Cathedral Church of St. Paul - Boston, MA
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 42° 21.336 W 071° 03.744
19T E 330147 N 4691319
This church was built in 1819.
Waymark Code: WMM83B
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/07/2014
Views: 7
Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston is the historic cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Located at 138 Tremont Street near Downtown Crossing, directly across from Boston Common and Park Street Station, the cathedral is adjacent to the diocesan offices. The current dean of the cathedral is the Very Reverend John P. "Jep" Streit.
History
19th century
St. Paul's was founded in 1819 when there were two other Episcopal parishes in Boston, Christ Church (better known as Old North Church), and Trinity Church. Both had been founded before the American Revolution as part of the Church of England. The founders of St. Paul's wanted a totally American parish in Boston.
Interior, 2008
Unusually, at that time, for a church building, St. Paul's was built in Greek Revival architectural style. Its architects were Alexander Parris, best known for Quincy Market, and Solomon Willard, best known for the Bunker Hill Monument. Its granite exterior and sandstone temple front have changed little since its construction. A carving of St. Paul preaching before King Agrippa II was intended to be placed in the pediment over the entrance, but was never executed.
Congregants included Daniel Webster.
20th century
In 1912, after its neighborhood had become mainly non-residential, the diocese named St. Paul's as its cathedral. At this point its chancel was remodeled with a coffered and gilded half-dome, elaborately carved wood reredos, a chancel organ and choir benches. The new chancel's architect was Ralph Adams Cram, known for such landmark Gothic churches as All Saints', in the Ashmont neighborhood of Boston and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City."