Church of the Transfiguration

History
Place of Worship

01 eglise de la transfiguration new york 1 poi grand

Romane

Published on 18/03/2025

This point of interest is available as audio on the tour: Visit New York, In the heart of Manhattan

Nestled in the heart of Manhattan, this colorful Anglican church easily stands out on New York’s 29th Street. The so-called “little church around the corner” was built in 1849 in a small neighborhood called NoMad, in reference to its location north of Madison Square Park. It got its nickname in 1870, just 20 years after its construction, when the rector of the neighboring Church of the Atonement refused to hold the funeral of George Holland, a well-known actor at the time. He then directed Holland’s friends and family to “a little church around the corner that does that sort of thing.” The nickname has stuck ever since. The neo-Gothic church went on to serve as a refuge for the African-American population during the American Civil War persecutions. In 2012, it also hosted the first same-sex wedding in the Diocese of New York, thus becoming an important part of history. Listed as a historical monument in 1967, it adds to the charm of Manhattan’s trendy NoMad district, known for its luxury boutiques housed in historic brownstone and Art Deco buildings.