CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION, MADISON SQUARE

THERE are a couple of interesting churches around town named for the Transfiguration, an incident described in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke in which Jesus reveals His divinity by appearing in dazzling light and accompanied by angels to the apostles Peter, James and John (the last three He interacted with before His crucifixion). One is my favorite church building in the city in Maspeth, and another is here on East 29th just east of 5th Avenue.

The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration at #1 East 29^th Street, just east of 5^th Avenue, was founded by Rev. Dr. George Houghton in 1848, and in the following year, the small brick church appeared at the city’s northern edge, even before the street grid was built through. Houghton, an abolitionist, made the church a sanctuary for Blacks fleeing the Draft Riots of 1863 and a stop on the underground railroad. The church has been a favorite of actors since 1870, when thespian Joseph Jefferson requested a funeral for his friend George Holland at a neighboring Episcopal church. Upon learning Holland was also an actor, the church refused Jefferson, telling him to seek out the “little church around the corner”; at one time, acting was not considered a desirable occupation, at least by religious officials. A stained glass window depicts Joseph Jefferson, in a role as Rip Van Winkle, leading the enshrouded Holland. Today, the church and parsonage boast a charming garden, an oasis from bustling Fifth Avenue.

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4/4/24