THE GUIDE

Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church

Founded on November 6, 1808 in a church on Cedar Street, this confraternity later moved to two other locations to arrive at its present location in 1875. Particularly attentive to preaching and music, the congregation is known for its Sunday school and assistance to the homeless.
The building was designed by the architect Carl Pfeiffer who introduced some technical innovations such as wooden walls where the air from the basement flowed. In the cold season, the hot steam from the boilers went up to heat the structure, while in the summer large blocks of ice were brought in and with fans the cold air was conveyed into the walls. The efficient system was used until 2003 when a modern air conditioning system was installed.
The building was built in New Jersey red sandstone neo-gothic style and the interior, which has a capacity of almost 2,000 seats, makes extensive use of wood resulting in very good acoustics.

References

Kenneth T. Jackson, Lisa Keller, Nancy Flood. The Encyclopedia of New York City: Second Edition. Yale University Press, 2010. p. 442
History (Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church)
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (Wikipedia)