St. Philip's Church, New York, New York
historic place
St. Philip's Church in New York City is a historic place. Its congregation began in 1809, formed by free African Americans and enslaved individuals who separated from Trinity Church due to segregation. The first church building, on Centre Street, had its foundation laid in 1818. This structure was replaced after a fire in 1822. The church endured damage during social unrest in 1834 and 1863. The congregation moved uptown to Harlem. The current Neo-Gothic building on 134th Street was constructed in 1910 and 1911. It was designed by African American architects Vertner Woodson Tandy and George Washington Foster. Tandy was New York State's first licensed African American architect. St. Philip's Church is significant as New York City's first African American Episcopal parish. It became a New York City Landmark in 1993 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Its relocation to Harlem helped establish the area as a center for black cultural and political life.