Saint Paul's Chapel, 1766—1916
150th Anniversary

St. Paul's Chapel was one hundred and fifty years old
October 30, 1916, and held an appropriate celebration
on the occasion. Mayor Mitchell headed a procession
consisting of the Sons of the Revolution, and the So¬
ciety of the Cincinnati, which met in Fraunces Tavern
and marched from the historic landmark to the famous
old church wdiich has filled so large a place in the his¬
tory of our city and is held in such high esteem and
affection by the people. President Wilson was repre¬
sented by Col. E. M. House, and Gov. Whitman by Col.
Lorillard Spencer. The pew Washington occupied when
he worshipped here was decorated with American flags.

Memories of Washington, Lafayette and other heroes
which cluster around this historic old church were re¬
vived and it was recalled that in the days when Washing¬
ton worshipped in St. Paul's he used to walk from his
residence in Cherry Street to the church and mingle
among the people like any other good citizen. St. Paul's
was then tree embowered and looked out on the spark¬
ling waters of the Hudson, unobstructed by high build¬
ings and undisturbed by the noises of modern street
traffic. Great indeed have been the changes witnessed
by this old church, but St. Paul's itself remains un¬
changed and preserves for us, amid the fast shifting
scenes of the years something of the flavor of an age
that is dear to old New Yorkers for its quaint simplicity
and yet severe and unyielding rectitude.

The text from which Bishop David H. Greer preached
on the Sunday of the celebration epitomises better than
anything that could be written the feelings of New
Yorkers toward this old church. It was the same from
which Dr. Samuel Auchmuty preached on the dedication
of the chapel October 30, 1766: "Draw not nigh hither;
put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place wheron
thou standest is holy ground."

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