St. Paul’s Chapel Celebrates 250th Anniversary

Best known by residents as New York City’s “Little Church that Stood,” St. Paul’s is planning for the chapel’s 250th anniversary on Oct. 30, according to an Associated Press report. The resilient chapel withstood the fall of the Twin Towers in 2001 and has had worshippers “ranging from George Washington to those who searched for victims following the Sept. 11 attacks.”

St. Paul’s is planning to unveil a "9/11 Chapel of Remembrance" which will contain 9/11 artifacts and allow for quiet reflection for visitors as well as a substantial renovation of the interior of the sanctuary.

As Manhattan’s “last remaining colonial structure,” the report said that St. Paul’s chapel was built in 1766 and experienced a remarkable history in its tenure. The structure survived several fires in colonial times including the Great Fire of 1776 that “consumed a quarter of lower Manhattan.”

"That is why Founding Fathers like George Washington wound up worshipping at St. Paul's regularly," said Anne Petrimoulx, the archivist for Trinity Church and St. Paul's told the AP.

Along with the interior renovation, many of the church’s artifacts have been restored recently including an 18th-century painting of the Great Seal of the United States.

St. Paul’s, while renowned for its ministry, rich history and religious services, is most remembered by New Yorkers “for providing meals, beds and counseling to rescue workers after 9/11.”

By 9/11 Memorial Staff