Church of St. Luke in the Fields

The church was founded in 1820 on farmland donated by Trinity Church, to accommodate the expansion of New York City northward into Greenwich Village. The original church building was reminiscent of an English village church, with a square tower at one end, but made of brick and built in the Federal style. Greenwich Village at the time was a sanctuary for people fleeing the endemic diseases of the city proper, and the name of the new parish – St. Luke in the Fields – was chosen to evoke the pastoral quality of the area. ==Activism==

For many years, the church distributed bread to the poor after the 10am service on Saturdays. This "Leake Dole of Bread" was provided for in the will of John Leake. St. Luke's is actively involved with the gay and lesbian community, participating with its own contingent at the annual Gay Pride March. Gay civil rights hero Dick Leitsch is interred within the church. ==Music==

The choir of the church performs several concerts yearly, with a series of three concerts each spring season. In the past these concerts have included performances such as the New York premiere of Telemann's St. Matthew Passion, the Tenebrae settings of composer Richard Toensing, and many other works. The choir has made several recordings. In addition to the choir, the church is known for its vigorous congregational singing. David Shuler is the organist and choirmaster of the church. Gwen Gould, former music director of the School at St. Luke's, was also the founder of the West Village Chorale, currently directed by Malcolm J. Merriweather. Until 2010, most of the Chorale's concerts were performed at the Church. They then moved to Judson Memorial Church at Washington Square Park. The Orchestra of St. Luke's draws its name from the church. Organ The current organ at the church was installed in 1986 after the 1981 fire destroyed the previous organ. It is almost identical to the one that was destroyed, which had been installed in 1979, less than two years before the fire. Its keys are mechanical, though the stops operate electrically. It has 27 stops and 1,670 pipes. ==In popular culture==

• The church was used as a location for the 2008 film Doubt. ==References==