Contemplate a vision from 1878. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church began its journey in Salt Lake City. Bishop Daniel S. Tuttle, Utah’s first Episcopal Bishop, organized it. It started as a Sunday school. Services were initially in a private home.
In 1880, St. Paul’s Chapel was completed at Fourth South and Main Street. It was named after St. Paul’s on Broadway in New York City. Bishop Tuttle had a strong connection to St. Paul’s New York. He preached his first sermon after consecration there. Maria Charlotte and Susan Mount, New York parishioners, helped fund the church. They supplemented their sister Jane’s bequest. St. Paul’s became the diocese’s third parish.
The congregation grew quickly. By the early 1900s, they outgrew the original building. In 1917, they decided to move eastward. They sought a more residential area. The original building was sold. New property was acquired at 900 East and 300 South.
The old St. Paul’s was demolished two years later. Dr. George Marshall chaired the building committee. He was an English professor at the University of Utah. He loved ecclesiastical architecture. He visited England three times. He gathered church sketches. Ware and Treganza, an architectural firm, helped create plans. They designed a church, rectory, and parish house. The style mirrored 16th-century Tudor England. A three-sided courtyard with lawns and gardens faced 900 East.
Ground was broken on September 20, 1917. The east side was completed first. It houses the parish hall, kitchen, offices, and preschool. The first services were held here on April 17, 1918. The parish worshipped here for nine years. The rectory was built next.
More land was needed for the church. Original building plans proved too costly. Pope and Burton submitted altered plans in 1925. Ground was broken on March 13, 1927. On April 24, 1927, two cornerstones were laid. One was from the old church and one was new. The Knights Templar laid them. The present church was consecrated on November 27, 1927. Bishop Arthur Moulton officiated.
The spire is 62 feet high. It houses the bell from the first St. Paul’s. Originally, the stained glass was only above the altar. The women’s guild donated it. In the early 1940s, clear glass was replaced with stained glass memorials. The Te Deum window is most striking. Charles Connick of Boston designed it. It honors parish members who served in the armed forces. The altar from the old St. Paul’s is now in the south transept.
In February 1960, a fire damaged the buildings. Repairs were made. Improvements followed. In 1989, the parish hall’s lower floor was remodeled. It had been a gymnasium and meeting place. Classrooms, a chapel, and a kitchen were added. A parking lot was built across Ninth East.
An addition was made in 2002. It included a north wing. Offices, restrooms and classroom space were created. Grace Chapel was also completed. The parish hall was rebuilt at grade level.
This complex history shows St. Paul’s strong sense of community. The enthusiasm and talent of its members help ground its spiritual foundations. The clergy includes Rector Kurt C. Wiesner and Deacon Alison Desiderio Peterson. George W. Henry Jr. is the Music Director and Organist. Dr. Haruhito Miyagi is the Associate Director of Music and Organist. Heidi J. Alley and Henrique Souza Gosney serve as Assistant Organists.