The building, designed by Carrère & Hastings, was completed in 1903, is described by New York Times architectural historian Christopher Gray as "one of the city's most sumptuous churches."[4] The style reminiscent of the churches of Nicholas Hawksmoor, a combination of English Baroque and French Beaux-Arts detailing. The building featured stained-glass windows by John LaFarge. The window over the front door was named "Touch Me Not" and was based on John 20:17, depicting Jesus' encounter with Mary Magdalene outside the tomb.[5]
It featured mosaics, gold-plated chandeliers, marble floors, curved pews made of Circassian walnut, and elevators called "moving rooms" because they were large enough to hold 20 people.[4][5]
In June 2014, after almost ten years in the building, the Crenshaw Christian Center sold the building to 361 Central Park L.L.C. for $26 million. The new owner planned to convert the 47,000-square-foot structure to condominiums.[5] However, the condominium plan was rejected by the zoning appears board.
In January 2018, the Children's Museum of Manhattan announced that it had acquired the former First Church of Christ, Scientist, building.[11][12] The church building cost $45 million, and the city provided $5.5 million for a renovation of the church.[12]FXCollaborative was hired to renovate the church.[13] The original plan for the church was controversial, as residents opposed the addition of a penthouse on the roof and the removal of windows,[14] but FXCollaborative's proposal was ultimately approved in June 2020.[15][16] The museum publicly presented renderings of the renovated church building in 2020.[17][18] As of 2024[update], the museum was planning to relocate in 2028.[19]
Congregation
The congregation was organized in 1886 by Augusta Emma Stetson. The congregation gave Stetson the lot adjacent to the Church on West 96th St, where she lived in a neo-Georgian house. Stetson's house was demolished in 1930, replaced by a "mild(ly) Art Deco" apartment building designed by Thomas W. Lamb.[4]
The congregation met in rented space before construction of the church.[4]