A Peek Into New York’s Private Spaces

A tour guide describes one of the lodges in the Masonic Hall, located in Manhattan's Flatiron District, as part of the ninth annual Open House New York weekend. (Ivan Pentchoukov/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—The doors to some of the city’s private spaces were thrown open to curious New Yorkers this weekend. The tour around the future Moynihan Station in Midtown Manhattan was booked well in advance, and other attractions, from private residences to rooftop farms and sustainable skyscrapers, offered a diverse experience. Open House New York organized the ninth annual weekend event.

Masonic Hall

Two conjoined high-rises, steps away from the corner of 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue, house the Masonic Hall. Several floors of the building were opened for guided tours. A typical floor has three lodge rooms. Each is uniquely designed to match an era or an artistic style.

The Ionic Room on the sixth floor features plaster ionic columns and detailed paint work on the ceiling and trim. The Renaissance Room, also on the same floor, is considered to be “the most beautiful lodge room in the Masonic world,” according to a visitor’s brochure.

Each lodge follows the same spacial orientation, proportions, and placement of furniture—yet the makeup of each element is different in each room. Many fixtures, including the pipe organs and the large candle holders, no longer function as originally intended. The candles used to run on gas, but after complaints from the fire department, are now electric. The organs are not functional, with the exception of the one in the Grand Mason Hall, which is considered to be the best organ in New York City.

Church of St. Vincent de Paul

A minute’s walk from the Masonic Hall is the Church of St. Vincent de Paul. Constructed in the late 19th century, the church was originally dedicated to French-speaking Catholics. Édith Piaf, the French singer and cultural icon of the 1960s, married there. The mass is still conducted in French, but an English mass has been added to adjust to the changing demographics. The majority of people attending the church are of African descent, most of them French-speaking.

A series of bright and detailed stained-glass windows line the sides of the hall. Directly left of the entrance is a statue of one of the apostles, with a small flame on the top, representing an enlightened state.

The grand ornate ceiling is chipping away. The damage, according to Bob, a member of the church, resulted from a roof leak during Hurricane Irene. The side aisles have been cordoned off at the request of the Department of Buildings. The restoration of the ceiling is unlikely; the most recent effort stopped short, at the first of several columns, as the church ran out of funds.