Richard Upjohn (January 22, 1802 – August 17, 1878) was an English-born American architect who became the most influential church designer of 19th-century America and the founding president of the American Institute of Architects. His Church of the Holy Communion at 49 West 20th Street in the Flatiron District, completed in 1846, introduced English Parish Gothic to urban America and remains a designated New York City Landmark.
The Gothic Revival structure at 49 West 20th Street—now Limelight Fitness—was New York City's first "free church," abolishing pew rentals to welcome worshippers regardless of wealth. This radical social experiment, housed in Upjohn's deliberately humble design, established a model for the institutional church movement that spread across America.
| Full name | Richard Upjohn |
| Born / Died | January 22, 1802 / August 17, 1878 |
| Profession | Architect; founding president of the American Institute of Architects; master of Gothic Revival ecclesiastical architecture |
| Active in Flatiron | c. 1844–1878 |
| Known for | Designing Trinity Church on Wall Street, founding the American Institute of Architects (1857), creating the Church of the Holy Communion in the Flatiron District |
| Key Flatiron location | Church of the Holy Communion, 49 West 20th Street (northeast corner of Sixth Avenue), built 1844–1846; now Limelight Fitness; NYC Landmark since 1966 |
| Notable legacy | Upjohn established Gothic Revival as the dominant style for American church architecture and created the profession's first national organization, shaping both the physical and institutional landscape of American architecture. |
Who Was Richard?
Richard Upjohn arrived in America in 1829 as a trained cabinetmaker and draftsman from Dorset, England, with no formal architectural education. Within a decade, he had transformed himself into the country’s preeminent church architect.
From Cabinet Maker to Master Builder
Upjohn’s early American years were spent in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Boston, where he transitioned from furniture making to architectural drafting. His break came in 1839 when he won the commission to rebuild Trinity Church at the head of Wall Street. That project, completed in 1846, would make his reputation and helped define New York’s evolving architectural identity.
A Deeply Religious Practice
Unlike many architects who treated commissions as purely aesthetic exercises, Upjohn approached church design as spiritual work. A devout High Church Episcopalian, he famously refused to design churches for Unitarian congregations, believing their theology incompatible with proper Gothic ecclesiastical architecture. He turned down at least one documented commission on these grounds in the 1840s.
His conviction extended to accessibility. In 1852, he published Upjohn’s Rural Architecture, providing free Gothic church designs to frontier parishes that couldn’t afford an architect. An estimated 40 churches across the American West were built from these plans—democracy in blueprint form.
Richard Upjohn's Connection to the Flatiron District
The Flatiron District holds Upjohn’s most socially radical project: the Church of the Holy Communion at 49 West 20th Street, completed in 1846.
A Revolutionary Church at Sixth Avenue and 20th Street
Commissioned by Reverend William Augustus Muhlenberg, the Church of the Holy Communion at 49 West 20th Street broke with every convention. It was designed without a tower or steeple—Muhlenberg directed those funds toward social services instead. More revolutionary still, it abolished pew rentals entirely, becoming New York City’s first “free church” open to all classes.
Upjohn’s Gothic Revival design deliberately avoided grandeur. Built of brownstone and brick for approximately $30,000 [VERIFY], it emphasized English Parish Gothic simplicity over cathedral dramatics. The asymmetrical massing and modest scale were intentional—this was a neighborhood church for a working neighborhood, positioned at the northern edge of what would become the Ladies’ Mile shopping corridor.
A Complete Parish Campus
Upjohn’s work at 20th Street extended beyond the sanctuary. In 1850, he designed the Rectory at 47 West 20th Street, adjacent to the church. The Sisters’ House at 45 West 20th Street followed in 1854 [VERIFY], completing a campus that supported one of America’s first institutional parishes—churches that combined worship with schools, hospitals, and social services.
What Visitors See Today
The church was deconsecrated in 1976 and became the infamous Limelight nightclub in 1983. Today it houses Limelight Fitness, but Upjohn’s exterior Gothic Revival structure remains remarkably intact. The pointed arches, buttresses, and brownstone façade still stand at the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 20th Street—sacred architecture repurposed for secular sweat.
Walk east to 47 West 20th Street and 45 West 20th Street to see the modified but extant rectory and Sisters’ House, completing Upjohn’s original vision. The building sits just blocks from Madison Square Park, making it an easy addition to any Flatiron District itinerary.
Legacy and Impact
Richard Upjohn’s influence operates on two frequencies: the physical and the professional.
Building the Gothic Standard
Before Upjohn, American churches borrowed from every European tradition without discipline. His Trinity Church at 75 Broadway (completed 1846) and the Church of the Holy Communion at 49 West 20th Street established English Gothic Revival as the default vocabulary for American ecclesiastical architecture. Every brownstone church you’ve ever passed in New York owes something to Upjohn’s precedent.
Creating the Architectural Profession
In 1857, Upjohn gathered 12 architects at his office at 111 Broadway [VERIFY] to found the American Institute of Architects. He served as president for 18 consecutive years, from 1857 to 1876. His son Richard Michell Upjohn later became the sixth AIA president (1876–1877)—the only father-son pair to lead the organization.
Visitors to the Flatiron District can still trace Upjohn’s presence at 49 West 20th Street, where his Gothic Revival exterior survives beneath the gym signage. Add the building to your Flatiron walking tour route—a reminder that the neighborhood’s architectural heritage includes not just commercial landmarks but sacred spaces designed to serve everyone.
In a city that worships commerce, Richard Upjohn built spaces designed for something else entirely—and then made sure the poor could actually enter them. His Church of the Holy Communion at 49 West 20th Street was New York's first free church, abolishing pew rentals in 1846. The building has been a church, a legendary nightclub, and now a gym, but Upjohn's radical social architecture endures in its bones.
Key Facts Worth Knowing
- 1846: The Church of the Holy Communion at 49 West 20th Street became New York City's first "free church"—pew rentals were abolished, making worship accessible to all classes regardless of wealth.
- 1857: Upjohn founded the American Institute of Architects with 12 other architects and served as its president for 18 consecutive years, longer than any other leader in AIA history.
- 40+ churches across the American frontier were built from designs Upjohn published in <em>Upjohn's Rural Architecture</em> (1852), which he offered free to parishes that couldn't afford architects.
- $30,000 (approximately $1.1 million in 2024 dollars) was the total construction cost for the Church of the Holy Communion in 1846 [VERIFY]—remarkably modest for a church of such architectural ambition.
- 1840s: Upjohn refused to design churches for Unitarian congregations, believing their theology incompatible with proper Gothic ecclesiastical architecture—a documented stance that cost him at least one commission.
FIND THEIR LEGACY TODAY
- 49 West 20th Street (corner of Sixth Avenue): Church of the Holy Communion (1844–1846), now Limelight Fitness. The Gothic Revival exterior—pointed arches, buttresses, brownstone façade—remains intact. NYC Landmark since 1966.
- 47 West 20th Street: Rectory of the Church of the Holy Communion (1850). Modified but extant; part of the original parish campus Upjohn designed.
- 45 West 20th Street: Sisters' House (1854) [VERIFY]. Completes Upjohn's parish complex; now commercial use.
- 75 Broadway at Wall Street: Trinity Church (1839–1846). Upjohn's masterpiece and National Historic Landmark; still an active Episcopal church. The building that made his reputation.
Explore More of Flatiron's History
→ Flatiron District Architecture Guide | Iconic NYC Landmarks — Explore how Upjohn's Gothic Revival church at 49 West 20th Street fits within the neighborhood's broader architectural evolution.
→ Flatiron District History: NYC's Landmark Evolution — Understand the 1840s context when Upjohn designed the Church of the Holy Communion and how the neighborhood transformed around it.
→ Flatiron District Walking Tour – Historic NYC Landmarks — Add 49 West 20th Street to your walking route to see Upjohn's surviving Gothic Revival exterior.
→ Ladies Mile Flatiron – NYC's Historic Shopping Corridor Reborn — The Church of the Holy Communion sits at the northern edge of the Ladies' Mile Historic District, where Upjohn's sacred architecture met commercial expansion.
→ Things to Do Flatiron – Explore NYC's Most Iconic Neighborhood Like a Local — Discover how the Limelight building and other Upjohn-era landmarks fit into a full day in the Flatiron District.
In Plain English
Richard Upjohn (1802–1878) was an English-born American architect who designed the Church of the Holy Communion at 49 West 20th Street in New York City's Flatiron District, completed in 1846. He also designed Trinity Church on Wall Street and founded the American Institute of Architects in 1857, serving as its first president for 18 years. The Church of the Holy Communion was New York's first "free church"—pew rentals were abolished to welcome all classes—and the building, now Limelight Fitness, remains a designated New York City Landmark.
Frequently Asked Questions About Richard Upjohn
Q: What buildings did Richard Upjohn design?
A: Richard Upjohn designed Trinity Church at 75 Broadway in Manhattan (completed 1846), the Church of the Holy Communion at 49 West 20th Street in the Flatiron District (1846), the Church of the Ascension at 12 West 11th Street (1841), and the Gothic Revival gates at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn (1861–1865). He also published free church designs that resulted in 40+ buildings across the American frontier.
Q: What is Richard Upjohn known for?
A: Richard Upjohn is known for establishing Gothic Revival as the dominant style for American church architecture and for founding the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1857. His Trinity Church on Wall Street remains a National Historic Landmark, and his Church of the Holy Communion at 49 West 20th Street in Manhattan introduced the "free church" model that abolished pew rentals.
Q: Did Richard Upjohn design Trinity Church?
A: Yes. Richard Upjohn designed Trinity Church at 75 Broadway at the head of Wall Street in Manhattan. Construction began in 1839 and was completed in 1846. The church remains an active Episcopal parish and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. It established Upjohn as America's preeminent church architect.
Q: What style of architecture did Richard Upjohn use?
A: Richard Upjohn primarily worked in the Gothic Revival style, specifically English Parish Gothic and Perpendicular Gothic. His designs featured pointed arches, buttresses, asymmetrical massing, and brownstone construction. He believed Gothic architecture was the only appropriate style for Episcopal churches and refused commissions for denominations whose theology conflicted with his High Church beliefs.
Q: Where is Richard Upjohn buried?
A: Richard Upjohn is buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, in Section 93, Lot 5765. Fittingly, he also designed the cemetery's iconic Gothic Revival main gates and gatehouse at 500 25th Street, completed between 1861 and 1865. The cemetery itself is a National Historic Landmark.