Emilio GuerraSaints Peter and Paul Church, built in 1930 under a very simple yet large Gothic Revival style, is quite the symbol for this Bronx neighborhood. Melrose has undergone possibly the most intense urban renewal in the entire borough.
When it was built by Robert J. Reiley, the church was surrounded by large tenements. Nowadays, after the turbulent 1970s, most of the nearby structures are newly built or less than half a century old.
In a sense, SS Peter and Paul gives you the same impression as walking into a modest parish in a Mediterranean country. While the entire church (and its beautiful rectory on St. Ann’s Avenue) is quite impressive (its rose window is delightful), not only is its physical environment quite austere, but also its cavernous interior.
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