The other Immaculate Conception Church in the Bronx

There are two Roman Catholic churches in the Bronx named for the moment when Mary conceived Jesus, according to Christian theology. The most famous one is by The Hub on Melrose. The second one, usually called Immaculate Conception on Gun Hill, is just as interesting.

Built in 1924 by Joseph Ziccardi, after the original church across the street on Gun Hill Road burned down, the severe façade reminisces a Romanesque Revival style, but the splendid interior is all Italian Baroque.

While Williamsbridge has changed a lot, at the time it was a mostly Italian neighborhood. The nearby Lisanti Chapel and the former Luna Restaurant (immortalized as Louis’ Restaurant in The Godfather) are still standing. But this church competes with the mammoth Gun Hill Road el train station of the White Plains Road line, especially in a neighborhood that has very few high rise buildings.

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