St. Paul's Church imagery

St. Paul's Church

An historic church and museum in Mount Vernon, New York

THINGS TO DO

EXHIBITS: The museum gallery offers exhibits on the historic site, as well as important figures related to the site, such as John Glover, who served General Washington in the American Revolution.

TOURS: Tours of the museum, the church, and the cemetery are offered by site staff and volunteers.

EVENTS: The Battle of Pell's Point is commemorated each October with military and civilian reenactors, as well as period craft demonstrations.

Built between 1765 and 1788 near the site of earlier churches dating from the 1660s, Saint Paul's is one of New York's oldest parishes. The church served as a field hospital following a Revolutionary War battle, and British, Hessian, and American soldiers are buried there, as well as soldiers from every war in America up through World War II. The oldest graves in the cemetary date from 1665.

St. Paul's Church Bell has an interesting history. About 250 years ago, in 1758, the Church of England minister at St. Paul's decided to leave a gift to his parish as he prepared to retire. Reverend Standard, a wealthy man, ordered a bell for the church from London's Whitechapel Foundry (which also cast the "Liberty Bell"). When the bell was delivered, it was hung in the small wooden church at St. Paul's and rung not only for services, but also for the King's Birthday every June 4. When the American Revolution reached New York in 1776, General George Washington ordered the removal of bells from New York City's churches to be melted down and cast into cannon. However, the parishioners at St. Paul's hid their bell in order to save it. During the war, Hessian troops tore down the wooden church for firewood. When the war ended in 1783 the bell was returned and hung in the present stone church. Thereafter, it was rung for services and for the celebration of American Independence on July 4.

St Paul's is operated under a cooperative agreement with the Society of the National Shrine of the Bill of Rights at Saint Paul's Church, Eastchester. It was designated as a National Historic Site in 1943, and a National Park Service site in 1978.