7. Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava

Photo via Marissa Marivelli for HDC_NYC & Untapped Cities

On West 25th Street, situated between Broadway and Avenue of the Americas, is the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St Sava. As previously covered by Untapped, the cathedral was originally built from 1850 to 1855 and was part of the Episcopalian Trinity Chapel Complex that included St. Sava, formerly known as Trinity Chapel, Trinity Chapel School and the Clergy House. The Trinity Chapel Complex was designed by Richard Upjohn, who was also responsible for rebuilding Trinity Church. In 1942, the church was sold to the Serbian Eastern Orthodox Parish, and in 1944 it was renamed the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava.

Due to his Serbian heritage, Tesla and his legacy have been strongly connected to St. Sava. In 1993, the cathedral commemorated the 50th anniversary of Tesla’s death and in 2007, a bust designed by Serbian artist, Marina Zivic, was dedicated in his honor. In May 2016, there was a devastating fire at St. Sava, and though the fire destroyed much of the cathedral in its wake, Tesla’s bust remained unscathed.