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What I found so fascinating about St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on 141st is the visual evidence that I saw of a connection between the church and the American government. Never have I seen a statue of one of the Founders of the United States on the lawn of a church. There may be a reason why Alexander Hamilton, an Episcopalian himself, is placed here. Nearby, sits the Hamilton Grange, the only home that Hamilton ever owned, where him and his family spent two years before his death.
The Hamilton Grange has been relocated twice and presently sits near the church in St. Nicholas Park. It was originally located north of its present location, when the city decided to redraw its street grid in 1889. St. Luke’s, looking to move uptown from Greenwich Village, bought the property that same year. The church then moved it to its current location. At one point, the church even used the home for services until it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. Even on the front door of the church, there is a quote, which states, “Democracy…is a government by all the people, for all the people” (Theodore Parker in 1850). I wonder how the Hamilton sculpture, the presence of the Hamilton Grange nearby, and the quote on the door fit within the church and its attitudes towards the government.
Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In a 1993 NY Times article, many members of the community sought to make sure that the Hamilton Grange was not moved by the city government:
“There are people who very much want to see the house restored as it was back when it was built,” said the Rev. Johan Johnson of St. Luke’s, who is actively fighting the move. “But I don’t think they are looking as much at the preservation of the neighborhood. To move the house would be to tear the fabric of this community.” It is clear from this quote that the church and the Hamilton Grange are a vital part of the Harlem community and its history.
