The Corner Stone of the Cathedral, which was laid by Bishop Henry C. Potter on St. John’s Day, December 27, 1892, is imbedded in the northwestern pier of the Chapel of St. Ansgarius and is only partly visible in the chamber under the chapel. It is a block of gray Quincy granite, 4 feet 4 inches square and 2 feet 4½ inches thick. Upon the angle of the visible corner are inscribed a Greek cross and “I. H. S. St. John’s Day, Decem. XXVII, A. D. 1892.” It contains, among other things, a fragment of a Spanish Brick from Hispaniola (Hayti) which was given to the Cathedral by Mr. Malcolm McLean, Senior Warden of St. Andrew’s Church, New York City, and upon which is a silver plate inscribed:
“From the Ruin of the First Christian Church in the New World where the First Church was Erected by Christopher Columbus, 1493. Isabella, Hispaniola.”[48]
The Crypt
The Crypt, located beneath the Choir, is closed, pending work on other parts of the Cathedral. And on account of the consequent dampness, the delicate furnishings were removed in September, 1916, and entrusted to the care of Mr. Louis C. Tiffany, who designed them, and who has placed them temporarily in the private chapel on his large country estate at Laurelton, L. I. The Crypt has a seating capacity of 500, and the first services in the Cathedral were held in it from January 8, 1899, until the Choir and Crossing were opened on April 19, 1911. In its furnished state, it contains an Altar, Reredos, font, lectern, and five stained glass windows which were exhibited by Mr. Tiffany at the World’s Fair at Chicago in 1893 and which were called collectively the Tiffany Chapel. The top and retable of the Altar are of Carrara marble, while the front and sides are adorned with medallions of mother of pearl, four smaller discs containing emblems of the four Evangelists, a central shield set with sapphires, topazes and mother of pearl, and 150,000 pieces of glass mosaic. The Reredos is of iridescent glass mosaic, as are the twelve Pillars back of the Altar symbolizing the twelve Apostles. The general effect is Byzantine. The Altar, Reredos, font, lectern and windows were given by Mrs. Celia Hermione Wallace in memory of her son. The following interments have been made in the Crypt: The Very Rev. William M. Grosvenor, D.D., Dean of the Cathedral, December 13, 1916; the Right Rev. David H. Greer, D.D., eighth Bishop of New York, May 23, 1919; and the Right Rev. Charles S. Burch, D.D., ninth Bishop of New York, December 23, 1920.
Summary Dimensions
Following are the principal dimensions of the Cathedral. As cathedrals are compared in size by their areas, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine will rank, after St. Peter’s at Rome and Seville Cathedral, the third largest in the world.
| Length | ||
| Western Towers | 50 | feet |
| Nave | 225 | ” |
| Crossing | 100 | ” |
| Choir | 170 | ” |
| St. Saviour’s Chapel | 56 | ” |
| Total length | 601 | ” |
| Width | ||
| West Front (including buttresses) | 220 | feet |
| Nave and Aisles (exterior) | 132 | ” |
| Transepts | 315 | ” |
| Crossing | 100 | ” |
| Choir | 56 | ” |
| Ambulatory | 20 | ” |
| Height | ||
| Western Towers | 265 | feet |
| Ridge of Nave Roof | 175 | ” |
| Nave Vaults (above floor) | 130 | ” |
| Choir Vaults (above floor) | 127 | ” |
| Crossing Vault (above floor) | 200 | ” |
| Central Fleche | 470 | ” |
| Final Cross (30 feet) | 500 | ” |
| Final Cross above tide-water | 631 | ” |
| Area | ||
| Area of Cathedral | 109,082 | square feet |
Bishops of New York
Following is a list of the Bishops of New York since the erection of the Diocese: