Harlem Civil Rights Virtual Tour

4. Riverside Church

New York, NY

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Riverside Church, located at 490 Riverside Drive, began as a small Baptist church in 1811, on the Lower East Side, and moved several times before building at its current location. From the beginning, the church was distinguished by its open-minded and outspoken ministers. Mainly built with funds from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., it is modeled after the thirteenth-century Gothic cathedral in Chartres, France. The first cornerstone was laid on November 20, 1927, and within a year, the enormous nave was standing. No detail was overlooked when building the church; the most beautiful stone, stained glass, carving, and woodwork of its time was used. The first service was held on October 5, 1930. Today, the church has 1,750 members and affiliates representing forty different denominational, national, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Riverside, designated a landmark in 2000, is the tallest church in the United States. Standing 392 feet high, it is 100 feet wide and covers two city blocks. One of only three churches in New York that have carillons, which were donated by Rockefeller, it contains the most extensive collection (seventy-four). The carillon’s 20-ton bourdon bell is the largest tuned bell in the world. The smallest carillon bell weighs 10 pounds. Riverside Church has always been at the forefront of social issues, and its doors were and are open to guest speakers on various matters that address social and economic injustice for everyone. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had the privilege of speaking at the church five times during the civil rights movement. On August 13, 1961, he delivered the “Pauline Letter,” urging all Christians to join the Civil Rights Movement and on April 4, 1967, the famous “Beyond Vietnam” speech.