Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan
Also known as: Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Manhattan; German Evangelical Lutheran Trinit Congregation
Why it's listed
Trinity Lutheran Church is a brick Late Gothic Revival church at 164 West 100th Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side, built in 1908 and dedicated in 1909. Architect George W. Conable designed it with a gabled nave, side aisles, a three-story parsonage and a corner belltower with a copper-ribbed steeple. Stone and terra cotta trim, oak doors, stained glass, ribbed vaulting, a carved altarpiece and a Hutchings organ installed in 1909 remain largely intact. The congregation was founded by German immigrants in 1888 and 1889, and later opened its space to Spanish-speaking, Haitian and Chinese worshippers as the neighborhood changed. In 1949 the church was slated for demolition under Robert Moses's Title I urban renewal program. A ten-year campaign by the congregation saved it, and it became the only building in the area to survive the clearance that produced Park West Village. It is listed for its architecture and its role in local social history.
Significance in brief: It is presented as a distinctive, highly intact example of early twentieth-century Late Gothic Revival church architecture designed by George W. Conable. It also reflects the social history of Manhattan Valley, from its German immigrant founding to later welcoming Latino, Haitian and Chinese congregations. It was the only building in its area to survive the 1950s Manhattantown urban renewal clearance.
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 09000722, listed September 16, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 164 W. 100th St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | September 16, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000722 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908-1959 |
| Architect / builder | Conable, George W. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The church continues to serve as a house of worship and community center; its Hutchings organ was restored in 2007. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.79820, -73.96775 (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 09000722.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7842803
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.