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Although the cornerstone for
the church was laid in 1846 and the church completed in 1848, it wasn’t
until 1908 that the copper was added to the base and belfry.
Following the fire at the church, the copper, by then pitted with age, was
removed and samples stored against the time the Church could raise the
money to replace it. Marine grade plywood, caulked and painted
watertight was installed in 1994 as a temporary replacement of the failed
copper sheeting. However, the plywood
reached the end of its useful life, which resulted in water damage to the
interior finishes and the tower itself.
The variety
of styles, the building techniques, and the stained glass windows are what
give the Church of the Holy Apostles a special spot in a city full of
buildings. It provides the ambiance of a quaint country chapel,
contrasting the commotion of the surrounding city. Inside, the unfluted
columns and sweeping vaulting give the feeling of a cathedral in Tuscany
that has been shrunk to a size that fosters friendship in the
congregation.
"This
church is what historicism really should be about, it is an attempt to
forge a genuine new statement out of pieces of different old ones, and,
astonishingly, it works.
"The Church of
the Holy Apostles is a survivor. Its neighborhood is one of industry,
trucking, and housing projects. It wants to be part of the splendid Greek
Revival rows of houses just a few blocks downtown in the heart of Chelsea.
But like a good missionary, it does its work here instead, where it is
most needed."
Architectural critic
Paul Goldberger
The New York Times
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