, maintained by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation; the 2013 List of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Sites in the
nation, also compiled by the National Trust; and the 2014 global Watch List of the World
Monuments Fund. The Friends believes that acceptance of these nominations will
focus attention on and mobilize efforts to preserve the Cathedral’s integrity.
For additional information contact Harry Schwartz at [email protected],
212-666-2248 or Brad Taylor at [email protected] 212-898-0342