St. Philip's Church
Also known as: St. Philip's Protestant Episcopal Church
Why it's listed
St. Philip's Church on West 134th Street in Harlem is a neo-Gothic church completed in 1911. It has an orange Roman brick front with cast-stone trim, a large pointed-arch window, and two matching entrances at the foot of the side aisles. Inside are a wood-trussed gabled ceiling, arcaded side aisles, opalescent glass windows, two chapels, and an altar and reredos carried from an earlier church. The building was designed by Vertner W. Tandy and George W. Foster, Jr., two pioneering Black architects; Tandy was the first registered Black architect in New York State. The congregation traces its roots to a school for African-Americans begun under Trinity Parish and was recognized as a parish in 1818. It moved uptown from West 25th Street as Black residents relocated to Harlem. The church is recognized for its Gothic design and for its place in African-American heritage in Harlem.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a highly representative example of early-twentieth-century decorated Gothic church architecture in New York City. It is also significant for ethnic heritage as one of the first institutions built for Harlem's new African-American community. It is an important work of Vertner W. Tandy, the first registered Black architect in New York State, and was built for the second oldest African-American congregation in the Protestant Episcopal Church in America.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 08000933, listed September 25, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 210-216 West 134th St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | September 25, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000933 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910-11 |
| Architect / builder | Tandy, Vertner W.; Foster, George W., Jr. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals: Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The interior is described as largely intact from its construction, and the building is substantially intact inside and out. It continues in use as a church. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.81479, -73.94527 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 08000933.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7591519
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.