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A beloved Upper West Side church has officially begun construction on a major restoration project aimed at preserving its landmark 1897 building for generations to come.
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St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church, located at the corner of West 86th Street and West End Avenue, has launched a $5.5 million capital campaign to replace its aging roof and address critical infrastructure needs. Scaffolding now surrounds the Gothic Revival structure as crews prepare to remove and rebuild the Spanish tile roof that has protected the church for nearly 130 years.Church leaders announced this week that they have raised $4 million in just 12 months, leaving a $1.5 million gap they’re still working to close. Despite the shortfall, the momentum from community members, local preservationists, and major grantmakers has allowed the church to move forward with the entire roof replacement, rather than completing the work in stages.
“We’ve been so inspired by the pace of giving…that we decided to move forward with replacing our roof in its entirety,” said Senior Pastor K Karpen. “We’re actively fundraising to ensure we have the resources to bring this 12–18 month project to completion.”
The church has received support from several prestigious preservation organizations. In 2024, it was awarded a $45,000 grant from the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program and was one of just two New York City churches selected by the National Fund for Sacred Places for a grant of up to $250,000.
While the building’s façade is what passersby may notice first, it’s what happens inside that church leaders say truly matters. St. Paul & St. Andrew is home to a robust network of social services and arts programming. One of its most prominent partners, West Side Campaign Against Hunger, distributes over 4 million meals per year from the church’s basement. Other initiatives housed in the building include immigrant services, community meetings, interfaith events, and youth arts education programs.
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According to an economic impact study conducted by Partners for Sacred Places and designed in conjunction with University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice, the collective activities taking place at 263 West 86th Street generate over $32 million in annual economic impact for the city—nearly 20 times the national average for historic urban houses of worship.“All around the city, if not the nation, people are talking about St. Paul & St. Andrew,” said City Council Member Gale Brewer. “They really are making a difference in our city.”
Founded in 1834 as the Second Wesleyan Chapel downtown, the congregation relocated to the Upper West Side in the late 19th century. After decades of operating alongside a rival parish, St. Andrew’s, the two congregations merged in 1937 to form what is now St. Paul & St. Andrew. The building was nearly lost in the 1970s when church leadership voted to demolish it, but the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission designated it in 1981, effectively preserving it from destruction.
Now, as the church embarks on its most ambitious restoration in decades, it is calling on neighbors, preservation advocates, and supporters of its social mission to help bring the project across the finish line.
“This isn’t just about bricks and tiles,” said Karpen. “It’s about sustaining a space where real love, justice, and community support can continue to flourish.”
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