St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Pawtucket (Mss. Gr. 106)

Historical Information

St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Pawtucket, Rhode Island was the fifth Episcopal parish to be established in the state. Founded in 1815, St. Paul's was preceded only by Trinity Church in Newport, St. Paul' s in Narragansett (now located in Wickford) , St. Michael's in Bristol, and King's Church/St. John's Church in Providence (now the Cathedral of St. John). St. Paul's was the first new Episcopal parish to be established in over ninety years.

As the village of Pawtucket grew in the first decade of the nineteenth century, Episcopalians in the community began to look into the possibility of establishing their own parish so that worshippers would no longer have to journey to St. John's in Providence to attend services. Rev. Nathan Crocker, rector of St. John's, began to conduct services at the Baptist Meeting House in Pawtucket on Sunday evenings in the summer of 1814. Though discontinued in the fall, the services had struck a responsive chord in Pawtucket.

The following spring, the Rev. John Blake began to hold services every Sunday in Pawtucket to an ever-growing congregation. Before the end of 1815, a parish was organized and Samuel Slater, founder of the first textile mill in the United States, was elected senior warden. The cornerstone was laid for the new church in June, 1816. The new St. Paul's Church was consecrated on October 15,1817 and John Blake was named the first rector the following day.

St. Paul's parish enjoyed steady growth and stable leadership throughout the nineteenth century. Between 1817 and 1900 St. Paul's was led by only five rectors including two, Rev. George Taft and Rev. Emery Porter, who served a combined seventy years in the position. This stability at the top contributed to a growth in the parish from less than 100 parishioners in 1817 to more than 600 by the turn of the century.

As the number of parishioners continued to increase, it became apparent by 1900 that the original church building was too small to meet the needs of the parish. The old church was demolished in 1901 and the present church constructed on the same site. The cornerstone for the new building was laid in August, 1901 and the church consecrated the following year.

The steady growth of the parish continued into the twentieth century. New buildings were added as the congregation increased in number, including a parish house and an office and education building. In 1971, Trinity Episcopal Church of Pawtucket merged with St. Paul's, further increasing the size of its congregation as the Trinity congregation joined with St. Paul's. The Trinity Church building was retained as a chapel until the building was deconsecrated and sold in 1976.

As it nears the end of the twentieth century, St. Paul's parish enjoys a status as one of the oldest and largest Episcopal parishes in Rhode Island. It continues to play a central role in the religious, social, and cultural life of Pawtucket.