St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Richmond, Virginia)

St. Paul's Episcopal Church is an historic Episcopal church in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Located directly across Ninth Street from the Virginia State Capitol, it has long been a popular house of worship for Richmond political figures, including General Robert E. Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and many Virginia governors throughout the years.[3] (earning it the nickname "the Cathedral of the Confederacy").[4]

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Image of St. Paul's Church in Richmond, Virginia, USA
Religion
Affiliation	Episcopal Church
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Active
Leadership	The Rev. Charlie Dupree, the Rev. Rainey Dankel, and the Rev. Ben Campbell
Year consecrated	1845
Status	Active
Location
Location	815 E. Grace St., Richmond, Virginia
State	Virginia
Geographic coordinates	37°32′24″N 77°26′07″W
Architecture
Architect(s)	Thomas Somerville Stewart
Style	Greek Revival
Completed	1845
Specifications
Direction of façade	northeast
Capacity	850
Materials
St. Paul's Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Landmarks Register
Richmond City Historic District
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Location	815 E. Grace St., Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates	37°32′23″N 77°26′7″W
Area	0.8 acres (0.32 ha)
Built	1845 (1845)
Architect	Steward, Thomas B.
Architectural style	Greek Revival
NRHP reference No.	69000357[1]
VLR No.	127-0014
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	June 4, 1969
Designated VLR	November 5, 1968[2]
Website
https://www.stpaulsrva.org/

Other notable people associated with the church are Rev. Dr. Charles Minnigerode, who led the church from 1856 to 1889, including during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, and Rev. John Shelby Spong, who was a retired bishop of the Diocese of Newark, began to attract national attention while rector of St. Paul's (1969–1976).

St. Paul's was built in 1845 as a branch of the Monumental Church, which had outgrown its building. The Greek Revival church was designed by Thomas Somerville Stewart and modeled largely on St. Luke's Church, now Church of St. Luke & the Epiphany, in Philadelphia.[5] The cornerstone was laid on October 10, 1843 and the church was consecrated on November 11, 1845.[6] The estimated cost before construction was "not exceeding $53,500," excluding the organ and purchased lots. This cost later rose to $55,000. The organ was purchased for around $4,000 and the two lots for the church were $6,000 and $1,075. In 1845, there were 804 sittings in the nave and 358 in the gallery for a total occupancy of 1,162 parishioners.

When St. Paul's was first built, it had a much more imposing figure than it does today due to the old 225 foot tall spire. This spire was significant in that it surpassed the State Capitol as the highest structure in the city of Richmond from 1845 to 1900-1905, when the spire was removed out of stability fears. It was replaced by a much smaller 135 foot tall octagonal dome, which is how the church appears in the present day.[7] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 as St. Paul's Church.[1]