St. Paul's Episcopal
Church
"Historic Key
West's Church"
401 Duval St, Key
West, FL 33040
305-296-5142
Rector, The Reverend
Larry D. Hooper
According to the St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church website:
St. Paul’s Church was
formed by an official act of the City Council of Key West. In a petition to the
Bishop of New York, the City Council requested a priest be sent and the Parish
of St. Paul’s be established. In 1831 the Council gave notice of a public
meeting to establish and Episcopal Church and a committee was appointed.
The first rector was
the Reverend Sanson K. Brunot, who arrived December 23, 1832. He held the first
service on Christmas Day 1832 in the County Courthouse on Jackson Square. Since
there was no church building or rectory Brunot became a permanent houseguest of
Vestryman William Whitehead.
The first Vestry was
elected April 8, 1833.
Land for a church site
was given by the widow of John William Charles Fleming in 1832. The only stipulation
was that her husband’s remains stay where they were. He is still buried on the
grounds, but the actual site is unknown.
The original church,
made of coral rock, was built in 1838/1839. The building when completed was 38
by 58 feet and the total cost of construction was $6,500.00. This building was
totally destroyed by a hurricane on October 11, 1846.
The second church, a
wooden structure, measured 28 by 66 feet. The first service was held in this
building June 30, 1848. The church was consecrated on January 4, 1851 by The
Right Reverend C.E. Gadsden, Bishop of South Carolina.
In 1857 a rectory was
erected on the corner of Duval and Eaton Street, facing Eaton. The Rev. Osgood
E. Herrick was the
first in a long line of rectors to call it home.
The church was growing
steadily and the seating capacity of 350 was becoming inadequate. This was
when St. Peter’s was
established (1875) and the Spanish Mission of St. John’s followed.
The second church was
destroyed in the Great Fire of Key West on March 31, 1886. By some good fortune
the Rectory survived undamaged. Church rebuilding began immediately and the
third church was completed in 1887. This structure, constructed of wood, stood
in the center of the block facing Eaton Street. It was approximately 58 by 98
feet.
In 1890, the Vestry
voted to purchase a chime of bells. Once installed, the first chime of bells
within
Florida was
inaugurated Palm Sunday morning, March 22, 1891 at 10:00 am.
On October 11, 1909
another disaster struck and the church was destroyed by a hurricane. The parish
hall, (completed in 1904), survived and was used for services. The Rectory also
survived this storm. The plans for the new church were approved in 1911. The
new structure would be constructed of concrete. The church would also be
located at the corner of Duval and Eaton Streets. This required the moving of
the Rectory to its current location in 1914. The first service in the current
building was on June 8, 1919. During this period many of the stained glass
windows were ordered and installation began in 1920. The organ arrived in 1931,
in time for the Christmas services.
A major restoration of
the church was begun in 1991 to save the building from collapse. The concrete
used in the construction had been mixed with sea water and beach sand, which
caused the steel reinforcing within the walls to rust and expand. This in turn
caused many of the walls and columns to split. Work was completed in 1993 at a
cost of nearly one million dollars.
Today the church
continues to stand as a beacon within the diverse cultural community of Key West.
The church is open daily for prayer, meditation and visiting. Many concerts and
other community events take place here and St. Paul’s plays a positive role in
the community, artistically and spiritually.
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