Madison Square Presbyterian Church (1854)

Madison Square Presbyterian Church was a Presbyterian church in Manhattan, New York City, located on Madison Square Park at the southeast corner of East 24th Street and Madison Avenue. Construction on the church began in 1853 and was completed in 1854. It was designed by Richard M. Upjohn, the son of noted architect Richard Upjohn, in the Gothic Revival architectural style. The congregation's original building was acquired by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and was demolished in 1909 to make way for the 48-story Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower. In exchange, the church received a 75 feet (23 m) by 150 feet (46 m) plot of land across 24th Street that became the site for Stanford White's Madison Square Presbyterian Church. The congregation had been founded in 1853 by William Adams, who served as the church's pastor until 1873, when he left to take the position as president of the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. Funeral services for Adams were held at the church on September 3, 1880, in what was described as "a fitting tribute to a man who was recognized as the most eminent Presbyterian minister in America". His coffin was carried into the sanctuary by eight students from the Union Theological Seminary. The cornerstone for the church was laid in ceremonies held on July 12, 1853, led by Reverend Adams. Edward Huntting Rudd was baptized there and

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