St. Paul's Church - Port Gamble, WA
N 47° 51.137 W 122° 35.053
10T E 531103 N 5299965
This former church (now a venue for weddings)is located in the southern part of Port Gamble and just off State Route 104.
Waymark Code: WMH0TK
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 05/03/2013
Views: 2
Visitors to the historic town of Port Gamble are inundated with historical elements throughout the township. Almost every building in this town contains a historical marker that highlights the history of prior occupants. Each marker stands out nicely on painted burgundy boards and gold lettering. The St. Paul's Church contains a marker on the front lawn that says:
1878-1979
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH
Modeled after the Congregational Church of East Machias, Maine.
The steeple bell was a gift from the San Francisco
Pope & Talbot's officers' wives. It arrived by sailing vessel in 1879.
The church's steeple and original Congregational
affiliation echos the New England origins of its founders.
(I unfortunately noticed THREE grammatical errors on this sign's literature and corrected them in my typed quote)
I located a very nice website, HistoryLink.org, that highlights the history of this church and says the following:
In 1860, Superintendent Josiah Keller built a community hall for "those who desire public worship, social enjoyment or fraternal communion and to educate the children. In 1879, the community built this church to resemble a church in his hometown of East Machias, Maine. The expense of construction was paid for by subscription, with Puget Mill Co. being the largest subscriber. The bell was a gift of Pope and Talbot (owners of Puget Mill Co.) officials in San Francisco. Since most of the residents in 1879 were from Maine, the church was dedicated in the Congregational faith. The Rev. G. H. Atkinson, D.D., was the first resident pastor.
Members of the congregation purchased their pews and this practice reflected class distinctions in Port Gamble. By 1913, Congregational attendance dropped off and Baptists used the church as well. Regular services ended in the 1920s. In 1931, the religious affiliation of the church changed to Episcopal, reflecting the faith of the resident manager. The congregation changed the sanctuary, the pew arrangement and the location of the lectern, and added an altar. Pope and Talbot restored the church in 1973 and returned the steeple to its original height.
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This church, along with the majority of homes and businesses in Port Gamble, is owned by Pope Resources and maintained by Olympic Property Group. It is available for rent for weddings throughout the year. It is also home to non-denominational New Covenant Fellowship which holds Sunday services (times unknown). There is also no official website for this fellowship that I could locate.