St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Troy, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Paul's Episcopal Church |
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West (front) elevation and south profile, 2009
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Episcopal Church in the United States of America |
| Leadership | The Rev. Michael Gorchov, rector |
| Year consecrated | 1828 |
| Location | |
| Location | Troy, NY, United States |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1827 |
| Completed | 1828 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | West |
| Spire height | 100 feet (30 m) |
| Materials | Limestone |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | September 7, 1979 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 79001624 |
| Website | |
| St. Paul's Church in Troy, NY | |
St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Troy, New York, is a very old and important church. It stands at the corner of Third and State streets. This church is home to one of the oldest groups of worshippers in the city. In 1979, the church and two other buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are special and protected because of their history. Later, in 1986, the church became part of the Central Troy Historic District.
St. Paul's is one of Troy's first churches. The first services for its members happened way back in 1795. In 1804, the church officially started, and a brick building was put up. This first church was replaced in 1827-1828 with the building you see today. The outside of the church looks a lot like Trinity Church in New Haven, Connecticut. That church was designed by architect Ithiel Town in the Gothic Revival style. Interestingly, St. Paul's actually looks more like Trinity Church's original design than Trinity Church does now! The outside of St. Paul's has stayed almost the same. But the inside was completely changed in the 1890s. This was a big project led by the famous Louis Comfort Tiffany Company.
St. Paul's is special because the Tiffany Company designed almost everything inside. This includes the lights, glass art, tile work, and even the altar rail. They also designed the baptistery, the painted ceilings and walls, and the organ pipes. Even the pews and support beams were part of their plan. The church has amazing windows made by Tiffany and his artist J.A. Holzer. This means the whole inside of the church was designed to fit together perfectly. Only four churches designed by the Tiffany Company in this way still exist completely. Many people think St. Paul's is the best example of this unique design.
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Exploring the Church Buildings
The church has three buildings on its property. Besides the main church, there's the Guild House to the east. The Martha Memorial House is connected to the church's northeast corner. This building holds the church offices.
The Main Church Building
The church itself is shaped like a rectangle. It has five sections along its length and three sections across its width. The outside is made of limestone blocks. These blocks are laid in a pattern with smooth stone pillars at the corners. There are five tall, narrow windows on the south side. There are four similar windows on the north side. Both the front (west) and back (east) of the church have three of these windows. A stone line connects all the north and south windows. The roof has a decorative wooden edge. A tall tower, 100 feet (30 meters) high, rises from the front of the church. It has a crown-like top with a 2,200-pound (1,000 kg) bell inside.
The front entrance of the church is also called the Wayside Chapel. Inside the glass doors, the main worship area has three walkways between the pews (church benches). Chandeliers light up each section. A colorful glass lamp hangs over the altar. The high ceiling is held up by wooden beams. These beams and the upper window screens are carved and decorated with gold-colored metal.
Other Buildings: Guild and Martha Memorial Houses
The Guild House was first called the Parish House. It's a three-story limestone building with three sections. It was built to match the church next to it. The original wooden parts and windows inside are still there. The Martha Memorial House is similar in size and shape but made of brick. It has been updated more, but a chapel on the second floor is still original. Its windows, woodwork, and a staircase are also still the same.
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Angelic stained glass window
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Tiffany decoration
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View of the interior
A Look Back: History of St. Paul's
The church group started in 1795. This was not long after Troy itself became a village. With help from New York City's Trinity Church and its first leader, Rev. David Butler, the first church was built in 1804. It was located where Third and Congress streets meet today. In 1818, that building was known for having the only organ in the city. By 1826, more and more people were joining the church. Troy was growing fast and had become a city. So, the church decided to build a new, bigger building.
The plan for the new church said it should be a copy of Ithiel Town's Trinity Church in New Haven, Connecticut. That church was finished in 1817. The only big difference was the stone used. Trinity Church used brown granite. St. Paul's used blue-gray limestone from a nearby quarry in Amsterdam. Building started in 1826, and the church was ready to use two years later.
Changes Over Time
After the Civil War, the church began making changes. They started with the Parish House (now the Guild House) in 1869. The decorative parts on the roof were removed. The bell tower was changed when a new bell was put in during the 1870s. In 1881, the Martha House was built. A second story was added six years later. This building was originally for the nuns connected to the church. Because of this new building, the church lost its easternmost window on the north side. Other than that, the outside of the church still looks like it did when it was first built.
Inside, a brass pulpit and new marble were added in the late 1880s. These changes led to the big renovations inside the church in the early 1890s. Money was raised to fix problems from the original building. Hidden steel pillars were put in to support the church. The ceiling was opened up, so its wooden beams could be seen. The church leader at the time had just visited many old Gothic churches in Europe. So, Louis Comfort Tiffany's company was hired to redecorate the inside. They added much of the beautiful glass and woodwork. Local artists helped create these pieces following Tiffany's designs. The amazing stained glass windows were added soon after.
The 20th century brought a few more updates. A third story was added to the Guild House in 1914. The church got its current organ in 1921. The Wayside Chapel was added in the 1940s, and the glass doors in the 1960s.
