History: 

The following is a brief history of St. Paul's written by Sally Burt on the occasion of our 250th Anniversary. Much of the information is drawn from a much longer history written by Dr. Arthur Morton Worthington, on the occasion of our 150th Anniversary, with an update by Mr. Thomas E. Jansen, Jr. on the occasion of our 200th Anniversary. For those interested, the booklet contianing this longer history can be found St Paul’s began on July 12, 1758 when the frame of a wooden church (left) was raised in Dedham for a small band of about a dozen Church of England families. The church was made of rough boards, measured only 30 x 40 feet, and had no seats. Although the small band of Loyalists had been worshiping in houses in Dedham and Stoughton, the building of the church here was made possible by Samuel Colburn’s generous bequest of land for the founding of an Episcopal Church in Dedham. The new church was initially supported by Old North, Boston, Trinity Church, Boston, and Christ Church, Quincy, all Loyalist churches.

During the Revolutionary War, when Loyalist churches continued to offer prayers for the King, the rector in Dedham, the Rev. William Clark, and many members of the congregation were persecuted and the church was closed. It reopened in 1791 and the Rev. William Montague was called to serve as rector for 100 pounds sterling a year. In the early 1800s the church, incorporated as the Episcopal Church in Dedham, became known as St. Paul’s, and in July 1818, the first officers were chosen: senior warden, junior warden, five vestrymen, a treasurer and clerk. During the first 100 years, the young church struggled. The first building, used as a military storehouse during the Revolution, became dilapidated. The second church (right) collapsed in 1797 when it was moved to Franklin Square. It was rebuilt, but by 1845 it was demolished when it became “rickety and porous.”

In 1846, the third building (below left), an impressive wooden Gothic structure, was consecrated, but it was destroyed by a disastrous fire in 1856. Mindful of the hazards of wooden structures, plans were immediately made to construct the next church, the present building, of Dedham granite (below right). It was consecrated in June, 1858 and the interior furnishings included chestnut pews, a Hook organ, and a magnificent stained glass window of St. Paul above the altar. In 1869 the tower and spire were completed, and in 1881 a chime of ten bells, ranging in size from 3050 to 250 pounds, was given by Ira Cleveland who was warden for 51 years.