St. Paul's Chapel and Churchyard (Trinity)

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Description

Saint Paul's Chapel is the oldest church in Manhattan and is thought to be the oldest building in Manhattan. It is also the tallest public building in continuous use and the only remaining colonial church. Inside can be found the first rendition in oil paint of the Great Seal of the United States. It is one of the nation's finest examples of Late Georgian church architecture. Its worshippers included George Washington.

Established, Dec 14, 1704

With gravestones dating to 1704, the cemetery at St. Paul's Church National Historic Site is one of the oldest, continuously used burial yards in the nation.

Constructed, 1766

Initially opened as an outreach chapel of Trinity Church to better serve its expanding congregation. A decade later, the Great Fire of 1776 destroyed the first Trinity Church, but St. Paul’s survived, thanks to a bucket brigade dousing the building with water.

Until the second Trinity Church was rebuilt in 1790, many, including George Washington, made St. Paul’s their church home.

Over the next two centuries, the ministries of St. Paul’s expanded along with the city. Community outreach was a primary focus, with services to accommodate the needs of immigrants, working women, and the homeless.

Renovation, 2016

Rather than restore the landscapes to a specific period in time, the church leadership agreed that these sacred spaces must reflect the evolution of time and its significance to the community. The designs restore unobstructed views of the gravestones while protecting the base of mature trees from foot traffic. Low-scale circular beds around major trees form subtle landscape accents within the lines of gravestones. Additional improvements include soil amendments and new turf, replacement of damaged brownstone pavement, installation of bluestone check dams and runnels to solve erosion and compaction problems, and the removal of post-9/11 signage remnants. Extensive landscaping, steeple repair, the installation of air conditioning, and the installation of a production room to facilitate webcasting.

Designations

New York City Landmark in Aug 16, 1966

National Historic Landmark in Oct 9, 1960

National Register of Historic Places in Oct 15, 1966

Factoids

Sept 11, 2001-St. Paul’s Chapel, suffered no physical damage in the attack, even though the exterior of St. Paul’s and its churchyard were covered in debris.

Until the second Trinity Church was rebuilt in 1790, many, including George Washington, made St. Paul’s their church home.

Sept 9, 1824 -Lafayette came to St. Paul’s Chapel, the stately building you see here, for a musical performance. “La Marseillaise,” today’s French national anthem, was played to welcome Lafayette. At that time, under King Louis the XVIII, it was banned in France. The New York Choral Society also sang in the performance. Among the pieces in their program was “See the conqu’ring hero comes” from George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Judas Maccabaeus. This popular march was often played to welcome Lafayette during the Farewell Tour.

Events

It Happened Here : St Pauls Chapel - Places Over Time

Related Sites

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1st Presidential Inauguration-On April 30, 1789, after Washington took the oath of office to become the first President of the United States, he made his way from Federal Hall on Wall Street to St. Paul’s Chapel, where he attended services.

Montgomery Monument

Bell of Hope

Related Playlist

The New York Freedom Trail Compilation

Sam Roberts Compilation

Timeline

1704

1766

1776+ 1

2002

2016

Images

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Images

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An episcopal parish, the oldest surviving church building in Manhattan

A chapel building of Trinity Church

A comprehensive restoration of the building's exterior was begun in 2013.

Upon completion in 1766, the church was the tallest building in New York City.

Oak statue of the church's namesake, Saint Paul

Interior facing the back of the Chapel and the Montgomery Monument

Looking towards Broadway

Glory Alterpiece

Originally the entrance was from the graveyard and not from Broadway as it is today.

Detail of the Chandelier

2016 - Renovation

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2016 - Renovation - Images

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Montgomery statue under the East Window

Rear view of Church

LMHA ceremony

Spire and portico added in 1794-1796, 30 years after the construction of the main building

Inscription "Welcome to St. Paul's Chapel"

Plaque on the front facade

Churchyard facing the World Trade Center

The Oculus visible beyond Church Street

Graveyard

Gentle breezes blow Anemone sylvestris as a poignant juxtaposition to the centuries-old headstones.

The designs restore unobstructed views of the gravestones

Low-scale circular beds around major trees form subtle landscape accents within the lines of gravestones

Installation of bluestone check dams and runnels to solve erosion and compaction problems

Additional improvements include soil amendments and new turf

Protecting the base of mature trees from foot traffic

Replacement of damaged brownstone pavement

Gravestone marker Dr. Magneven

The Grave of Lt. Col. EM Bechet Sieur de Rochefontaine

Gravestone marker Gassner Vault

Gravestone marker Gullelml Jacobi Macneven M.D.

Gravestone marker Ms Thomas Addis Emmet

Gravestone marker Robert Brown Vault 1816

1766 - Constructed

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1766 - Constructed - Images

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Plaque on the south wall of the Chapel

Panorama - St. Paul's Chapel, Astor House, U.S. Post Office, 1905

Photograph shows the vacant space where the World Trade Center (1973-2001) stood

Rear view and graveyard

The church's octagonal spire rises from a square base and is topped by a replica of the Athenian Choragic Monument of Lysicrates (c. 335 BC).

Built of Manhattan mica-schist with brownstone quoins

1928

St. Paul's Chapel, Parish Building

1929

St. Paul's Chapel Churchyard

St. Paul's has the classical portico, boxy proportions and domestic details that are characteristic of Georgian churches.

St. Paul's Chapel (rear) and cemetery, 1905

the chapel's simple elegant hall has the pale colors, flat ceiling and cut glass chandeliers reminiscent of contemporary domestic interiors.

George Washington's Pew

View from the steeple of St Paul's looking south along Broadway and east towards Fulton Street

1766 - Constructed - Drawings and documents

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The church's spire was added between 1794 and 1796.

Construction on the building's main body began in 1764 and was completed in 1766.

St. Paul's Chapel served as a place of rest and refuge for recovery workers at the WTC site after the September 11, 2001 attacks

1789

George Washington's pew

1704 - Established

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1704 - Established - Images

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The oldest legible gravestone, for Richard Shute, who died on December 14, 1704

The crude star design is chiseled into the top of this stone from the 1750s.

ASSOCIATED SITES

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Public Art

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Obelisk at St Pauls Chapel

New York

Memorial

Montgomery Monument

Richard Montgomery, Jean-Jacques Caffieri, Pierre Charles L'Enfant, Benjamin Franklin, ICR ICC

New York City, New York

Sculpture, What Happened Here

Bell of Hope

New York

Sculpture

Artifact

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St. Paul's Fire Bucket 1776

New York

Tools

IN THIS PHOTO

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Stephen Rochefontaine

Pictured: The Grave of Lt. Col. EM Bechet Sieur de Rochefontaine

Barnum's American Museum

Pictured: View from the steeple of St Paul's looking south along Broadway and east towards Fulton Street

Brady's National Gallery of Daguerreotypes

Pictured: View from the steeple of St Paul's looking south along Broadway and east towards Fulton Street

Trinity Church and Graveyard

Pictured: View from the steeple of St Paul's looking south along Broadway and east towards Fulton Street

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