Church of the Ascension, Episcopal (Manhattan)

The Church of the Ascension was first organized in 1827, – was one of the early Greek Revival buildings in the city, designed by the city's first professional architectural firm, Town & Thompson, the partnership of Ithiel Town and Martin Euclid Thompson. Built in 1828–29, the church burned down in 1839, prompting the move to the parish's current location and church. In 1865, under then-rector James Cotton Smith, the parish began a mission church – originally the Chapel of the Shepherd's Flock, later the Ascension Memorial Chapel – at 249 West 43rd Street, building a sanctuary there in 1895. This acquired the nickname of "The Little Brick Church in Times Square". ==Buildings==

Richard Upjohn's design for the church is "closely related" to his designs for Trinity Church in Manhattan, which began construction slightly earlier, in 1839, The parish house designed by McKim, Mead and White took a previously existing building and turned it into a Northern Renaissance-inspired building of yellow brick with bottle-glass windows. ==Organ==

The church has had a series of organs since its construction in 1840–41. The current organ is The Manton Memorial Organ which was dedicated on May 1, 2011. The organ was built by Pascal Quoirin of St. Didier in Provence, France. It is the first organ built in France to be installed in New York City and replaced a Holtkamp Organ Company instrument built in 1966. ==Gallery==

File:Church of the Ascension (New York), from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views crop.jpg|A late 19th century photograph of the church File:Ascension-lafarge.jpg|The Ascension by John LaFarge (1835-1910) File:Church of the Ascension Parish House.jpg|Parish House (1843–44), altered in 1888-89 by McKim, Mead & White File:Church of the Ascension Rectory.jpg|alt=Rectory (1839–41): 145–146|Rectory (1839–41) ==See also==