Welcome the Future 
St. Paul’s 150th Anniversary Restoration Campaign

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill is blessed with a magnificent structure for worship, which has stood as a symbol of God’s enduring grace since its dedication in 1929. 

The church, built at a high point for Gothic revival architecture in America, combines the strength of native stone with beautiful woodcarvings and stained glass. Now 75 years old, the “church fabric” requires an investment to preserve these original elements and restore their historic beauty. It is timely — and a sign of good stewardship — to make our beautiful buildings safer, more functional, as well as better suited to serve our congregation and community for decades to come. 

The St. Paul’s sesquicentennial provides an ideal occasion to restore the church and prepare it for the future. The vestry has worked with the Master Plan Committee and Atkin Olshin Lawson-Bell Architects for more than a year to create comprehensive plans for improvements needed at St. Paul’s, so that our church can have a future as glorious as its history.

While the architectural plan sets a direction for revitalizing the entire property, the 150th Anniversary Restoration Campaign targets the most urgent preservation needs for the church and Dixon House. Leaders of the parish will work with our next rector to consider priorities for future capital projects visualized in the master plan. 

As you read over the plans for the 150th Anniversary Restoration Campaign, keep in mind that we must conclude the pledge campaign quickly in order to complete these critical projects by the sesquicentennial celebration in 2006. Remember, the vestry and committees have worked hard to ensure that this campaign will preserve the character of the buildings, while providing essential improvements in line with the mission of the church. 

PROJECTS Entrance and Parking  We will make the Bethlehem Pike main entrance to St. Paul’s more welcoming and attractive, especially for people who have physical difficulties. The driveway leading from Bethlehem Pike will be widened into a two-way passage with a circular turnaround and drop-off at the porte-cochére.		Current Lighting
Eight parking spaces for visitors will be created next to Dixon House, behind the rectory. We will rebuild the Wissahickon schist retaining walls and emphasize these native materials in the design of the entryway.  Creating a better defined, inviting entrance signifies that St. Paul’s welcomes everyone. Along the driveway, environmentally sustainable landscaping with native plants will integrate the entryway with Cooke Park.

Proposed Lighting- Click for larger view		Sanctuary Restoration  Our central restoration project concerns the spiritual center of St. Paul’s, the interior worship space. All of the wood and stone surfaces will be cleaned, repaired and preserved, particularly the distinctive sculptured angels on overhead beams. We will clean the many stained glass windows and replace their exterior protective covers.
Special attention will be paid to restoring the unique, locally-crafted hardware on all of the doors of the church. To improve energy use and safety, all sanctuary lighting will be refurbished and new wiring will be installed. New architectural lighting and controls will be used to bring out the beautiful historical details of the worship space, such as the woodwork and the rose window. The lighting enhancements will make the sanctuary appear warmer and more vibrant. On a purely practical level, having adequate light levels will make the church more welcoming and appealing as a spiritual home.

Church & Dixon House Roof 

The gutters, downspouts, flashing, and slate roofing of our church require extensive repair and upgrading. Though improvements will not be readily visible, this important step of the restoration will protect the rest of the building from being harmed by the weather. We have included funds to examine and repair the flêche, which is the distinctive slender spire above the intersection of the nave and transepts. 

Exterior Stone Restoration 

While scaffolding is in place for repairs to the windows, roof and gutters, masons will inspect and repair deteriorating joints in the schist and limestone exterior of the church. Broken stones will be replaced. This essential maintenance will avoid future expenditures because it will protect the walls of the church from water infiltration. 

Summary of Costs

Help Saint Paul’s Welcome the Future. 

Today it is our turn and an exciting privilege to restore and preserve this wonderful gift from a previous generation. As we move toward our sesquicentennial, our restoration projects will enable St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to have a safe, enduring, and welcoming church home. In honor of the church’s dedication year, 1929, we seek to raise $1,929,000 for its restoration. 

Campaign Steering Committee 

George Reath, Chairman 
Sharon Beales 
Ed Clay 
Betty Lippincott 
Steve Pearson 
Peter Randall 
Posey Randall 
Jordan Schell-Lambert 
Newbold Strong 
Pat Voigt

22 E. Chestnut Hill Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19118
Phone: 215-242-2055 | Fax: 215-242-1620

Copyright 2005 St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Photos: L. Bindrim, SJU Press; Ken Garner; Diane Powell; St. Paul's Archives

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