All Saints

The large former Catholic Church of All Saints at the corner of East 129th Street and Madison Avenue is currently under massive renovation – all in preparation for serving as a school in 2023. This scene, from the film Cotton Comes to Harlem, shows the church and the block in 1969

Note the relatively treeless streets, and the fact that the lot to the right of the parish house (the parish house has the ornate balconies) is empty and fenced off. Today this lot has a building on it (albeit covered by a construction shed):

The funeral home – while no longer in business – still has a distinctive blue awning:

And the red side vs. front white, remains. The tree cover, is, however, noticeably richer now.


Posted