"The Stained Glass Windows are of considerable historic and aesthetic value. They were installed in the church building soon after its construction around 1910, and are an integral part of the church architecture. The church building is an important part of the neighborhood and contributes to the historical character of the district. The adoption of a neoclassical style is a departure from the dominant gothic revival style typical of the time. The interior has an auditorium arrangement centered on the pulpit and influenced by theatre design with radial seating, including a proscenium arch. The function of the windows is not to tell stories or offer images, but to provide a beautiful and centering environment for worship. This is the role of the prevailing green color, a calming shade rare in churches even of this period. The design includes pleasing geometric forms, and the majority of the surface area is purely decorative, lacking human figures or large symbols. Many of the rosettes in the window design are derived from similar elements found in classical Greek and Roman architecture, as are decorative elements in the building itself. The symbolic elements that appear are minimal: small central insets in the rose windows. The windows bring joy as the light shining through them changes throughout the day.
The exterior of the church building benefited from a huge effort by our Trustees who worked with the Colorado Historical Society to complete the first of many stages of restoration in 2002. The entire Trustees Team worked long and hard to be good stewards of this amazing yet always maintenance-challenged building. But this is the place we call our spiritual home.
Now we are moving into a major Stained Glass Window restoration project. Conservation and protection of the windows is essential to preserving the historic character of the building. We are grateful that the restoration work on our beautiful stained glass windows is about to commence, thanks to the generous donations of congregants and friends for the matching funds needed to receive an amazing grant from the Colorado Historical Society!" (from (
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"In 1910, we purchased four lots at 16th & Ogden for $7,400. A noted architect, James B. Hyder, designed the present building and it was built for $100,000. The Rev. Dr. R. E. Dickinson was the minister when the St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church South was dedicated here and the cornerstone of the old church was laid at this site. The congregation grew to 800 people. It was very active with many women’s classes like the Gleaners, who provided the kitchen in the new church, and the Triangle Club (that became the Hyder Class), who during World War I made bandages for the Red Cross, and during World War II sponsored the Save the Children Federation. Over the years, children and socializing and music have always been important. Originally, the church even had a pipe organ. And the stained glass windows are remarkable.
In 1910, the Methodists in the United States were very divided. But in 1939 there was a great reunion of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Protestant Church, forming The Methodist Church. The Rev. Dr. Charles O’Dell Thibodeau, a northerner, was appointed as pastor of St. Paul’s. Some of the members were uncertain about this change, especially the Daughters of the Confederacy who belonged to this church; but in the end, the congregation with southern roots ended up loving their “northern” minister during his 14 years of service. “Dr. Thib” once quoted these words (by Dr. House) on a Sunday Bulletin: “Absence from Religious Services means inevitable and lamentable moral decay. To play golf, to take a ride in an automobile, to go to some pleasure resort may from the animal standpoint be more bracing, to write letters may be more pleasant, to read a newspaper or a novel may be for the time more exhilarating and informing, to visit your friends more congenial, but a man who is engaged in building himself, and who is trying to realize God, cannot afford to come down to such a life.” People came to church in unprecedented numbers..
St. Paul’s celebrated 100 years of ministry (because they included their pre-history with Rev. Porter) with great fanfare in 1959. Our motto then as now was that we are a “friendly and welcoming church.”
Then in 1963, St. Paul’s thought about moving to the suburbs. After all, that was where people were moving. Church attendance was dwindling. So the congregation went so far as to purchase land at the corner of Evans and Havana (the later site of Mountain View Community Church). It took another beloved pastor, the Rev. Guy Twyman, to lead the church through this tough decision. Thankfully, in 1965 the church voted “no” to a move to the suburbs and “yes” to remain in mission in the midst of the city. Rev. Guy Twyman was the husband of our beloved Maryan. And under his leadership, St. Paul’s started many outreach programs. Rev. Guy Twyman grew ill from cancer and died while still pastor here. Yet his courage and his love strengthened the congregation. It was for this reason that they dedicated the room behind the sanctuary as the Twyman Chapel or the Twyman Room. Maryan Twyman said: “I have stayed at St. Paul’s because it is very important that St. Paul’s is where it is. It has such an impact on our part of the city.”
In 1968, the Methodist Church made another historic merger, joining with the Church of the Evangelical United Brethren and becoming The United Methodist Church." (from (
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