The first church from 1835 stood on Lafayette Place , only part of the eastern wall of it remains, which is integrated in a newer building. The second church, built 1872–76, was on Madison Avenue at 44th Street. When this became dilapidated, the community commissioned Bertram Goodhue to build a new church on Park Avenue. The portal of the second church, built in 1902, a work by Stanford White whose models probably come from the south of France, either from the Abbey Church of Saint-Gilles (Gard) or from Arles , was moved to the new location and the new church building was built behind it . The neo-Romanesque- style building was completed in 1930 and cost a total of $ 5.4 million, or around $ 82,530,000 based on today's value.
Today the church lies like a medieval relic in the sea of houses in Manhattan , crowned by a Byzantine-style dome that is actually golden. This church is known for its performances of classical music, especially choral and organ works. The jazz Christmas concerts that are performed here every year are also very popular.
The organ in St. Bartholomew's consists of four instruments: the organs on the left and right in the choir (North Chancel Organ + South Chancel Organ), the Celestial Organ in the dome and the Gallery Organ on the West gallery. 1970–1971 the organ building company Aeolian-Skinner (Boston) reorganized the instrument for the last time. It has a total of 168 registers , 12,422 pipes , playable on five manuals and a pedal , making it the largest organ in New York.
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