1846: Saint Paul's Church on Broadway
St. Paul’s Chapel, located at 209 Broadway in New York City, is a historic chapel that was built in 1766, making it the oldest surviving church building in Manhattan. It was designed by architect Thomas McBean in the Georgian style, modeled after London’s St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields Church.
The building endured the Great New York City Fire of 1776, which burned a quarter of Manhattan, and later served as a place of worship for George Washington on his inauguration day in 1789
The Chapel was built to serve as a rural outpost of Trinity Church, which was located on Wall Street and attended by the crème de la crème of society. The roads were unpaved, making it difficult for those who lived on the outskirts of town to trek all the way downtown to Trinity. St. Paul’s was therefore built as a “chapel-of-ease” for Trinity’s quickly expanding congregation.
In 1789, six years after the end of the Revolutionary War, George Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States. The ceremony took place at the present location of the Federal Hall on Wall Street. Since the first Trinity Church had been turned to ashes, Washington’s first prayer as president took place inside St. Paul’s Chapel.
Centuries later, St. Paul’s Chapel survived the September 11th attacks unscathed, while buildings around it collapsed and functioned as a place of refuge after the attacks for recovery workers at the World Trade Center site.
In 2016, the church underwent an extensive restoration to modernize and repair the building. The interior was repainted, and landscaping was added outside. The statue of Saint Paul, originally located outside the church, was restored and moved inside to prevent future damage.
St. Paul’s Chapel is a symbol of faith, resilience, and community, having survived fires of adversity. It remains a beacon of hope and a testament to the enduring spirit of New York City and its people.