First Presbyterian Church of Williamsbridge

On 225th Street, which for Manhattan standards might as well be Mars, stands this eclectic beauty. It was built in 1902 by John Davidson, a local Williamsbridge architect, and combines several styles in its very unique red and yellow shingle.

Where to start describing it? The main body is late Romanesque Revival. The porch, however, has a Colonial Revival detail and the jigsaw roof ridges give it a definitely middle eastern twist. The belfry has a peculiar ogival roof.

Overall, we’re not fans of shingle siding, but this parish is so unique that it makes us wonder why the City Landmarks Preservation Commission has passed, twice, on giving protection to this rustic but surprising (for the neighborhood, at least) church.

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