Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston
- Architects
- Alexander Parris Solomon Willard
- Year
- 1819
- Style
- Greek Revival
- City
- Boston, MA
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul was built in 1819 as the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, designed by Alexander Parris and Solomon Willard at 138 Tremont Street, directly across from Boston Common. Its founders wanted a congregation that felt distinctly American rather than tied to the Church of England, unlike Boston's older Anglican parishes, Christ Church (Old North) and Trinity Church, both founded before the Revolution. To make that break, they raised New England's first Greek Revival church, borrowing the temple front of ancient Athens for a brand-new American faith community.
the building
A break from Britain. St. Paul's was founded in 1819 by parishioners who wanted a wholly American Episcopal congregation, in contrast to Christ Church (Old North Church) and Trinity Church, both organized before the Revolution as part of the Church of England. Choosing the Greek Revival style, tied to the young republic rather than colonial England, was part of that statement.
First female dean. On April 22, 2018, Amy E. McCreath was named the cathedral's ninth dean and the first woman to hold the post, and she was installed on September 29, 2018.
the style
St. Paul's was the first Greek Revival church built in Boston and in New England, an unusual choice for a church at the time. The style, drawn from ancient Greek temple architecture, was associated with the ideals of the new American republic rather than the Gothic and Georgian forms typical of earlier colonial churches.
More on Greek Revivalsignificance
The cathedral was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 for its architectural significance and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized as the first Greek Revival church built in New England.
nearby
- R. H. Stearns Building
- Gilchrist Department Store
- Blake and Amory Building
- Filene's Department Store
- Chester Harding House
- Massachusetts State House