| St. Nicholas | |
| St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church | |
|---|---|
| Location | 155 Cedar Street, New York City, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Greek Orthodox |
| Website | www.stnicholasnyc.com |
| History | |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Founder(s) | Greek Immigrants |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Completed | 19th Century |
| Demolished | Sept. 11, 2001 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 56 ft (17 m) |
| Width | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Height | 35 ft (11 m) |
| Number of floors | 4 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | America |
| Clergy | |
| Priest(s) | Father John Romas |
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church stood across Liberty Street from the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, USA. It was completely destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks when the South Tower collapsed.[1] It was the only non-WTC building to be immediately destroyed by the attacks, although the Deutsche Bank Building and Fiterman Hall were deconstructed due to severe damage.
Contents |
The building that came to house the church was built around 1832. It was originally a private dwelling was later turned into a tavern.[2] In 1916, Greek American immigrants started the congregation of St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. In 1919, five families raised $25,000 to buy the tavern and converted it into a church,[3] and started to hold worship services in 1922.[4][5] The church building was only 22 feet (6.7 m) wide, 56 feet (17 m) long, and 35 feet (11 m) tall and was easily dwarfed by the 110 story Twin Towers, which were completed in 1972 and 1973. Despite its small size and unusual location (all the adjacent buildings[6] had been demolished, making the church abound on three sides by a parking lot[7]), before the attacks the church had a dedicated congregation of about 70 families led by Father John Romas. On Wednesdays, the building was opened to the public and many people, including office workers from the towers and non-Greek Orthodox, would enter the quiet worship space for contemplation and prayer.
Among the church's most valuable physical possessions were some of the relics (remains) of St Nicholas, St Catherine, and St Sava,[8] which had been donated to the church by Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia. These relics were removed from their safe on holy days for veneration; they were never recovered after the attack.[9]
The building was completely buried by the collapse of the South Tower of the WTC. No one was inside when the church was destroyed. Very little of its content was ever recovered. Among what was eventually found were the damaged icons of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos and Zoodochos Pege and a handful of miscellaneous religious items.[10][11][8]
A report in a Greek-Orthodox newspaper said that before the South Tower collapsed, part of the airplane's landing gear was seen resting atop the church. Also, body parts were spotted on and around the church before the collapse of the tower, presumably the remains of those who had jumped or fallen from the towers.
The congregation members and Father Romas have temporarily relocated to St. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn.[9]
The plans for rebuilding the World Trade Center complex include building a new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church quite close to the original location.[1] The church will again house a worshipping congregation. A museum will also be built for the projected large influx of visitors that will come to the site.
On July 23, 2008, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reached a deal with the leaders of the church for the Port Authority to acquire the 1,200-square-foot (110 m2) lot that the church had occupied for $20 million. $10 million is coming from the Port Authority and $10 million is coming from JPMorgan Chase & Co.[12][13]
The Port Authority and the church announced a deal in July 2008 under which the Port Authority would grant land and up to $20 million to help rebuild it in a new location – in addition, the authority was willing to pay up to $40 million to construct a bomb-proof platform underneath.[6] In March 2009, the Port Authority stated it quit talking with the church and canceled building St. Nicholas altogether. The Port Authority claimed that the church was asking for too much, and that they might delay the whole World Trade Center project.[13] The Archdioceses says that they just wanted the church back, and a third of the building would be a memorial for 9-11, and a place where people of all faiths could pray and remember those who died in the attacks.
In July 2010, George Demos, a former SEC attorney and Republican Congressional candidate, first brought the failure to rebuild St. Nicholas Church into the national debate. Demos claims Executive Director of the Port Authority, Chris Ward, has not made the rebuilding of St. Nicholas a top priority.[14] On August 16, 2010, Demos launched a petition on his website calling on the Port Authority to rebuild the church,[15] calling the Port Authority "disingenuous and disrespectful".[16] On August 23, 2010, former New York Governor George Pataki joined George Demos at a press conference to call on the Port Authority to reopen talk with officials from the Church.[17]
During the vespers service that was held on December 5, 2010, Archbishop Demetrios said the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese would do anything to rebuild the church. On February 14, 2011, The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America filed a law suit against the Port Authority for not rebuilding the church. On October 14, 2011, an agreement for the reconstruction of the church was signed that ended all legal action. The new church will be constructed at the intersection of Liberty and Greenwich Streets, on a platform above a spiral ramp to an underground parking area. The site for the new church is east of the original site at 155 Cedar Street.[18]