Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Boston)

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St. Paul's Church
Cathedral Church of St Paul 05Feb2008.jpg
Location 138 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Built 1819
Architect Alexander Parris
Solomon Willard
Architectural style Greek Revival
NRHP Reference # 70000730
Significant dates
Added to NRHP December 30, 1970[1]
Designated NHL December 30, 1970[2]

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston is the historic cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Located at 138 Tremont Street near Downtown Crossing, directly across from Boston Common and Park Street Station, the cathedral is adjacent to the diocesan offices. The current dean of the cathedral is Jep Streit. The church, designed by Alexander Parris and Solomon Willard and built in 1819, was the first Greek Revival church in New England, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 for its architectural significance.[3]

History

19th century

St. Paul's was founded in 1819 when there were two other Episcopal parishes in Boston, Christ Church (better known as Old North Church), and Trinity Church. Both had been founded before the American Revolution as part of the Church of England. The founders of St. Paul's wanted a totally American parish in Boston.

Interior, 2008

Unusually, at that time, for a church building, St. Paul's was built in Greek Revival architectural style. Its architects were Alexander Parris, best known for Quincy Market, and Solomon Willard, best known for the Bunker Hill Monument.[1] Its granite exterior and sandstone temple front have changed little since its construction. A carving of St. Paul preaching before King Agrippa II was intended to be placed in the pediment over the entrance, but was never executed.

Congregants included Daniel Webster.[4]

20th century

In 1912, after its neighborhood had become mainly non-residential, the diocese named St. Paul's as its cathedral. At this point its chancel was remodeled with a coffered and gilded half-dome, elaborately carved wood reredos, a chancel organ and choir benches. The new chancel's architect was Ralph Adams Cram, known for such landmark Gothic churches as All Saints', in the Ashmont neighborhood of Boston and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.

Ministers

File:Samuel Farmar Jarvis NYPL.png
Portrait of Samuel Farrar Jarvis, 19th century

Gallery

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Bacon's dictionary of Boston. 1886
  5. Bowen's picture of Boston. 1838
  6. Cyclopædia of American literature. 1858
  7. Mark Antony De Wolfe Howe. Memoirs of the life and services of the Rt. Rev. Alonzo Potter, D.D., LL.D.: bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the diocese of Pennsylvania. Lippincott, 1871 Google books
  8. Homans. Sketches of Boston, past and present. 1851
  9. http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/lccn-nr91-40621
  10. New American Cyclopædia. 1868
  11. New England historical and genealogical register, 1881 Google books
  12. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. Appletons' cyclopaedia of American biography. 1888
  14. Who's who in America. 1899
  15. Who's who in New England. 1915

Further reading

  • King's hand-book of Boston. 1878

External links