Hello, this is Carl Raymond, host of the Gilded Gentleman History podcast. During the Gilded Age, as in other times in history, where you went to church,

and certainly where you were christened, married, and where you were laid to rest, all said a lot

about who you were in the social structure. In this episode from the Bowery Boys archive, Greg and Tom

pay a visit to Manhattan's Grace Church, one of the most important churches for the elite of old New York, and they delve into its social history.

Grace Church, one of New York's most historic churches, was built in 1846 and sits today, just as it has for over 175 years at the bend at Broadway and 11th Street.

Hi there, welcome to the Bowery Boys. This is Greg Young. And I'm Tom Myers. And here we are,

Greg, at the end of the year, getting into the holiday mood. And we thought that we would

focus today on the story of a place that certainly knows how to celebrate the holiday season.

And celebrate it in style. It's a place, in fact, that's always been in style. How often can you

say that about something in New York? We're talking about Grace Church in Manhattan, a picture

perfect Gothic revival Episcopal Church located at Broadway

and 10th Street, completed in 1846.

Yes, it sits right there at the crook of Broadway, if you will, just as the street bends

on its way up to Union Square, which, as you will hear in a bit, gives it a bit of extra visual prominence.

You know, Grace Church kind of seems to pop out at you as you look up and down Broadway.

And even though it opened on this spot in 1846, this actually wasn't the original location.

So today we'll examine where it originally sat, why it moved, and why here exactly.

Yes, and Grace Church is notable for a number of reasons, including its architect, James

Renwick Jr., and also the social outreach that it did to the neighboring, you know, largely

immigrant communities. But it's also remembered for something else.

Grace Church was one of the most fashionable churches in New York City

for several decades in the 19th century.

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