Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church ARCHITECT: Neville & Bagge DATE: 1907-08 STYLE: Romanesque Revival, Church Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church, completed in 1908, is significant as an excellent example of the late Romanesque Revival style. Designed by the firm of Neville & Bagge, the facade incorporates both medieval and classical features. It is also historically significant as one of the earliest Roman Catholic parishes in Manhattan, serving the East Harlem neighborhood since 1834. Dominating the street facade are symmetrical corner towers, an extraordinary row of five entry portals, and large round-arch stained-glass windows with simple geometric tracery. These dramatic windows on the front and side facades figure prominently in the design and their construction was facilitated by the building’s structural use of steel and concrete. Typical Romanesque Revival features include round-arch openings, towers, steep roofs, and carved medieval-style ornamentation.

Trolley in traffic on Lenox Avenue (now Malcolm X Boulevard), ca. 1930. In 1895, the Metropolitan Railway Company opened a streetcar line along Lenox Avenue from 110th Street to the Harlem River, and later connected to the Lexington Avenue surface line, via 116th Street. The Lenox Avenue streetcar line operated until 1935; the route was later converted to bus service. At left is Bickford’s, a department store and restaurant chain, at 101 West 116th Street. The Bickford’s building survives, but the top band of cornice detail has been removed. Just out of frame at left is the entrance to the 116th Street station of the IRT Lenox Avenue subway line.

Businesses on West 124th Street, off of Lenox Avenue, 1932. Storefronts include: Lenox Auto Renting Co.; Harding Hand Laundry; and L. Pelzling, Tailor. Today, the second story cornices and wooden clapboards have been removed, but underlying structures remain.

In 1837, the New York and Harlem Railroad extended its Fourth Avenue (now Park Avenue) tracks to Harlem. In 1872, the tracks south of 98th Street were sunk below ground to reduce their street-level impact, and in 1874, a brownstone viaduct was built where the tracks emerged above ground (later the line continued northward with the construction of a steel viaduct). The viaduct, which, from 102nd to 110th Streets, allows vehicular and pedestrian crossing via rounded archways, had a lasting impact on the neighborhood. While the grand rowhouses west of Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) thrived, those to the east were replaced with subsidized housing. Beneath the tracks from 111th to 116th Streets is La Marqueta, a marketplace that originally served as an informal gathering place for pushcart vendors until the city officially sanctioned it in 1936. Around that time, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia waged war against the city’s pushcarts, which were widely believed to be a traffic menace and sanitation hazard. La Marqueta became one of several enclosed markets operated by the city, with merchants renting stalls. It reached its apex in the 1950s and 1960s with over 500 vendors, and was an important cultural hub for the neighborhood’s Hispanic population. After decades of decline, the City Council allocated $3 million to revitalize the market in 2014.

From 1939 to 1942, the internationally popular African American cabaret singer Jimmie Daniels owned and operated his eponymous Harlem supper club on the ground floor of this building. The famed nightspot hosted European royalty, high society from both sides of the Atlantic, and Black and white, gay and straight notables from the arts. You can read more about Jimmie Daniels at the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project.

Subway construction at 116th Street and Lenox Avenue, August 10, 1910.

Mount Morris Brownstones: 6–10 Mount Morris Park West Designed by James A. Ware 1891 This row of brownstone houses has recently been restored and is in beautiful condition. The architect, James A. Ware, is most recognized for his development of the dumbbell tenement.

While the vast majority of people experiencing homelessness in New York City reside in homeless shelters there are reasons why this isn't a viable option for some: Safety Concerns: Fear of violence or theft within crowded and shelter environments. Mental Health Challenges: Mental health conditions may be exacerbated by the chaotic and crowded nature of shelters Bureaucratic Hurdles: Complex intake processes are not always accessible to people who lack documentation/identification requirements or the capacity to understand these hurdles Loss of Autonomy: Shelters often have strict rules and regulations, limiting personal freedom and autonomy. Maximum Capacity: Shelters are frequently either overcrowded or declared full. While not devoid of all of the issues prominent in homeless shelters, alternative spaces of refuge, have offered many people, Consistent communities of people whom they trust, Safety by means of public the mutual surveillance that occurs on streets and sidewalks A greater degree of autonomy and less strict regulation than a facility would require. For most, these places of refuge would be subway stations or sidewalks in proximity to prominent buildings. There are unique locations that have been consistent spaces of refuge embedded in communities and in proximity to historical landmarks. As the city battles the surmounting housing crisis, it can be easy to dismiss the issue due to lack of space. However, there are parts of the city that have been enveloped in history and can provide a substantial amount of real estate to accommodate a few hundred that have resorted to squatting or sleeping on the streets. While systemic change is necessary, the following examples of unusual spaces that have paved the way to affordable housing can provide a refreshed perspective. This City Story will engage with the subject of alternative places for refuge by exploring 3 locations in New York that are/have been used as such.

Harlem churches have been an important part of the historical shaping of the neighborhood. For decades, they have been centers for community bonding and healing. Many of these churches have been involved with social movements like the fight for civil rights and the abolition of slavery. Many historic Harlem churches have lost some of their popularity as time has passed, but they still hold spiritual importance in their neighborhoods. As property values rise in an ever-gentrifying city, a few churches have been struggling to stay open as tithes and parishioners have dwindled. However, the members remain hopeful. On this walk, interact with structures of beauty and importance in the Harlem community.

ST. PAUL’S RC CHURCH, MANHATTAN Address: 121 East 117th Street (aka 115-125 East 117th Street) Constructed: 1907-08 Architect: Neville & Bagge This grand church and school were designed by the noted firm of Neville & Bagge in the Romanesque Revival style of brick clad in Indiana limestone. In addition to commanding a strong presence on East 117th Street, the complex provides an important spiritual and cultural link to East Harlem’s past. The parish of St. Paul’s was established in 1834 to serve the northern reaches of the city, when Harlem was sparsely populated and rural, and bears the distinction of being one of the city’s first Roman Catholic churches. The present structures replaced the earlier church and school buildings, which were located roughly on the same site.

135 West 115th Street. Remodeled apartments, 1941.