Protestant interdenominational Riverside Church - the tallest church, not only in New York but also in the United States. Her huge Gothic tower with dvadtsatidvuhetazhny house (119 meters) is visible from afar.

At the beginning of the XX century financier and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. and the famous preacher Harry Emerson Fosdick conceived to build a large interdenominational church, open to all who believe in Christ. To design the Rockefeller sent architects Henry and Charles Pelton Kollensa on a trip to Spain and France, that they found inspiration in the works of European masters. Construction took just three years. The first service was held here in 1930.

The church was immediately struck by the citizens: it looks like a magnificent example of medieval European architecture. The building is entirely clad in limestone, decorated with carved reliefs, pointed arches, pilasters, gargoyles, buttresses, spiers elongated. The main western portal with the figure of Christ, surrounded by symbols of the Evangelists and numerous saints, almost completely copies the central portal of Chartres Cathedral. Belfry also repeats one of the towers of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Lans, only it is much higher than the source and has a steel frame inside. Carillon consists of 74 bells, one of which - dvadtsatitonny Bourdon, the largest Carillon bell in the world.

When that outside Riverside Church seems to be an old building, inside it was designed as an office building - with elevators, underground parking and air conditioning. It takes two quarters of the building includes not only the temple but also a kindergarten, library, auditorium, sports and conference facilities: Rockefeller wanted the church was the social center.

Political center, it is also becoming common. Here, April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke with his speech against the Vietnam War, "Time to break the silence." 2,400 people (many seats Temple), with bated breath, listened to his angry words: "When machines and computers, profit and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant can not win the trinity - racism, materialism and militarism." There were Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Kofi Annan, and even Fidel Castro. The Church is involved in national religious program against torture, fighting against the death penalty helps inmates with AIDS, immigrants.

Tourists are not usually interested in the social activity of Riverside Church - they just enjoy her beauty. The interior is decorated as richly as the building with the same Gothic motifs. Luxury stained glass windows in the upper - copies of Chartres labyrinth on the floor of the altar - also. Stained-glass windows in the narthex - Original Flemish masters of the XVI century.