St Paul's Church, Preston, Paignton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Church of England |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Active |
| Year consecrated | 1939 |
| Location | |
| Location | Preston, Paignton, Devon, England |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Nugent Cachemaille-Day |
| Architectural type | Church |
St Paul's Church is a special church in Preston, a town in Devon, England. It is part of the Church of England and was designed by a famous architect named Nugent Cachemaille-Day. The church was built between 1938 and 1939.
Contents
The Story of St Paul's Church
Early Days and Temporary Churches
Preston used to be a small village, but it grew a lot in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It became a busy part of the nearby town of Paignton. As more people moved in, there was a need for a place for them to worship.
Around 1904, a small "mission room" was set up. This was a simple place for people to gather. Then, in 1909, a temporary church was built. It was called St Paul's and could hold about 200 people. This church helped the main church, Christ Church, in Paignton.
Soon, even more space was needed. So, in 1912, a second temporary church was built right next to the first one. This new building was bigger and could fit 350 people.
Planning a New, Permanent Church
By 1937, the area around Christ Church had over 8,000 people. Even more people were expected to move there. The church leaders and the Bishop of Exeter decided it was time for a new, permanent church.
Reverend A. Harrington, the vicar of Christ Church, started a fundraising campaign. They hoped to raise £10,000 for the new building. Luckily, £4,600 had already been saved over the years for this very purpose.
Building St Paul's Church
In October 1937, the church hired Nugent Cachemaille-Day to design the new church. He was asked to create a church that could hold up to 450 people. A company called Messrs. Wippell from Exeter was chosen to build it.
Construction began on October 31, 1938. At first, they planned to build only the main part of the church (the nave and chancel) and the lower part of the tower. The rest would be built later when more money was raised. However, by the time building started, they had raised £8,214 and received a loan of £2,000. This was great news!
The first stone, called the foundation stone, was laid on January 14, 1939. A special ceremony was held with the Bishop of Exeter and Dame Violet Wills. In May 1939, the church council decided to build the entire church at once. They kept raising money, and the architect even submitted a new plan for the tower in June 1939.
The completed church cost £12,500 to build. It was officially opened and blessed by the Bishop of Exeter on December 9, 1939. St Paul's became its own separate church area, or parish, in 1948.
Later Developments
A church hall, which is a building used for community events and meetings, was built next to St Paul's in 1969. In 2002, St Paul's Church and Christ Church joined together to share their leadership and resources.
