Christ Church Complex
Also known as: Christ Church,Riverdale
Why it's listed
Set on a wooded, fenced hillside beside Riverdale Avenue in the Bronx, this church complex consists of a stone parish church, a parish house and a rectory. The church, completed in 1866 and designed by Upjohn & Company, has a cruciform plan, rock-faced local granite walls, red sandstone trim, steep slate roofs and a bell cote above the west gable. Inside, timber roof trusses, oak pews and stained glass by several makers survive largely unaltered. The design follows ecclesiological principles favoring medieval-inspired Gothic forms, and it appears to draw on St. James-the-Less in Philadelphia. Dwight James Baum designed the stone parish house in 1923, echoing the church's materials and proportions. The 1872 rectory is a modest Second Empire house given by a parishioner. Together with the landscaped grounds, the buildings preserve the rural setting that Upjohn favored for parish churches, which many comparable churches have lost.
Significance in brief: The church is presented as an outstanding example of ecclesiological church design by the prominent firm Upjohn & Company. Its cruciform plan, random ashlar masonry, timber roof trusses and rural setting are described as hallmarks of Upjohn parish churches. The 1923 parish house by Dwight James Baum respects the original design and reflects a second phase of parish growth.
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 83001637, listed September 8, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5030 Riverdale Ave., New York |
|---|---|
| County | The Bronx |
| Listed | September 8, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001637 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1866 |
| Architect / builder | Upjohn & Company |
| Architectural style | High Victorian Gothic (ecclesiological Gothic Revival); rectory in builder's Second Empire style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a religious property; the church interior is described as essentially unaltered and in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.89911, -73.90642 (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 83001637.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5108737
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.