St. Paul's Episcopal Church


Chester, now Delaware County PA



This info is from CHESTER AND ITS VICINITY, DELAWARE COUNTY IN PENNSYLVANIA WITH GENEALOGICAL SKETCHES OF SOME OLD FAMILIES, by John Martin, 1877

     The church was opened for "Divine Worship" on St. Paul's Day, 1702, the building having been completed in July of that year.   The original church was small, containing only 24 pews, and of a "primitive style".  One of it's gables was occupied by a large window, and it had a tower with a belfry.    This was the church of those first church wardens and vestrymen.

    In 1835 this church underwent substantial repairs, and the number of pews was increased, the north entrance closed, a new chancel built, a gallery erected across the western end of the building, an entrance door was cut out of the western wall, a new belfry put upon the west gable, and the high backs of the old pews were cut down.  The old detached belfry was also torn down.

     In 1850 the congregation of St. Paul's erected the second church on the north side of 3rd Street, and it was a large edifice, 44 ft X 84 ft, with a steeple and belfry...it was again altered in 1872 and 1873  Then The present St. Paul's was relocated soon after 1900 and built in it's present gothic style, at 9th and Madison Sts.  A portion of the burying ground is still maintained in it's original location, including John Morton, PA Signer of the Dec of Indep.  However, during the late 19th century many of the original interments were moved to Chester .Rural Cemetery.

The following is a partial list of pew owners in the original St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Chester, razed in 1850.

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Church wardens and vestrymen of St. Paul's Episcopal Church




This page updated on February 10, 2009