Manhattan New York Temple Wiki

Description

The Manhattan New York Temple is the 119th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is the second “multi-purpose” temple to be constructed, after the Hong Kong China Temple, and the third LDS temple converted from an existing building, the previous two being the Vernal Utah Temple and the Copenhagen Denmark Temple.

History

The Stake Center

Announcement

President Harold B. Lee announced on 13 April 1973 that the Church would begin construction of a 36 story mixed-use tower on Columbus Avenue. The building would be located between 65^th and 66^th Streets, and would be directly across from the Julliard School of Musc. This would also put the buildings Kitty-Corner from the Lincoln Center, built around 10 years prior.

Besides the tower, the building would also include a development to be used for needed Religious facilities in the area, including a Chapel and Church office space.^[1]Church Plans Skyscraper, Church News, April 14, 1973. This portion of the development would initially house two Manhattan Wards, the Spanish-American Branch, stake offices, headquarters of the Eastern States Mission, and a Visitors Center.^[2]The decision to add a Visitor’s Center resulted from the success of the Mormon Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair ten years earlier. This religious portion of the complex intended to be a showcase building in the up and coming Lincoln Square Area, then in the process of being rehabilitated.^[3]Tom and Megumi Vogelmann, interview by Ned and Cherlynn Thomas, May 16, 1999.

1974

By early 1974, the tower and its commercial spaces were completed and ready for occupancy.^[4]New York Skyscraper Progress Continues,
Church News, August 3, 1974. Original commercial tenants on the ground floor included Long John Silver’s Seafood Restaurant and Empress Travel.

1975

The accompanying Stake Center and facilities were finished in March 1975.

Dedication

The original building was dedicated in May 1975 by LDS Church president Spencer W. Kimball and still houses a church public affairs office on the second floor and a chapel, cultural hall, baptismal font, and classrooms on the third floor.

By 1988, the Building was serving the needs of 8 units, and the Church began looking to build more chapels elsewhere in the City.^[5]N.Y. Meetinghouse Houses Entire Stake, Bulges at the Seams, Church News, June 11, 1988

Stake Center Renovation

On 10 November 2001 a rededication for the entire building was held. The reason for the event was the renovation of the 5th and 6th floors.^[6]Brady, Brooks A., and Brent J. Belnap. “The Manhattan New York Temple.” Brooks A. Brady, 4 Nov. 2002.

The two floors previously had held a gym and sports club for the use of the residents of the attached high-rise apartment building. The floors were remodeled into a second chapel and classroom set, making two complete chapels in the building. This pattern of putting two chapels in a single building has been used frequently in chapels built in high density areas, and is currently being implemented in the support buildings for the Bangkok Thailand and Bengaluru India temples.

2002 Regional Conference

One of many regional conferences was held at this Stake Center on 21 October 2000. At this conference James E. Faust told the members in attendance that “You will have a temple in closer proximity sooner than you will be ready for it.” ^[7]Brady, Brooks A., and Brent J. Belnap. “The Manhattan New York Temple.” Brooks A. Brady, 4 Nov. 2002.

Preparation and Expansion

23-24 March 2002 President Hinckley visited New York City with the express intent of finding a location for a temple. Presumably at that time, the decision was made to renovate the existing Stake Center with the plan to build a temple in the shell.^[8]Brady, Brooks A., and Brent J. Belnap. “The Manhattan New York Temple.” Brooks A. Brady, 4 Nov. 2002.

In April 2002 the street level storefronts of the Stake Center were purchased by the Church.^[9]Brady, Brooks A., and Brent J. Belnap. “The Manhattan New York Temple.” Brooks A. Brady, 4 Nov. 2002.

Pre-Announcement

Several months before the official announcement, on 24 March 2002, at a special regional conference broadcast from Manhattan to surrounding stakes and districts, LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley told those in attendance that he expected a temple to be built in the area in the next two years. It was widely assumed that this was in reference to the previously announced temple in Harrison, New York, construction of which had been delayed for several years. The need for a temple in the area became apparent during the previous decade, when local church membership tripled to more than 42,000 members.

On 1 August of 2002 the upper chapel of the Stake Center, comprising the 5th and 6th floors, was closed for the coming announcement and construction.

Announcement

The opening of a temple in Manhattan, New York was announced on August 7, 2002. The Church wide announcement made on August 7th fulfilled the earlier expectation of a temple given by President Hinckley. The need for a temple in the Manhattan area became apparent during the last decade when Mormon membership tripled to more than 42,000 members.^[10]Carrie A. Moore, “LDS set temple in Big Apple: Church will use upper floors of existing building,” Deseret News, 8 Aug. 2002, 2 Nov. 2002.^[11]Wakin, Daniel J. (August 9, 2002), “Mormons Plan a Temple Opposite Lincoln Center”, The New York Times, retrieved 2012-10-16

Demolition

Though no formal groundbreaking had yet occurred, demolition of the upper floors of the temple began 2 September 2002.^[12]Brady, Brooks A., and Brent J. Belnap. “The Manhattan New York Temple.” Brooks A. Brady, 4 Nov. 2002.

Groundbreaking

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held on September 23, 2002, with construction beginning soon after. Temple architect was Frank Fernandez, who has worked on other large LDS Church building projects in Manhattan, as supervised by LDS Temple Department construction manager Cory Karl.

Construction

On 20 February 2004 the Church announced the open house and dedication dates for the Manhattan New York Temple.^[13]“N.Y. Temple to Open.” Church News, 21 Feb. 2004.

Render Released

Just two-and-a-half weeks before the temple’s summer dedication, Church headquarters announced that it had revised the exterior design for the temple. New cladding would be attached to portions of the building’s south and west sides, and a steeple topped by the angel Moroni would be added to the roof in the fall.^[14]“New Exterior Planned for Manhattan New York Temple.” Newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org, 29 May 2004.

Open House

The local temple committee, under the direction of general authority Glenn L. Pace, and later David R. Stone, was headed by Brent J. Belnap, president of the church’s New York New York Stake and assisted by W. Blair Garff (later called as temple president), Stephen D. Quinn, and others. From May 8 through June 5, 2004, more than 53,000 people toured the temple during the public open house. LDS members and non-members alike viewed a 15-minute introductory video and took a 40-minute walking tour through the first, fifth, and sixth floors of the temple. Many others experienced the LDS temple through worldwide media coverage.^[15]Manhattan New York Temple: Media Coverage, belnapfamily.org Local LDS members who were called to help, assisted by missionaries, gave the tours. Special guests during the open house included two members of the United States Senate and other national and local dignitaries.

Coverage of the Manhattan Temple open house was exceptional in comparison with most other recently completed temples. The temple was featured in most national newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today,^[3] and in newspapers in Europe and Asia. It was also featured on CNN.

Cultural Celebration

On June 12, 2004, a cultural “jubilee celebration” was held at Radio City Music Hall, entitled “A Standard for the Nations.” It was a two-hour performance including more than 2,400 LDS youth from the area (the largest cast to ever perform on the stage of Radio City Music Hall). In attendance were LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley and Robert D. Hales of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Master of ceremonies for the jubilee, which was broadcast to surrounding stake centers and was immediately followed by a youth fireside, was Dave Checketts.

Dedication

Hinckley officially dedicated the Manhattan New York Temple in four dedicatory sessions on Sunday, June 13, 2004. As part of the first dedicatory session, a special cornerstone laying ceremony was held, during which a time capsule containing memorabilia from New York, such as a copy of The New York Times and other church-related items, including a set of scriptures, a handkerchief used during the dedication ceremony, and sheet music, were placed within the cornerstone.

2004

On Saturday, October 9, 2004, hundreds of onlookers filled the streets of Manhattan to witness the placement of the 10-foot angel Moroni upon the temple’s new spire.^[16]”Angel is a hit in the Big Apple,” Deseret News 10 October 2004.

2006-2007

In a local church conference on November 12, 2006, it was officially announced that the fourth floor, which at the time housed classrooms and stake offices associated with the third-floor chapel, would be converted to become part of the temple and that the stake center for the New York New York Stake would be moved to a new location on East 87th Street. This work was completed in August 2007. The temple baptistry continues to occupy part of the first floor of the building, and the rest of the temple occupies all of the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors. The third floor remains a chapel for local congregations, and the second floor continues to house a public affairs office as well as a small distribution center and multiple-use room.

2007-2009

During later renovations to the third floor meetinghouse space, the chapel windows, which had previously allowed in natural light but were sealed off during temple construction, were opened up again to allow in natural light through the art glass windows.

An anti-Mormon protest attended by many thousands of gay rights activists converged outside the temple on November 12, 2008, to protest the LDS Church’s position in support of California’s Proposition 8. No vandalism against the temple was reported.^[4]

2009

In 2009 the exterior of the temple was modified to add stone-clad support columns along the Columbus Avenue-side arcade.

2011

In early 2011, the sidewalk space between the support columns and the temple proper was upgraded to incorporate a series of stylized granite beehive medallions matching those found elsewhere within the temple.

2020

In 2020, the Manhattan New York Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.^[5]

Detail

Location

The Manhattan New York temple stands on the northeast corner of the intersection of West 65th Street, Broadway, and Columbus Avenue, and is across the street from Lincoln Center.

Exterior

The temple exterior retains much of the original travertine stone facade. Also on the temple exterior are large art glass panels depicting flowing water.

Interior

The walls of the temple were designed to be soundproof so that the noise of the traffic outside would not interrupt temple patrons. The total floor area for the temple part of the building is approximately 20,630 square feet (1,917 m²)

The temple currently occupies part of the first floor and all of the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of the building. (Originally, prior to renovations announced in 2006, it occupied part of the first and second floors and all of the fifth and sixth floors, but none of the fourth floor, which floor had housed offices of the New York New York Stake since 1975.) The insides of these floors were completely renovated. Previously, the fifth and sixth floors constituted a second chapel and set of classrooms that were dedicated in 10 November 2001, which in turn were adapted from an early gym and sports club built as part of the neighboring apartment complex.

The building’s elevator system is unique. There are two elevators in the temple. The generally accessible elevator services only the floors that have office and chapel space on them. The second elevator is designed to service generally public floors for Sunday worship services and temple-only areas when the temple is in operation on other days of the week.

1^st Floor

Building Lobby

On the main (first or ground-level) floor of the temple, individuals, public and temple patron alike, enter a lobby area. This lobby wraps around the South west corner of the building and contains a security desk, a family History Center, and a very small visitor’s center, with stairwell and elevator access to the Chapel and office floors. The cornerstone of the temple is in this lobby area, on the south side of the temple.

Temple Lobby

Directly across from the main entrance is a set of two interior bronze front doors that incorporate abstract starbursts. Passing through these doors temple patrons are greeted by a large art glass mural depicting the resurrected Christ speaking with two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Baptistry

Also on the main floor is the baptistry, where vicarious baptisms are performed. Above the baptismal font is a large mural showing the waters of the Jordan River flowing down toward the font.

The Baptistry murals were painted by Linda Curley Christensen

2^nd Floor

The Second floor of the Multi-purpose building that houses the temple currently contains the local church public affairs office.

3^rd Floor

The Third floor of the Multi-purpose building that houses the temple has a version of an LDS meetinghouse designed specifically to fit the space of the floor. It contains a chapel, cultural hall, baptismal font (like a font in many LDS Chapels, and not like the larger font on the first floor for proxy temple work,) and classrooms.

Pipe organ

The church commissioned organbuilder Sebastian M. Glück to design and build a new pipe organ for the New York Stake Center chapel in 2004. Tabernacle Organist Clay Christiansen collaborated in the design. This was Mr. Glück’s first instrument built with slider-and-pallet windchests, a departure from his usual electro-pneumatic Pitman actions. The starkly modern instrument stands front and center in the chapel.

4^th Floor

5^th Floor

The fifth floor of the temple contains patron changing areas, a small chapel (which initially served as temple office space), and two progressive ordinance rooms (also known as Endowment Rooms, or Instruction Rooms.) The second ordinance room of the Manhattan temple is perpendicular to the first (due to the building’s size limitations). Each of the two instuction rooms holds 40 individuals each.^[17]Brady, Brooks A., and Brent J. Belnap. “The Manhattan New York Temple.” Brooks A. Brady, 4 Nov. 2002.

Instruction Room A

The first endowment ordinance room (taking the place of the Creation Room, Garden Room, and World Room (or Telestial Kingdom) from the earlier 4 stage progression) incorporates wall-to-ceiling murals depicting the natural landscape and fauna common to the Hudson River Valley.

The Endowment Room murals were painted by Linda Curley Christensen.

Instruction Room B

The second endowment ordinance room (representing the Terrestrial Kingdom) extends approximately one and one-half floors high and contains two unadorned faux art glass windows and Ionic columns gilded with white gold leaf highlights. Above the veil is a long horizontal art glass window with olive fruit and branches.

Celestial Room

The Celestial Room is perfectly square. Flanking its walls are 8 Corinthian columns (four half-columns and 4 quarter-columns), the capitals of which are lightly gilded with yellow and white gold leaf, plus 4 mirrors and two faux art glass windows with olive fruit and olive leaves surrounded by grapes and grape leaves. The height of the Celestial Room extends two stories and incorporates an upper-level balcony (which is non-accessible to patrons) that maximizes a sense of open vertical space. Above the balcony arches and art glass windows, on each of the room’s walls, are four round abstract starburst windows.

6^th Floor

The sixth floor of the temple has a long hallway and an open stairwell that lead to two sealing rooms, each of which contains two faux art glass windows similar to (but not exactly the same as) those found in the Celestial Room. The walls of the Celestial Room and the two sealing rooms are finished in cream Venetian plaster.

Motif

Manhattan temple design motifs include “living waters,” beehives, olives and olive trees, grapevines, starbursts, and the Statue of Liberty. Even the furniture upholstery tacks incorporate specific symbolic elements (e.g., crowns, stars, beehives, etc.). Carved into the medium-stain oak wood panels and molding are beehives, while door handle escutcheon plates incorporate the Statue of Liberty torch together with fig or grape leaves and stars. Curved archways above ordinance room doors and mirrors contain design elements specifically adapted from the Salt Lake Temple.

All interior art glass windows were created by Utah-based artist Tom Holdman. All are backlit in order to preserve a quiet atmosphere devoid of city traffic distractions. Along hallway walls are original works of art by noted landscape artists depicting scenes from nature as well as other artwork prints commonly found in other LDS temples and meetinghouses.

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