History
The original Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was founded in 1916 in a small row house that had been used as a tavern. Greek immigrants of lower Manhattan purchased it in 1892 as a community home. For many Greeks coming to America, it would have been among their first stops after seeing the Statue of Liberty and their disposition from Ellis Island.
The little church stood in exactly the same location, 155 Cedar Street, witnessing the decades of growth and transformation around the financial centers of Wall Street and Battery Park. Even through the sixteen-acre construction of the original World Trade Center in the 1960’s, the little church was an ever-present spiritual jewel, open to all. There are generations of New Yorkers who remember stopping by to light a candle, say a prayer, or just sit quietly. Over the years, the community of Saint Nicholas resisted attempts to sell the property, and by 2001, the church was encircled by a parking lot.
Everything changed on 9/11. Saint Nicholas was completely destroyed in the collapse of World Trade Center Tower 2 during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Thankfully, no one was in the Church when it was destroyed. Nevertheless, there are reports of Greek Orthodox Christians who escaped the burning Towers by running toward the sacred sound of the bell in the campanile that was a visual hallmark of the Church. In the immediate days that followed September 11th, when rescue and recovery efforts were at their most intense, a few scant objects were recovered from the site near and around 155 Cedar Street. Sadly, much like the remains of those who perished when the Twin Towers collapsed, few precious relics were found.
“Rebuilding Saint Nicholas Church, with a nondenominational bereavement center, is not just good news for the Greek Orthodox community, but for all New Yorkers. With this agreement, we are continuing New York’s collective healing, restoration, and resurgence. Now we are finally returning this treasured place of reflection to where it belongs.”
– Governor Cuomo (at the signing)
Even as there were challenges to commence construction, in July of 2010, remains of an 18th century ship were unearthed on the very location of the former Saint Nicholas Church. The Miracle-working Saint is known throughout the world as the patron saint of those who sail the sea, and many took this as a sign that the resurrection of the Church was nigh.
Negotiations between the Church and the Port Authority to rebuild Saint Nicholas came to fruition under the leadership of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and a new opportunity took shape. His office mediated settlement discussions designed to solve the issue of the Church’s place within the World Trade Center site once and for all. The result of this process was the decision to position the new Church at exactly the same place that had been determined years before, 130 Liberty Street just a stone’s throw form its original location.
This was made possible by The Friends of Saint Nicholas, which was established in December, 2019 in order to raise, invest and disburse funds for the construction and further improvement of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. Please visit The Friends of Saint Nicholas website for more information.
Architecture
The original St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church cast a reverent and faithful shadow on the World Trade Center. Greeks purchased the row house in 1892 as a community home, and it became the Saint Nicholas Church in 1916. For many Greeks immigrants, it would have been their first stop after seeing the Statue of Liberty and disembarking from Ellis Island. The little church was a spiritual jewel, open to all. Generations of New Yorkers stopped in to light a candle, say a prayer, or just sit quietly.
Everything changed on 9/11. Saint Nicholas was completely destroyed in the collapse of World Trade Center Tower Two during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. During the weeks and months that followed, there were funerals and memorials for the many Greek Orthodox Christians who died that fateful day, as well as interfaith and ecumenical events, at city, state and national levels.
And most importantly for Saint Nicholas, the only house of worship destroyed on 9/11, the Archdiocese inaugurated a dialogue with then Governor George Pataki to rebuild the church.
In the years following, as the rebuilding of the World Trade Center took shape, there were challenges to keep the Church as a priority for the site (16 acres), since it was virtually a sliver of land. Due to changes at the site, it was proposed that the Church be relocated to 130 Liberty Street, a short walk from its original location. Even when negotiations stalled, governmental authorities always affirmed the right of the Church to be rebuilt.
When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo took office, a new opportunity arose to meet the impasse. His office mediated settlement discussions that confirmed the site at 130 Liberty Street. Following the signing of an agreement, the Archdiocese commenced a rigorous search for a design architect. A special committee was formed including academic experts in Church Architecture, to interview a select group of firms with international reputations for excellence.
In the end there was an overwhelming consensus in favor of the design of Santiago Calatrava. Mr. Calatrava is a world-renowned Spanish architect whose innovative sculptural forms have earned him unprecedented recognition and accolades all around the globe. He developed his plan from a wealth of Byzantine precedents, including the famous Church in Chora and Hagia Sophia itself. His artistic inspiration for the design emerged from the mosaics of Hagia Sophia. The renderings not only showed its appearance, but its relationship to its environment. It is clear that the Church will be a lamp on a lampstand, and a city set on a hill (Matthew 5:14:15).
“The design is a tribute to the glorious beauty of Orthodox Christianity, of Hagia Sophia and Chora, as well as an acknowledgment of the present reality of a cosmopolis in the twenty-first century. May countless pilgrims gather here in peace and concord, to recall the past with reverence and envisage the future with hope.”
– His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
The tradition of hospitality that Saint Nicholas exemplified throughout the twentieth century will continue at the new location. There is a Meditation/Bereavement space and a Community room, housed in the upper levels above the Narthex, to welcome visitors and faithful.
The parish functions as a parish of the Archdiocese, but it is also a National Shrine on hallowed ground. The scope of its mission will span the globe, as millions of visitors to the Ground Zero memorials and museum pass by it every year. Its doors are open to all to light a candle, say a prayer, or just sit quietly. It will shine as a spiritual beacon of hope and rebirth to cherish the memory of those who were lost that fateful day, and to build a better future for generations yet to be born.
This was made possible by The Friends of Saint Nicholas, which was established in December, 2019 in order to raise, invest and disburse funds for the construction and further improvement of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. Please visit The Friends of Saint Nicholas website for more information.