1766 – St. Paul’s Chapel, New York

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A chapel of the Parish of Trinity Church, St. Paul’s was built on land granted by Queen Anne of Great Britain. Upon completion in 1766, it stood in a field some distance from the growing port city to the south. It was built as a “chapel-of-ease” for parishioners who lived far from the Mother Church. St. Paul’s has the classical portico, boxy proportions and domestic details that are characteristic of Georgian churches such as James Gibbs’ London church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, after which it was modelled. Its multi-stage octagonal tower rises from a square base.

Inside, the chapel’s simple galleried interior has fine corinthian columns and carved memorials to commemorate parish worthies. The building escaped damage in 9/11 even though the twin towers of the World Trade Centre were sited almost directly across the street from the churchyard. It became a place of pilgrimage in the years after the terrorist attack for people to remember the emergency responders who died in the attack.