Short answers, pulled from the story.
Riverside Church received its founding donation of $500,000 from John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1924. Harry E. Edmonds proposed the new church to Rockefeller that January, leading to the project's inception.
Allen & Collens and Henry C. Pelton designed Riverside Church using Chartres Cathedral in France as their primary model. The cornerstone for this structure was laid on the 21st of November 1927 after Rockefeller requested plans from several firms in February 1926.
Three fires occurred in late 1928 when wooden scaffolding ignited, causing one fire to result in $1 million in damage on the 22nd of December 1928. Rockefeller announced construction would continue after insurance claims settled despite these events.
The Riverside Church carillon contains 74 bronze bells across 23 usable floors including classrooms and office rooms. Fifty-eight treble bells were replaced by Van Bergen and later again by Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 2004.
The public observation deck atop the Riverside Church carillon closed after the 11th of September 2001 attacks. Tours resumed in January 2020 following a long period of closure due to security concerns.