The History of St. Paul's Anglican Church
Portland, Maine's Oldest Christian Church
As Portland's oldest continuing Christian church, St. Paul's history is intertwined with this lovely seaport.
In 1756, a few years after Anglican evangelist George Whitefield was preaching here as part of the Great Awakening, Rev. John Wiswall (1731-1821), a Harvard graduate, became part of an effort to establish an "episcopal" parish separate from the puritan congregational parishes in what was then called Falmouth. He formally declared for the Church of England in 1764 and accepted a calling from the leaders of the group seceding from the puritan bodies. Having left the congregational church, Mr. Wiswall went to England and was ordained in 1765. Under the oversight of the Bishop of London, St. Paul's was founded as a mission church, the first non-Puritan church in what is now Portland. The church was built and in service by 1765.
Among the first Wardens of St. Paul’s were notable Portland personages, General Jedidiah Preble of the Colonial Militia, Captain George Tate, the Royal Mast Agent of the Crown, and Commodore Edward Preble, Commander of the USS Constitution, now berthed in Charlestown (Boston) harbor. Vestrymen and leaders of the church include the distinguished Harvard Law professor Simon Greenleaf.
Since the War of 1812, St. Paul's has enjoyed serving as the Maritime Church for the local merchant marine and seagoing community.
St. Paul's was also the location of the first meeting of Portland's NAACP chapter in 1964 and continues today as a diverse and welcoming congregation.
St. Paul's original building, 50 feet high and 29 feet high, located on Church Street off Middle Street, was lost in the British shelling of Portland (then Falmouth) October 18, 1775, a punitive attack during the Revolutionary War. The second building on Pearl Street was destroyed in the Great Portland Fire of 1866. The present stone church, of 12th Century Simple Gothic design, was built in 1867, on Congress Street, intentionally removed from the then city center. It was designed by architect Mr. George Pelham.
A beautiful stained glass Trinity window is located on the west wall. A Rose window graces the east wall above the high altar symbolizing the four evangelists, Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The attached rectory, from the same period, is one of Portland's best examples of Gothic Revival style and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1756, a few years after Anglican evangelist George Whitefield was preaching here as part of the Great Awakening, Rev. John Wiswall (1731-1821), a Harvard graduate, became part of an effort to establish an "episcopal" parish separate from the puritan congregational parishes in what was then called Falmouth. He formally declared for the Church of England in 1764 and accepted a calling from the leaders of the group seceding from the puritan bodies. Having left the congregational church, Mr. Wiswall went to England and was ordained in 1765. Under the oversight of the Bishop of London, St. Paul's was founded as a mission church, the first non-Puritan church in what is now Portland. The church was built and in service by 1765.
Among the first Wardens of St. Paul’s were notable Portland personages, General Jedidiah Preble of the Colonial Militia, Captain George Tate, the Royal Mast Agent of the Crown, and Commodore Edward Preble, Commander of the USS Constitution, now berthed in Charlestown (Boston) harbor. Vestrymen and leaders of the church include the distinguished Harvard Law professor Simon Greenleaf.
Since the War of 1812, St. Paul's has enjoyed serving as the Maritime Church for the local merchant marine and seagoing community.
St. Paul's was also the location of the first meeting of Portland's NAACP chapter in 1964 and continues today as a diverse and welcoming congregation.
St. Paul's original building, 50 feet high and 29 feet high, located on Church Street off Middle Street, was lost in the British shelling of Portland (then Falmouth) October 18, 1775, a punitive attack during the Revolutionary War. The second building on Pearl Street was destroyed in the Great Portland Fire of 1866. The present stone church, of 12th Century Simple Gothic design, was built in 1867, on Congress Street, intentionally removed from the then city center. It was designed by architect Mr. George Pelham.
A beautiful stained glass Trinity window is located on the west wall. A Rose window graces the east wall above the high altar symbolizing the four evangelists, Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The attached rectory, from the same period, is one of Portland's best examples of Gothic Revival style and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
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