In the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church, December 16 is the feast day celebrating Richard Upjohn, Ralph Adams Cram, and John LaFarge for their contributions to church architecture.
Richard Upjohn (1802-1878) is credited with advancing the Gothic Revival style in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. He is among several architects of his era who produced vastly influential books of residential designs, which were copied from and adapted by builders across the country. Upjohn designed several dozen churches, primarily located in the eastern U.S.
Richard Upjohn buildings worked on by Vertical Access:
- St. Peter’s Church, Albany, NY (1876)
- Christ Church, Binghamton, NY (1855)
- Grace Church, Utica, NY (1856)
- Trinity Church, New York City (1846)
- Trinity Church, Princeton, NJ (1870)
Upjohn’s Trinity Church in Princeton, NJ
December 16 is the birthday of Ralph Adams Cram (1863-1942). Working primarily in the Gothic Revival style, Cram designed many churches, academic and public buildings over a career spanning 40 years. Cram contributed to the “Collegiate Gothic” movement through his designs for Princeton University in the first decades of the twentieth century.
Ralph Adams Cram buildings worked on by Vertical Access:
- St. Thomas Church, New York City (1914)
- Cleveland Tower (1913) and Princeton University Chapel (1928), Princeton University
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City (ca. 1909)
- Cadet Chapel (1910) and Thayer Hall (1911), United States Military Academy, West Point, NY
- Park Avenue Christian Church, New York City (1911)
Cram’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City
John LaFarge (1835-1910) was a fine artist and writer who found success as a muralist and innovative stained glass designer. His murals and stained glass windows grace the interiors of churches and public buildings throughout the U.S. His son, Christopher Grant LaFarge, became an architect and produced the original Byzantine design for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, later redesigned in the Gothic Revival style by Ralph Adams Cram.
Buildings worked on by Vertical Access that feature works by John LaFarge:
- Trinity Church, Boston, MA (1877) Interior murals and stained glass windows by LaFarge
- St. Paul’s Chapel, Columbia University, New York City (1907) Stained glass windows by LaFarge
- Cathedral of All Saints, Albany, NY (1888) Stained glass windows by LaFarge
The commission for Trinity Church, Boston launched La Farge’s career as a muralist