It appears that the area just north of 125th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenue was the neighborhood favored by the Northern European immigrant communities in the early part of the 20th Century. The above photo is that of Harlem's Swedish Lutheran Church at 74 West 126th Street circa 1920. We looked up the address recently to see if the building still remains intact today and was surprised by what was discovered.
This little church just east of Lenox still stands today but is missing one grand element. The top gable with the huge cross detail had been dismantled in some past decade so the entire address looks a little more demure than the original design. Just a bit further east, there used to be a building dedicated to the education of the Finnish community in the area which is also still intact and a reminder of how multi-cultural Harlem's past has been:
LINK
I believe the church is now known as Transfiguration Lutheran Church, and has some claim to historical significance as one of NYC's few predominantly black Lutheran congregations, founded by West Indian immigrants (see link below). These black parishioners purchased the Swedish Church during the Renaissance era, according to Transfiguration's website.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.transfigurationnyc.com/history/