FUN FACTS
Fun Facts
Historical Notes
The cornerstone of Marble Collegiate Church was laid in November of 1851 by Rev. Dr. John D. Knox .
The Architect was Samuel A. Warner and the builders were Matthias Bloodgood (mason) and Cornelius C. Jacobus (carpenter).
It took 3 years to complete the building. The Dedication service was held on a Wednesday afternoon – Wednesday, October 11, 1854 at 3:30pm.
Marble was built 6 blocks outside the city limits. In 1854 the city limits only extended to 23rd Street.
Marble’s nearest neighbor was a dairy farm. Hence the construction of a fence to keep out the livestock.
The building was constructed of marble quarried at Hastings White Marble Quarry in Hastings-on-Hudson 18 miles away.
The huge slabs of marble were brought down the Hudson River by barge and then pulled by horse teams over to the building site.
No steel was used in Marble’s construction. One of the unique features of the church is its open sanctuary with free-hanging balconies without visible support structure – it is thought to be the first church in America with this feature.
The Bell Tower and Spire is 215’ feet high. Topped by a Weather Cock 6’ by 6” widely used in Europe as a reminder to church goers of Peter’s denial of Christ.
The bell in the tower has tolled at the death of every President since Martin Van Buren in 1862.
The bell in the churchyard was cast in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1795. It formerly hung in the Old North Church on Fulton Street in downtown Manhattan.
Of the 376 year history of the collegiate churches in New York City - Marble Collegiate Church is now the oldest of the 4 existing Collegiate Churches.
The church did not become officially known as Marble Collegiate Church until 1906. Until that time most of the existing churches were known by their locations. Previous to being named Marble the church was also known as:
The Fifth Avenue Church
The Church at Fifth Avenue and Twenty-Ninth Street
The Twenty-Ninth Street Church. The Church was popularly and got its name from the material with which it was built – Marble!
From 1853-1871 – for 18 years services were conducted by a Collegiate Ministry (4 ministers officiating in regular rotation). This system was developed in Holland.
On April 12, 1861 the Civil War began. On April 29, 1861 a prayer meeting of all the churches and chapels of the Collegiate Church was held at Marble.
A post-war consistory lauded Rev. Thomas Edward Vermilye (25th 1839-1893) for his notable stance during the national conflict. “During the Civil War he was openly and earnestly on the side of those who were fighting for the national existence. In public speech, on suitable occasions, as well as in private, he showed his hatred for slavery and his unfaltering loyalty, and was sometimes stirred by the great issues then at stake to a fervor of eloquence which was unusual with him, and which many of his hearers could never forget.” (The Mill to the Millennium – by Christopher Moore)
In 1871 after the Civil War the full consistory acted to end the collegiate system of ministerial rotation and colleagues were permanently assigned to each individual church.
Because Rev. Dr. Thomas DeWitt delivered the sermon at the Dedication service in 1854, he is considered the first minister of Marble Collegiate Church Rev. Dr. William Ormiston became the first minister “assigned” or “called” solely to Marble after the discontinuance of the collegiate system of ministry. Dr. Ormiston remained until 1888. Dr. Ormiston was known to have packed the church to its capacity at all 3 Sunday Services.
Following Dr. Ormiston there have only been 6 successive senior ministers in the history of the church (Rev. Dr. David James Burrell, Rev. Dr. Daniel A. Poling, Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Rev. Dr. Arthur Caliandro, Rev. Dr. Michael Brown, Rev. Dr. Michael Bos).
Since 1854 there have been 30 US Presidents. On May 24, 1891, Rev. Dr. David James Burrell was installed as Senior Minister of the Church at Fifth Avenue and Twenty Ninth Street.
The original interior of the church was monochromatic (white with gold trim) and there were no stained glass windows.
In 1891 the interior of the church was repaired, redecorated and rearranged. At that time the interior became polychromatic (maroon and gold) and diamond shaped stained glass windows were installed.
In 1891, the church converted from gaslight to electricity. The church’s organ was the first in the city and thought to be among the first in the nation to convert from old-fashioned hand-pumping (bellows) to electricity.
Evidence of the gaslight fixtures can still be seen in the sanctuary.
The pews, altar table and chairs on the chancel are the originals. At this time we don’t know anything about the origin of the chairs and the table.
The pews are mahogany and the swinging doors on the pews were put there to keep out draft.
The brass numbers on the pews are a reminder of the days of pew rental and reserved seating.
In May of 1896 – the Sunshine Mission was begun. It was located in the worst most “godless” section of “Hells Kitchen.” It was started by Mr. & Mrs. F.T. Lea. The work was started with $5 in a storeroom while the Leas lived in the 3 rooms behind it. “Its purpose was to get a hold of “unchurched” families through the children.” (Yearboook 1900) A board of trustees was formed. Dr. Burrell was the Chairman. Three years later the mission was so successful that “The Daughters of the King” and the “Young Men’s Guild” of the Marble Church agreed to take on full responsibility for the Mission.
The “Daughters of the King” was a group of young women from the church that set about pursuing active Christian work in the church and in the neighborhood.
The “Young Men’s Guild” was a group of young men in the church who were not doing any special active Christian work and decided to form themselves into a society.
In 1900 and 1901 two Tiffany stained glass windows were installed. They were designed by Frederick Wilson for Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany stained glass is no longer made.
In March of 1917 the Marble Red Cross Workshop was organized out of the Winter Sewing Guild. It was also organized in connection with The Collegiate Church League for Patriotic Service. The scope of work was anything needed in hospital garments. (Yearbook 1917) 50 women were in attendance at the first meeting. The workshop was held every Thursday from 10 – 5 and on Tuesday evenings. The work was so well done that the chairwoman of the committee – Mrs. Louis A. Baker accepted the position of Superintendent of Hospital Supplies and Garments of the Atlantic Division of the American Red Cross. Working continuously over the next 80 years during wartime and peace this would become the oldest chapter of the Red Cross in New York City.
In November of 1917 as part of the Red Cross Workshop, the “Surgical Dressing Workroom” was opened with meetings every Tuesday evening. They had a certified instructor give the course in standard dressing. They averaged an attendance of 45 every Tuesday evening. They had 8 sewing machines (4 electric) 9 cutting tables and 1 gauze cutting machine. In one year their output was 32,913 surgical dressings, 578 hospital garments, 1,020 knitted articles (sweaters, socks etc.) and 293 miscellaneous articles!!!
The Marble Church was the only church in the collegiate corporation in which any of the pews were owned and for which the owners paid ground rent in accordance with the “old custom.” (*Hopefully more to come. Need more info on this).
In April of 1919 Marble introduced the “Every Member Canvas” in response to the Progress campaign. The Church decided to make a strong appeal to the congregation for funds to finance an aggressive forward movement and also to place the benevolences on a firmer basis. Seventy members of the congregation went out, two by two, to visit every family on the roll of the church. They made over three hundred calls, received 342 pledges totaling almost $21, 000. The plate offering that year gave them more than enough to meet the budget of $22,900.
The introduction of the “Every Member Canvas” stirred the entire congregation of the church and brought over 200 of them into the “Circle of Intercession” which was a group of members that prayed for the concerns and requests of fellow members.
In 1923 “The Wayside Pulpit” began. A beautiful sign was placed on the north abutment of the church which became used for the display of a scripture text. The thought behind it was that a message from the Gospel could be read by the thousands of people who passed by the church every year.
On October 14, 1923, Rev. Dr. Daniel A. Poling was installed as one of the ministers of the Collegiate Church and began preaching the evening services at the church.
In May of 1924 “The Open Air Pulpit” began. Every weekday at the Noon hour (May through Nov.1) a gospel message was given to those who would stop to hear it. The Noontime pulpit was run in cooperation with The Greater New York Federation of Churches. Thirty-five ministers of the city brought their messages to the pulpit. Each minister appeared for a week at a time. Both instrumental and vocal solos were rendered daily. In addition to passersby it is said that more than 30,000 people were in actual attendance and more than 8,000 copies of the scriptures (in many different languages) were passed out to those who asked for them.
In an article in The Christian Intelligencer a gentleman visiting New York City and seeing the sights is quoted as telling his companion “The open air service at Marble Collegiate Church is the greatest thing that you have shown me.”
During his tenure Dr. Poling introduced a “Personal Workers” program. Different members were place at vantage points throughout the congregation. They were instrumental in aiding new members and bringing anyone who sought advice or counsel to the Pastor’s study after the service where personal consultations were held by the pastor. This began when Dr. Poling was in charge of the evening services and people grew timid about responding to the evangelistic pulpit call.
In the late Twenties after the evening service an invitation was extended to the members to remain for an “Old Fashioned Hymn Sing” to be held in the church parlor. Some 100-300 members remained after the service and for 25 minutes and sang the old-fashioned hymns as requested by those present. Frequent roll calls suggest that visitors attended as well and this gave a period of informal fellowship allowing the members to get acquainted with newcomers and visitors.
During this time Marble was also distinguished by two other names – “The Church that Never Closes.” The reason being that Marble did not close during the hot summer months as most other Fifth Avenue churches did. It still offered Sunday morning and evening services
The other name that Marble was known by was “The Big Church on the Corner” to distinguish it from The Church of the Transfiguration known as the “The Little Church around the Corner” which was located at 1 East Twenty-Ninth Street.
In the summer of 1928 when it became necessary to make repairs to the electrical works mainly in the ceiling of the Sanctuary Dr. Poling specified that special scaffolding needed to be erected that would allow for church services to continue. Carrying out Dr. Poling’s wishes “novel joint pipe scaffolding was imported from England. No hammers were necessary as the pipe joints screwed together. The scaffolding was erected leaving a ten-foot clearance in accordance with Dr. Poling’s wishes of obstructing no ones view. The scaffolding was 60 feet high and covered entire area of the sanctuary. During the entire time of the repairs Marble remained “The Church that Never Closes.”
In the early 1930’s Marble and the nation hit hard times with the Great Depression and the resignation of Dr. Poling. The neighborhood was also drastically changing from residential to small businesses.
In 1930 Dr. Poling resigned from the pulpit in order to become Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Herald, President of the Christian Endeavor Movement and an organizer and director with J.C. Penney of a colony in Florida for retired ministers. Later he would become the Founder and Chairman of The Interfaith Memorial, The Chapel of Four Chaplains (in memory of his son that would be lost in WWII).
For 2 and a half years Marble struggled without a minister and in 1932 Sunday attendance fell below 200.
In March of 1932 when the minister scheduled to speak one Sunday became ill the Saturday before Merce Boyer (Director of Church Activities) asked some friends of hers in the Federation of Churches if they knew of anyone available to speak. They replied that there was a young Methodist Minister from Syracuse that was in town and might be willing to do it. The young minister was Norman Vincent Peale.
On October 2, 1932, Norman Vincent Peale became the Senior Minister of the Marble Collegiate Church. (Dr. Peale had had a choice of going to a very successful and promising California Church or coming here to the ailing Marble Collegiate.)
The first two years of Peale’s tenure were not easy ones. The congregation was small and disheartened. Dr. Peale knew a man that worked for Con-Ed who provided him with the names of new utility customers. He would visit them and give them information about the church. He put advertisements in the newspaper and developed a direct mail campaign which began to attract more people to the church.
In the mid-thirties Dr. Peale’s ministry began to thrive. It is reported that the Sunday evening services were the most largely attended on the island of Manhattan.
In 1935 Dr. Peale conducted a radio service on WEAF. “The Art of Living.” The service was held each Saturday evening over the months of July, August and September. It was one of the most popular religious broadcasts the station had ever had. This new radio program would continue for 54 years.
Dr. Peale started a nationally-syndicated newspaper column and began to accept numerous speaking engagements. But, he was always back at Marble on Sundays.
As stated numerous times in the yearbook of the mid-late thirties. “One factor which undoubtedly explains the vitality and growth of the Marble Church is the emphasis laid upon friendliness. It is clearly demonstrated to each visitor that Marble cares for humanity. The atmosphere is warm and cordial (which at the time was deemed to be quite different from the other Fifth Avenue Churches). One of the slogans of the church was “Where you are a stranger but once.”
The Marble Collegiate Camp for Girls – for many years (beginning in the 30’s?) Marble conducted a summer camp for girls at Schroon Lake in the Adirondacks. Its operation was a unique service rendered by Marble. At the time they knew of no other churches offering the same type of service.
In 1937 Dr. Peale published his first book “The Art of Living.” By the time he died he would publish 45 more books.
In 1937 – Construction begins on Burrell Memorial Hall located beneath the sanctuary.
It became necessary to find proper accommodation for the work of the church. The church did not want to abandon its current site – so it was decided to excavate sufficient soil beneath the current edifice, without harming the foundation, so as to accommodate a large hall surrounded by room for parish purposes. The hall was to be named Burrell Memorial Hall in honor of Dr. David James Burrell for his successful 35 year ministry.
In 1937 Dr. Peale met Dr. Smiley Blanton, a psychiatrist that had studied directly under Sigmund Freud. Dr. Peale outlined some of the unusual cases that a minister was called upon to help solve and inquired about the feasibility and the possibility of getting a psychiatrist involved to help with the more complicated cases. Dr. Blanton whole-heartedly agreed. The partnership was known in the beginning as the “The Marble Clinic.”
In 1938 Dr. Peale and Dr. Blanton formed The American Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry later known as the Institutes of Religion and Health (now the Blanton-Peale Institutes of Religion and Health). The Blanton Peale Center also offered professional training to ministers and doctors and clinical help to those patients who might benefit from both psychiatric and spiritual healing. The Blanton Peale Center would go on to attain world-wide outreach and an outstanding record of healing and relieving the problems of the human mind and body.
It is said that Dr. Sigmund Freud was so impressed that he sent a letter from Vienna expressing his wholehearted approval of the exciting work.
Mrs. Ruth Stafford Peale was very much a partner to Dr. Peale and very early on became involved in church mission work. She eventually became President of the Women’s Board of Domestic Missions of the Reformed Church in America and later an officer on several boards of The National Council of Churches.
In 1940 the Peales founded The Foundation for Christian Living (now the Peale Center for Christian Living) The Peale Center under Mrs. Peale’s direction was established to publish and circulate Dr. Peale’s sermons and other inspirational messages. This service originally began in the church as Sermon Publications, run by a volunteer organization and with voluntary contributions. The phrase “From Fifth Avenue to the World” became very popular at this time and also literally true as the publications were sent all over the world.
In 1941 it is noted by Dr. Peale that 10 – 15, 000 people including all services and activities attend Marble Collegiate Church in one week making it one of the busiest and most active religious centers in New York.
In 1941-42 and average of 1,042 people attended the morning service and an average of 808 attended the evening service. The mid-week services had an average attendance of 144 growing to over 500 during Lenten season.
“It is noteworthy that hundreds of young people attended these services and regularly on Sunday evenings the balcony was largely filled with young men and women” many of whom would remain after the meetings of the different societies they belonged to within the church. Christian Endeavor being the largest of the groups. [yrbk 1940]
In 1942 The Service Committee was appointed to render service to the many men and women in the armed services who were visiting or were stationed in New York. These men and women (and any members of their families who were visiting) were invited to a luncheon in Burrell Hall immediately after the Sunday Worship Service. They were then welcome to remain throughout the day and enjoy the hospitality of the churches “Open House.” They could play ping-pong, engage in dart tournaments, sing around the piano or write letters home. Service Club Rooms were set up for these activities.
Open House for the Service Men and Women was also held all day on Christmas day. Guests enjoyed a buffet turkey dinner and a party afterward where door prizes of free long distance calls home were given.
In 1944 attendance for the Open House for service men and women was on average 250-300 people. Because of the popularity Thursday evenings were added with a very large attendance as well.
In the early 40’s so many people were coming in the doors that they had to be turned away. In order to accommodate an “overflow” crowd. The church installed loud speakers in Burrell Hall so that people could hear the service going on upstairs. They were later installed in the chapel as well.
In 1945 the Peales started a new magazine called Guideposts. Following the success of Reader’s Digest (founded by friends in Pawling, NY) Guideposts was designed as a small magazine that would print the stories of people whose lives had been changed by the power of positive faith. Guideposts would eventually become one of the most largely circulated magazines in the world with a subscription base of more than 4 million.
In 1945 the average attendance for the Sunday Services had grown to over 2000 sometimes with 2400-2500 in attendance. People were seated in the overflow room, extra chairs were put out and people stood. Still, to the great concern of the church people were turned away.
In 1946 the average attendance for both Sunday Services was 3500!
It is said that the lines were so long extending from the front of the church up Fifth Avenue and around 30th Street and from the Twenty-Ninth Street entrance down the street and around the corner that they met each other on Broadway.
In 1947 it is noted that the “Sunday by Sunday attendance at the Marble Collegiate Church is one of the largest of any Protestant Church in the country and it may be that the Sunday evening service is the largest Protestant evening church service in the country.” [yrbk1945]
The Greeters’ Committee was organized in 1947 for the purposes of welcoming all people attending the church. They were distinguished by the red carnations they wore. They were stationed at entrances to greet the worshippers and answer any questions concerning the church, its history and its organizations.
As a note of interest - in the Summer of 1947 Dr. Poling’s son the Rev. Daniel Poling was installed as minister of Forth Washington Collegiate Church.
In 1949 it is noted that the Sanctuary was filled even before 10:30am. The service was so crowded that people filled Burrell Hall, the chapel and were sometimes even seated in the kitchen and the boiler room. [yrbk1940] During that year Marble took in 421 new members the largest number ever received in a single year.
The overwhelming response by congregants was due to the personal nature of the sermons. Many often spoke of the sermons as a direct answer to their personal needs. Dr. Peale said that that was the intention – “Simple instruction in finding through spiritual sources the solution to one’s problems whatever they may be.” [yrbk 1950]
A feature of the reception of new members is the social hour that was given after the service on Wednesday evenings. The new members are invited to Burrell Hall where members from each of the various organizations within Marble talk about the purpose and program of their groups.
In 1949 Dr. Peale prepared and distributed a 48 page booklet called the Self-Improvement Handbook with 18 lessons to help people solve their personal problems.
Also in 1949 Marble began to record Dr. Peale’s sermons and turn them into half-hour long records. It is said [yrbk 1950] that in one church where the minister was absent the church played a record of Dr. Peale’s sermon in his place!
Dr. and Mrs. Peale appeared on television on WABD’s Morning Chapel to discuss problems that had come to their attention and how they might be solved spiritually.
In 1952 a new television program featuring Dr. & Mrs. Peale was launched it was called “What’s Your Trouble.” This was the first husband and wife religious program to be shown on television. They were broadcast over 70 stations and received about 5,000 letters a week. The program was sponsored by the Broadcasting and Film Commission of the National Council of Churches.
In 1952 Dr. Peale published The Power of Positive Thinking (his 4th book). The book was originally titled The Power of Faith, but his editor didn’t believe the book would sell. The editor suggested breaking it up and calling it something different. That didn’t work for Dr. Peale and he threw the manuscript away. It was Mrs. Peale that pulled it out of the trash and sent it directly to the publisher. The publisher liked it and suggested a title change that reflected a common phrase in his book – “The Power of Positive Thinking.”
The Power of Positive Thinking spent 3 and a half years on the New York Times bestseller list. At this point the book has sold more than twenty million copes worldwide and next to the Bible is thought to be one of the most widely-circulated books ever written.
In 1952 Dr. Peale received the Horatio Alger Award.
In March of 1953 another first came to Marble – Closed Circuit Television. The service was first seen as well as heard in Burrell Hall. Due to popular demand another closed circuit TV was installed in the chapel. Marble was the first church to use this new innovation.
In 1953 “Neighborhood Nights” was introduced. This was a period of social fellowship after the Wednesday Service. Each meeting was sponsored by members of the congregation from certain sections of town – Brooklyn Nights, Queens Nights, Mid-Manhattan Nights, etc.
Feb. 19,1955 Marble initiates 2 Sunday morning services to try an accommodate the overflowing crowd. There was a service at 10 and another at 11:15. They still needed to use an overflow room with each service.
Member Tickets! In the 1955 yearbook it is stated “for years {Marble} protected its members franchise by issuing membership tickets when people joined. These entitled the holders to seats, via a side door, up to 10:30 am on Sundays. The standees outside were then let in, and the overflow congregation taken care of in Burrell Hall and the chapel.”
In 1956 Dr. Poling returned to Marble to help Dr. Peale and began delivering the Sunday evening sermons.
In 1957 The Second Edition of the Index of Architecturally Historic Structures in NYC classified Marble as a category III landmark “structures of importance which are designated for protection.”
May 1, 1958 the Collegiate Church became the owners of 3 W. 29th Street. The 10-story penthouse building immediately adjacent to the church. Plans were made for Sunday School space, a chapel, a large lecture hall to seat 450 to be serviced by a complete modern kitchen and many other rooms in the basement. The newly renovated building with completed rooms was dedicated on May 21, 1961.
In 1961 they began to film some of Dr. Peale’s sermons for distribution to television stations.
Marble had a Craft Shop. It began in 1960 to create fellowship between church and non-church members through assorted crafts. Church members donated pieces of wood-working machinery for use in the shop.
In 1962 Dr. Peale’s sermons began to be broadcast regularly on the radio on Sunday evenings on WOR.
In October of 1962 Marble dedicated “The Flight into Egypt,” a bronze statue of Jesus, Joseph and Mary, a gift by famed sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington.
The authorized biography of Dr. Peale by Arthur Gordon Minister to Millions became the basis for the 1963 film One Man’s Way.
In 1964 Marble became one of the first churches to be completely and comfortably air-conditioned. This was a particular help for the summer services.
June 27, 1964 Dr. Peale was honored as “Clergyman of the Year” by the Religious Heritage Foundation of America..
On Palm Sunday 1964 Dr. Daniel A. Poling finally retired. In previous years he had become editor of the Christian Herald and president of the magazine’s charities.
In 1965 a record 15,482 visitor cards were signed and handed in.
On May 16, 1965, Poling Chapel was dedicated. So named out of deep respect and affection for Dr. Daniel A. Poling Minister and Minster Emeritus and in memory of his son, the Rev. Clark V. Poling, who with three other chaplains, lost his life when the S.S. Dorchester was torpedoed in the North Atlantic in February 1943. The four sculptured glass windows were made in Chartres, France by Gabriel Loire, and represent the Creation, the Flood, the Nativity and the Ascension. The unique Baptismal Font , a lily formed in plexiglass, was the gift of Lucille Bivens in memory of her husband James R. Bivens.
In 1966 the Consistory asked Dr, Peale to remain even though he had reached the age of seventy (an aged specified by the Ministers Pension Plan of the Collegiate Church that a minister must retire).
On January 1, 1967 The Rev. Arthur Caliandro joined the staff of Marble as Minister of Evangelism. He was responsible for welcoming new members and preparing people for membership and seeing that they were related to appropriate activities. He was also responsible for initiating spiritual group fellowships.
In 1967 more than 20,000,000 pieces of mail went out of the Foundation for Christian Living in Pawling, NY. This large amount of mail is the reason Pawling has a Class A Post Office.
January 11, 1967 Marble was designated an Historic Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. “On the basis of careful consideration of the history, architecture and other features of the building, The Landmarks Preservation Commission finds that Marble Collegiate Reformed Church has a special character, special historical and aesthetic interest and value as part of the development, heritage and cultural characteristics of New York City.” [yrbk1965-69]
December 22, 1968 Julie Nixon wed David Eisenhower at Marble.
On Sunday June 15, 1969, at the request of President Nixon, Dr. Peale preached at a Sunday Worship Service at the White House.
In 1969 Edwin G. Mulder joined the staff of Marble, for a short time, as the Minister of Evangelism.
In 1970 marked the beginning of Help Line – a 24-hour crisis intervention telephone service. Staffed by specially trained representatives each volunteer going through an intensive 55-hour training course. It is a unique telephone ministry in which people who suddenly found themselves in need of immediate help could simply dial a number.
1970 saw the beginning of the Senior Adult ministry. Every Wednesday Seniors could gather at the church for fun and fellowship.
In addition Help Line maintained a CheeRing service developed to maintain contact with the lonely or bedridden seven days a week.
December 19, 1971, President Nixon and his family attended the Sunday Worship Service at Marble. Mr. & Mrs. Nixon first worshiped at Marble during WWII when he was a Naval Officer. They attended several services while he was in law practice before being elected President.
Marble had its own paper! The Marble Collegiate Times was the official newspaper of the church (eventually becoming the Marble Chimes and then the Marble Story and now the Marble Update). It was published every month except July and August. The staff was made up of volunteers.
1971 – the first Action Table set up by a committee of concerned members who would act as bridges and resource guides for members to put their faith to work for others in the church and in the community.
In 1971 Marble begins its Cassette Ministry as another way of reaching the community at large.
In 1972 Rev. Caliandro began preaching at the 9:45 am service.
In 1972 The Institutes of Religion and Health was established as a merger of the American Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry and the Academy of Religion and Health.
In 1973 Florence Pert joined the Church staff as Director of Lay Activities and eventually Membership Involvement. Other members of the staff you may recognize were Ms. Joanie Collyer and Miss Donna Trombetta.
In 1974 Marble opened a Thrift Shop in order to help support Help Line.
In 1973 New Member Training Classes began, which included the training of sponsors, increased the attention and deepened the preparation given to the new members.
In 1974 Florence Pert Began The Fifth Avenue Forum” a fellowship of “Young Women in Management.” The objective was to discover contemporary Christian answers in a time of rapid cultural change.
May 9, 1975 Rev. Arthur Caliandro is installed as the forty-sixth minister of the Collegiate Church.
In November of 1975 Marble launches into Cable TV. The format is the full-hour worship service format with edited voice-over promotions on the programs and ministry of the church. Dr. Caliandro’s brother Bruno L. Caliandro was the Director.
The Foundation for Christian Living established The Norman Vincent Peale Telephone Center. The Center joined hands with Help Line to establish Prayer Line – a 24-hour service where people could dial in and get a trained prayer partner.
In 1977 the Prayer Partnership began. A lay committee formed to pray for every church member during the course of the year. Members received a letter during the week that let them know that the committee would be praying for them the following week.
In 1978 under the leadership of Archie Holeman the Spiritual Enrichment team began to provide programs for personal and spiritual growth to adult members.
In 1978 (79?) Florence Pert became the first woman to preach at Marble.
The Marble Church building once housed a Holy Land Museum and Library. The collection was given by Mrs. Charles Bacon (a long-time member). The pieces were of particular note and said to be an extremely valuable collection that brought many visitors.
The glass enclosed Portico, was built in 1980.
In 1980 the parlor behind the pulpit was renovated and renamed the Peale Parlor in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Peale. Along with the Peale’s portraits is a painting of St. Nicholas Collegiate Church as it stood on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 48th Street until 1949 when it was torn down to make way for Rockefeller Center.
In 1982 The Prayer Room was designed as a place of quiet reflection and even for small (really small) weddings. It was a gift of Ms. Love Smith in memory of her mother.
In 1982 due to extensive water damage Marble underwent a massive interior and exterior renovation (with the laying of a new roof). The restoration took two years to complete.
The choir was originally positioned on the chancel behind the ministers but at the conclusion of the restoration project they were moved to their new home in the rear balcony.
One of the most challenging aspects of the renovation was the restoration of the gold stencil work on the walls that was eventually done, by hand, by a special artist an exact duplication of the original.
In 1984 Dr. Norman Vincent Peale retired after 52 years of service, he was succeeded by his Co-Pastor Dr. Arthur Caliandro, this was a first at Marble Collegiate Church.
In May of 1984 a new organ was installed after the original installed in 1854 finally gave out.
In 1984 President Ronald Regan awarded Norman Vincent Peale the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can receive.
In January 1985 the new organ was dedicated and Mr. Simon Preston, organist and Master of the Choir at Westminster Abbey in London gave a concert to an audience of over 1000 people.
In the 1980’s Sr. Carol Perry began her ever-popular Bible study at Marble.
In 1985 Rev. Robert D. Williams joined the staff.
In July of 1985 an informal reception was held at Marble by President and Mrs. Carter to honor the volunteers for Habitat for Humanity – A large number of those volunteers were from our church membership.
In 1986 Ms. Marian Patterson and Ms. Claire Zak became the first two women deacons in the church’s history.
In 1987 Florence Pert became the first woman to be ordained in the sanctuary of Marble Collegiate Church.
During the Mid-Eighties Marble had many noteworthy community outreach thrusts under the strong leadership of Dr. Caliandro. The Hotel Outreach Committee, Marble’s outreach to welfare families in nearby hotels. And, The Tri-Faith Shelter established in cooperation with Temple Emanu-El and St. Francis De Sales RC. The three worked together helping the needy of the community.
In 1987 Dr. Caliandro’s media ministry became known as “Making Your Life Count Ministries.” The ministry was responsible for the distributing of his printed sermons, radio, television and cassette ministries.
In 1987 a brass plaque honoring Dr. Peale is placed on the Fifth Avenue Exterior wall of the church. The words were composed by his biographer Arthur Gordon.
In 1987 Dr. Caliandro’s television ministry seen locally on Manhattan Cable is taken to many cities and towns across the country by the VISN network.
On June 21, 1988 at P.S. 92 in Harlem Dr. Caliandro addressed a group of 80 sixth graders as Marble Collegiate Church became the first church in America to become a sponsor of the “I Have Dream” program. Started in 1981 by New York businessman Eugene Lang. The program showed the Marble would guarantee a college education for any student of that particular class who would qualify for college. Marble made a ten-year commitment to the students in one of the most ambitious outreach programs the church has ever undertaken.
In 1991 along with Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. of the Riverside Church, Dr. Caliandro founded A Partnership of Faith in New York City. An interfaith group of Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim clergy who meet regularly to explore their faith traditions and build on what they have in common.
One of the highlights of A Partnership Faith are the Trialogue sermons where an Imam or Shaykh and a Rabbi join Dr. Caliandro for a sermon or “trialogue.”
In 1992 Small Group Ministry began. Members and friends of Marble meet in small groups on a semi-monthly basis for sharing, study and prayer supportive of the faith journey.
In 1992 The Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols was first televised live over the VISN cable network (later the Faith and Values Network).
In 1993 Marble’s media ministry changed it’s name from Making Your Life Count to MarbleVision.
In the spring of 1993 the first MarbleVision book Something You Can Count On was launched.
In 1993 Marble became the venue for a national support group for the parents of deceased children called “Compassionate Friends.”
Christmas Eve 1993 marked the death of Norman Vincent Peale at age 95.
In 1994 GIFTS: Gays and Lesbians in Fellowship, Tradition and Service became a regular program group at Marble.
In 1997 MarbleVision moves to the Odyssey Cable channel which reaches as many as 30 million households and is available in all 50 states.
Sunday May 31, 1998 the Church celebrated what would have been Dr. Peale’s 100th Birthday with two major commemorations. First, the block of west 29th Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway is renamed by the city as Norman Vincent Peale Way. The second was the unveiling of a life-size bronze statue of Dr. Peale next to the Fifth Avenue entrance. The statue was sculpted by John M. Soderburg.