Central Presbyterian Church is a historic congregation on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City,[4] founded by pastor and abolitionist William Patton in 1821.

William Patton was very involved in many different engagements during his time as pastor, such as founding Union Theological Seminary and publishing acclaimed articles, including those arguing against slavery as a staunch abolitionist.

The church grew rapidly during Adams' pastoral leadership; however, Central's Broome Street location had found itself in a vicinity that had become over-saturated with businesses.

Dr. Milton Merle-Smith, Central opened missions in Hyden, Kentucky in 1894 and Huaiyuan County, Anhui Province, China in 1901.

In exchange, Central bought the Madison Avenue structure,[17] which was closer to where many of its members were then living on the Upper East Side.

In the interim before Riverside finished construction, Central met at the Plaza Hotel and, after closing on the purchase, held its first service in its new home at 593 Park Avenue on Sunday, September 22, 1929, shortly before the October 1929 stock market crash.

In the 1970s, the church was facing budgetary problems and declining membership and was sold to the Asia Society in 1975 to be demolished for a new building to house a $10 million collection of Asian art given to the institution by John D. Rockefeller III.

A group of dedicated Christians from around the greater New York City area began attending Central in an attempt to revitalize the church.

[23] In response to rapid demographic changes in New York City, Central Presbyterian Church moved a number of times to different brick and mortar locations.

Central's current building was originally Park Avenue Baptist Church, which was designed by Henry C. Pelton, associated with Allen & Collens, and mostly financed by John D. Rockefeller Sr. & Jr.

The tank was later removed, covered, and replaced by a communion table that incorporates some of the carvings of the original screen, including six of the Twelve Apostles (Philip, James the Elder, John, Peter, Andrew and Thomas) and figures of angels.

[25] The building was originally constructed with two large elevators as well an early air conditioning system utilizing basement ice storage.

The original organ installed in 1922 was a Hook & Hastings, which was eventually altered by Aeolian-Skinner in 1941 and replaced in 1950 with a 79-rank Möller during Hugh Giles' tenure as music director.

[12] Hugh Giles had been a student of Charles Tournemire, through which Cesar Franck's original organ bench from Sainte-Clotilde, Paris had been gifted to him by way of Flor Peeters and once resided at Central.