National Register of Historic Places

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Elkins Park, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Listed
April 21, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82003800

About this property

St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church at Old York and Ashbourne Roads in Elkins Park, Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was originally built in 1861, and is a gray stone church in the Gothic style. The church was conceived by noted financier Jay Cooke (1821–1905), along with John W. Thomas, J.F. Peniston and William C. Houston. Its size was doubled with an expansion in 1870, and a 60-foot-tall tower added. A transept was added in 1883, and the two-story parish hall wing in 1891. Architect Horace Trumbauer (1868–1938) made some refinements to the church during the 1897 to 1924 period. Eleanor Elkins Widener funded renovations to the church as a memorial to her husband George Dunton Widener who died during the sinking of the Titanic. The main sanctuary of the church features 13 stained glass windows from Tiffany Studios. Also on the property is the 2+1⁄2-story rectory built in 1868 and a stable. Jay Cooke Memorial hall (1906), and sexton's cottage (1923), were designed by architects Churchman & Thomas and Thomas, Martin & Kirkpatrick, respectively. (See Walter Horstmann Thomas.) Adjacent to the church is a cemetery laid out in 1879 and expanded in 1905. Located in the cemetery is the Jay Cooke mausoleum. St. Paul's Episcopal Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Saint Paul's remains an active parish. The church's sister organization, The Friends of St. Paul's Elkins Park, hosts a popular concert series featuring music from several genres including classical, jazz, and gospel.

Location

Elkins Park, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
40.07133, -75.13272

Categories

ECONOMICSARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Elkins Railroad Station, Philadelphia and Reading Railroad
Industrial
0.3 mi
Wall House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Camptown Historic District
Listed
0.7 mi
Breyer, Henry W., Sr., House
Industrial
0.8 mi
Beth Sholom Synagogue
Industrial
0.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown — Chew House
1777Revolutionary War
2.3 mi
Battle of Germantown
1777Revolutionary War
2.6 mi
Battle of Germantown (approach actions)
1777Revolutionary War
3 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. Paul's Episcopal Church listed on the National Register?

St. Paul's Episcopal Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 1982.

What type of historic resource is St. Paul's Episcopal Church?

St. Paul's Episcopal Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. Paul's Episcopal Church?

The period of significance for St. Paul's Episcopal Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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