The Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church is getting a residential addition built on. It has been what the Upper West Side congregation has wanted for a while and just last week it was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
The original church was constructed back in 1893 by Newark’s architect, John F. Capen in a Romanesque Revival style. Now, with these updates, residents will be able to purchase units in a seven floor building. There will be between 7 and 10 units with duplex levels on the top two floors. The church will have a separate entrance.
As well as the new building, there will be repairs to the current one, such as repairs of stained glass windows, refurbishment of poor water drainage, etc. The poor building structure had been having such a negative impact on the atmosphere in the church that many regular churchgoers started leaving. Involved in the process is a three-decade-working church pastor. This was a real shame since the church used to be a true place of church activity.
The hope now is that the structure located on 81st Street between Amsterdam and Columbus will return to its original grandeur, but for the 21st century.