St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City Prepares for Sanctuary Centennial

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City Prepares for Sanctuary Centennial

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St. Paul’s Episcopal Church prepares for 100-year sanctuary milestone

“It’s a giant mess because we’re just kind of trying to get things ready,” Russ Peck said regarding the intensive preparations currently underway at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

The congregation in Salt Lake City is already working toward the centennial celebration of its sanctuary’s dedication, which will take place next November. According to a report from ksl.com, the church is undergoing physical and archival work to honor nearly a century of history at its current location.

The effort involves both structural preservation and historical deep-dives. Stained glass windows have been re-lined with lead, the roof is undergoing repairs, and Peck, an archivist and historiographer, is sorting through hundreds of historical documents and photographs to build presentations for next year’s festivities.

A century of Salt Lake City history

While the current building has stood at the corner of 900 East and 300 South since 1918, the congregation’s roots in the city go back much further. The original St. Paul’s Chapel was located at the southeast corner of 400 South and Main Street, with construction beginning as early as 1878.

The chapel was consecrated in 1881, funded in part by three sisters from New York City: Maria, Charlotte, and Susan Mount. A plaque honoring the Mount sisters remains a part of the church’s history, though it was recently updated with new dates and moved to the back of the nave.

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As the congregation grew, a move became necessary. The church purchased its current location in 1917 and began construction the following year. The final service at the original chapel was held on Easter Sunday, March 17, 1918, and the first services at the new site commenced one month later on April 17, 1918, ksl.com reported.

For the first nine years at the new site, services were held in the parish hall. It wasn’t until November 27, 1927, that the sanctuary was officially dedicated, marking the date the church will celebrate 100 years of worship in that specific space next year.

Preserving the sacred architecture

The sanctuary’s design follows a cruciform shape, intended to resemble a cross. This layout includes a central walkway between pews and two transepts that form the arms of the cross. One transept houses a modern baptismal font alongside an altar that dates back to the original 1881 church.

The interior holds several artifacts that bridge the gap between the 19th and 21st centuries:

St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City Prepares for Sanctuary Centennial
  • An original bishop’s chair from the 1881 church located near the apse.
  • An altar from the 1881 chapel located in one of the transepts.
  • Decorative bannisters carved by an East High School shop teacher during the 1950s.
  • Cornerstones from both the 1881 and 1918 buildings, which are embedded in the exterior wall of the sanctuary.

The sanctuary’s rear wall, known as the apse, utilizes a flat Anglo-Saxon style rather than the curved European design. Throughout the space, stained glass windows depicting the life of Jesus Christ cast colored light across the nave during Sunday worship services.

Adapting spaces for community needs

Over the decades, the church has repurposed various rooms to meet the changing needs of its members and the Salt Lake City community. The rooms that once served as private quarters for priests have transitioned into public-facing service areas.

The former living room and dining room on the first floor now function as a food pantry. The priest’s sitting room has been converted into a library and study room, while the upstairs bedrooms serve as classrooms for the church’s preschool. In 2002, the church expanded its footprint by adding a north wing for offices and restrooms, as well as Grace Chapel, a smaller worship space.

The church has also faced major challenges, including a fire in the early 1960s that destroyed the interior of the rectory and parish hall, forcing a rebuild of those specific areas.

The archival treasure hunt

Peck has spent more than 20 years working with the church’s archives, and the centennial has intensified his search for historical clarity. He described the process as a “treasure hunt,” according to church treasurer Karen Sharp.

The scale of the records is substantial. Four filing cabinets are dedicated solely to birth, marriage, and death records, and Peck is currently working through dozens of boxes of photographs. One of his primary challenges is identifying the individuals in older, unlabeled photographs to ensure the centennial presentations are accurate.

His research has already yielded important finds, including the discovery of the 1927 charter in the church basement. Peck has since reframed both the 1881 and 1927 charters to prevent further deterioration of these primary historical documents.

The centennial celebrations are scheduled to begin in November 2027.

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