Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Burlington, Vermont)

Cathedral Church of St. Paul
44°28′47.44″N 73°13′6.27″W / 44.4798444°N 73.2184083°W / 44.4798444; -73.2184083
Location	2 Cherry St. Burlington, Vermont
Country	United States
Denomination	Episcopal Church in the United States of America
Website	www.stpaulscathedralvt.org
History
Founded	1830
Consecrated	November 11, 1973
Architecture
Architect(s)	Burlington Associates
Style	Modern
Specifications
Materials	stressed concrete
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Vermont
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Rt. Rev. Thomas Clark Ely
Dean	Very Rev. Mark Hatch (interim)

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul is an Episcopal cathedral located in Burlington, Vermont, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Vermont.

History

About 55 Episcopalians were present in a Burlington hotel when St. Paul's Church was organized in 1830. The first service was held in the courthouse on June 12, 1831.^[1] A stone, Gothic Revival church building was dedicated the following year. The structure was enlarged three times (1851, 1866, 1910) as the congregation grew. The 1910 renovation followed a fire. At the Diocesan Convention of 1965 St. Paul's was designated as the cathedral church for the diocese. It was formally elevated on May 6, 1966.^[2]

The old St. Paul's Cathedral was destroyed by a fire on February 15, 1971. It was sparked by an electrical malfunction in the basement.^[3] The City of Burlington was in the midst of a massive urban renewal project at the time. They offered to exchange the land on which the old church had stood for a new plot of land overlooking Lake Champlain downtown. Burlington Associates was chosen to design the new cathedral. It was completed in 1973 and consecrated on November 11, 1973.^[2]

Architecture

St. Paul's was designed in the Modern architectural style. It is composed of stressed concrete. The interior features white oak furnishings and paneling and a slate floor. It is naturally lit from the skylights and large curtain windows. The south wall’s great window provides a panoramic view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. The tower holds eight bells from old St. Paul's. They were cast in 1895 by the Meneely Bell Company of Troy, New York. The bells were refurbished after the fire and rehung in the new bell tower. A ninth bell cracked in the fire and is now in the Memorial Garden. The Memorial Garden is located on the east side of the nave. The ashes of parish members and friends of St. Paul’s are buried there. It is enclosed with stonework that incorporates stones from old St. Paul’s.

References