The original St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was founded in 1916 in a small row house that had been used as a tavern. The church stood in exactly the same location, 155 Cedar Street, witnessing the decades of growth and transformation around the financial centers of Wall Street and Battery Park.
On the morning of September 11 of that year, everything changed. The little “jewel box” of a church, as some regarded it, was completely destroyed in the collapse of World Trade Center Tower 2 during the terrorist attack.
During the recovery operation that lasted for months after the attack, only a few precious relics of the church were found. Now, 10 years later, we approach the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack. The new St. Nicholas (formally called St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine) church is taking form. Though it is not expected to be completed this year, there are plans to “unveil” the exterior by September 11, and to light the church at dusk the evening before.
