| Armenian Evangelical Church of New York | |
|---|---|
 The church in 2012 | |
 Armenian Evangelical Church of New York | |
| 40°44′45″N73°58′44″W / 40.74589°N 73.979018°W /40.74589; -73.979018 | |
| Address | 152 East 34th Street New York, NY |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Armenian Evangelical Church |
| Website | aecnyc |
| History | |
| Founded | 1896 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect | William Ralph Emerson |
| Style | Greek Revival |
| Years built | 1907 |
TheArmenian Evangelical Church of New York, the oldestArmenian institution in the New York metropolitan area, was founded in 1896. It is located at 152East 34th Street, inManhattan,New York City.[1] It is a member church of theArmenian Evangelical Union of North America.
Rev. H.H. Khazoyan was the first pastor of the church. Services were initially conducted at theAdams-Parkhurst Presbyterian Church on East 30th Street.[2]
The congregation grew as Armenians escaping persecution in theOttoman Empire—including theArmenian genocide—moved to New York City and formed "Little Armenia" on the east side of Manhattan. A donation from the Telfeyan family enabled the church to obtain its own location for services, and a building on East 34th Street formerly occupied a branch of the 19th Ward Bank was purchased in 1921.[3][4][5] With alterations, the cost of the building was about $110,000.[6] The new church was dedicated onChristmas Sunday in 1923.[3]
Rev. Antranig Bedikian served the church for nearly 40 years (1915–1953).
In 1985, the church sold itsair rights to an adjacent development, the proceeds of which were used to create an endowment and allow for a renovation.[2] The renovation work was completed in 1988.[3]
In 2025, theHistoric Districts Council, in partnership with the Rose Hill/Kips Bay Coalition, requested theNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commission evaluate the building for potential designation as an individual landmark.[7]
The building that the church occupies on East 34th Street was originally constructed in 1907 as a branch for the 19th Ward Bank.[2][5][8] Designed by architectWilliam Ralph Emerson, the limestone structure includesDoric columns and was similar to the plans for another branch of the bank located on theUpper East Side, although theland lot for the branch on72nd Street was only 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, as compared to a width of 36 feet (11 m) for the site on 34th Street.[9] The architectural style was chosen so that the bank building would stand out among the row ofbrownstones that stood on either side of the site.[9][10] As of 2015, the former 19th Ward Bank branch location at 180 East 72nd Street was occupied by theProvident Loan Society.[11]
Thechancel of the church includes a stained glass window with a central panel depicting a scene from a 16th centuryArmenian manuscript Gospel and side panels depictingSaint Mesrop Mashtots andSaint Sahag Bartev. The window was created by Howard, Geisler and Rowe under the supervision ofHovsep Pushman.[12]
