Church of St. Paul's, K Street (Washington, D.C.)
St. Paul's Parish, K Street is a parish of the Episcopal Church in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. It is known for being one of the earlier Anglican Catholic churches in the United States.
History
St. Paul's Parish was founded in 1866 with the building of its first church at Washington Circle, where the congregation worshipped until the end of World War II. As a new hospital for George Washington University was planned to be built nearby, the government bought the property and the old building was closed at the end of 1944. On new property on K Street, purchased by the church, the architect Philip H. Frohman was engaged to design a new building. During a prolonged period of construction, the parish worshiped at St Thomas Church near Dupont Circle. The first service was held in the new church in June 1948. Numerous additions of stained glass windows and appropriate religious adornments had been added in the intervening years. In 1966, St. Paul's celebrated its centenary with a liturgy of consecration. On October 5, 2008, the newly expanded parish hall was dedicated by the Bishop of Washington, John Chane. The new parish house incorporated the Gray and Carwithen townhouses that were adjacent to the church.
Traditions
From its founding, St. Paul's has been noted for being in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism. The first vested choir in Washington and the first "choral service" were led by the first processional cross in the old church. Its "Midnight Mass" of 1870 was perhaps the first in the United States in an Anglican church. The Eucharist has been celebrated daily since before 1900, with the use of vestments before that. The parish was also one of the first churches to use envelopes for offerings.
The church is known for its music program, which is considered one of the best in the country. Its choirs include the parish choir (with a professional core), a choir of men and boys, and a girls choir.
The current Priest in Charge is the Rt Rev'd James Jelinek, Interim Rector, following the retirement of the Rev'd Father Andrew Sloane on January 27, 2013, according to the parish web site.
St. Pauls' sister-parish is St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge in London, England.
Rectors
| Rector | Years as Rector | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Augustus Jackson | 1866–1880 |
| 2. | William Barker (bishop) | 1881–1887 |
| 3. | Alfred Harding | 1887–1907 |
| 4. | Robert Talbot | 1909–1923 |
| 5. | Arlington A. McCallum | 1924–1949 |
| 6. | James Richards | 1949–1973 |
| 7. | James R. Daughtry | 1974–1989 |
| 8. | Richard Cornish Martin | 1989–1996 |
| 9. | Andrew L. Sloane | 1998–2013 |
Pipe organ
The 51 stops organ was built by american organ builder Schoenstein.[1]